Ottolenghi: The Cookbook

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A] book that has barely left my kitchen…the fact that Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi have been generous to put their recipes in a book is something I had long dreamed of’ Nigel Slater, The Observer Magazine And then there are the cakes. The recipes aren't always the simplest cakes to make, but they are all wonderful. I have been working my way through making all of them. These are the sources of our impulse. It is this profusion of overwhelming sensations that inspires our desire to stun with our food, to make you say “wow!” even if you’re not the expressive type. The colors, the textures, and finally the flavors that are unapologetically striking. Roast potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes with lemon and sage - missing the artichokes, so otherwise a standard potato dish.

The cookbook requires several ingredients which I don't usually buy, but, because there is a great deal of repetition between recipes, I didn't feel like I was left with a product that I wouldn't ever use again: Sunflower oil, hazelnuts, Muscavado sugar are a few examples. (Additional advise: If you decide to work through these recipes, buy a big bag of sweet potatoes as they are used several times!) :) Yotam Ottolenghi’s four eponymous restaurants—each a patisserie, deli, restaurant, and bakery rolled into one—are among London’s most popular culinary destinations. Now available for the first time in an American edition and updated with US measurements throughout, this debut cookbook from the celebrated, bestselling authors of Jerusalem and Plenty features 140 recipes culled from the popular Ottolenghi restaurants and inspired by the diverse culinary traditions of the Mediterranean. Separate the broccoli into florets and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes and not longer! Immediately refresh under cold running water to stop further cooking, then drain and leave to dry completely. Sami Tamimi was born and raised in Jerusalem and was immersed in food from childhood. He started his career as commis-chef in a Jerusalem hotel and worked his way up, through many restaurants and ethnic traditions, to become head chef of Lilith, one of the top restaurants in Tel Aviv in the 1990’s. This is a very informative cookbook that in many ways resembles a textbook in that there is so much text. Recipes are well done and distinct and there is a photo for each. While the recipes may be described as "low effort," this does not mean fast. In fact, only five of the recipes can be made in under thirty minutes or in one pan. Most take more than an hour and involve multiple steps and pans. You have to really want to make these dishes. Many recipes focus on less common vegetables such as rutabagas and celery root. Recipes all seem highly unique and creative but tend to run on the exotic side. Fans of Ottolenghi will love this book.Recipes we love: Figs with Young Pecorino and Honey, Marinated Aubergine with Tahini and Oregano, Tamara's Stuffed Vine Leaves, Orangic Salmon and Asparagus Bruchetta, Lamb Cutlets with Walnut, Fig and Goat's Cheese Salad. Very nicely presented and just the right length of preamble to chapters and recipes to add context but not detract from the main purpose of cooking. Amazing and unique flavor combinations that blow up your tastebuds. Ottolenghi's creative writing and informative advice with how-to help is appreciated. I feel that this book makes anyone who reads it and cooks through it a better chef. Intros to the chapters feels very comparable to Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat but without so much of a clear direction, so probably unlikely to reuse these for reference.

Although this is the first of Ottolenghi's cookbooks, I have come to it just now, after knowing and using his others, especially Jerusalem: A Cookbook, Plenty and Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London's Ottolenghi. Perhaps if I'd discovered it first I would give it five stars, but I think there are more interesting recipes in the later books, as he experimented and explored more in using vegetables creatively. Ottolenghi and Tamimi, authors of Jerusalem: A Cookbook, have created Ottolenghi: The Cookbook to share the most popular recipes from their four Ottolenghi restaurants (which are each a sort of combination restaurant/patisserie/deli). In Flavor, Ottolenghi, along with his test kitchen chefs Ixta Belfrage and Tara Wigley, focus on 3 Ps: process, pairing, and produce. Add in his homemade condiments (aka his secret weapons: flavor bombs), and you can find vegetable recipes for main dishes, sides, and even desserts for the most vegetable-averse out there.

These recipes draw mostly from all over the Mediterranean, with some Asian tossed in (and maybe others too, I think it's mentioned in the intro), and even one or two Mexican-based recipes. One of them was for Quesadillas, and they were absolutely delicious. There are AT LEAST twenty other recipes bookmarked for taste-testing. :-) That being said, I would not suggest these recipes for beginning cooks. These dishes are elevated and elegant, the equivalent of meals from a four-star restaurant, and the ingredients he uses as his go-tos are hard to find on the shelves of many local American grocery stores. These are intermediate to expert dishes, with the refinements that come from many years of cooking. But there is nothing wrong with getting the cookbook to read and aspire to, trying one of the simpler recipes to add a dramatic flair to a holiday dinner or dinner party, and then working up to the more complicated recipes. This isn't a cookbook for the beginning chef. Many of the recipes are advanced, most of them require extra preparation time, and a great deal of them use ingredients that aren't easily accessible. The first thing I want to say about it is that it is the most interesting cookbook I’ve ever read. The recipes are very different than what I’m used to making, and they all sound easy enough to prepare. The photos were amazing, and the stories shared about his family made me feel as if I knew them. They were very close and I liked that. Ottolenghi and Tamimi have a genius for adding intrigue to every dish, for making spices and herbs surprising, and for combining flavors that draw us in and warm our hearts. Each recipe in this book has the mark of originality and the power to inspire.”