There are all sorts of ways to get a meal on the table, depending on the sort of cook you are. One person’s idea of cooking simply is the next person’s culinary nightmare. For me, for example, it’s about being able to stop at my greengrocer on the way home, pick up a couple of things which look good, and make something within 20 or 30 minutes of getting home.Whatever our approach, it all looks effortless and easy when friends and family come to eat in our respective kitchens. This is only because we’ve worked out the way that suits us to make cooking simple, relaxing and therefore fun. It’s differentfor everyone. This idea, then – that there’s more than one way to get a meal on the table and that everyone has a different idea of which way is simple – is what Ottolenghi SIMPLE is all about. The reason I’m so excited about Ottolenghi SIMPLE is that it’s full of recipes which are still distinctly ‘Ottolenghi’ but are simple in at least one (but very often in more than one) way.
Bridget Jones's pan-fried salmon with pine nut salsa
“This is the dish Patrick Dempsey’s character tells Renée Zellweger’s Bridget Jones that he would have brought her on their imaginary second date in Bridget Jones’s Baby. ‘From Ottolenghi,’ says Dempsey, ‘delicious and healthy!’ And easy, we might add! What sounded like a bit of product placement on our part was, in fact, no such thing. The recipe didn’t even exist on our menu, so this is a retrospective acknowledgement” - Yotam Ottolenghi. This is an edited extract from Ottolenghi SIMPLE(Penguin Random House, RRP $49.99). On sale now.
Butterbean mash with muhammara
“Muhammara is a spicy Levantine dip of red capsicum and walnuts. It keeps in the fridge for 3 days, so double the recipe, if you like. It’s as lovely spooned into a cheese sandwich or served with grilled meat as it is as a dip. I’ve left the skins on the capsic*ms for ease, but remove them if you don’t want the texture. The mash can be made 3 days in advance – keep in the fridge in a separate container and bring back to room temperature before serving” - Yotam Ottolenghi. This is an edited extract fromOttolenghi SIMPLE (Penguin Random House, RRP $49.99). On sale now.
Soba noodles with lime, cardamom and avocado
“Scraping the seeds from 12 cardamom pods and crushing them might feel like a bit of a fiddle, just for 1/2 tsp, but it’s a few minutes well worth spending. Unleashing the fruity, floral and citrusy spice into the dish makes it really quite distinct. I like to eat this as it is for a quick lunch or light supper, or with some prawns or tofu stirred through just before serving. It also works well served alongside some pan-fried salmon or topped with a soft-boiled egg” - Yotam Ottolenghi. This is an edited extract from Ottolenghi SIMPLE (Penguin Random House, RRP $49.99). On sale now.
Gigli with chickpeas and za'atar
“Gigli means ‘lilies’ in Italian, and their floral wavy edges are a great vehicle for the chickpeas and anchovies in the sauce. Orecchiette (ears) or conchiglie (shells) are also good for scooping and work really well here, too” - Yotam Ottolenghi. This is an edited extract fromOttolenghi SIMPLE (Penguin Random House, RRP $49.99). On sale now.
Ottolenghi's mint and pistachio chocolate fridge cake
“This is called a chocolate fridge cake, but it should be seen as a bit of a larder cake as well, using what you have to hand – which is why this is a pantry recipe. Allsorts of different-flavoured chocolate (ginger chocolate, chilli chocolate and so forth), biscuits, nuts, dried fruit or alcohol can be used, instead of what’s listed here, depending on what you have in your pantry and what you like. The cake can be stored in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to a week” - Yotam Ottolenghi. This is an edited extract from Ottolenghi SIMPLE (Penguin Random House, RRP $49.99).
Blueberry, almond and lemon cake
“For all the tins, trays and moulds that can be used to great effect in baking, there’s nothing quite like a simple loaf cake to reassure one that all is okay with the world.This is timeless, easy and also keeps well, for 3 days, stored in an airtight container at room temperature” - Yotam Ottolenghi. This is an edited extract fromOttolenghi SIMPLE (Penguin Random House, RRP $49.99). On sale now.
FAQs
The deli quickly gained a cult following due to its inventive dishes, characterised by the foregrounding of vegetables, unorthodox flavour combinations, and the abundance of Middle Eastern ingredients such as rose water, za'atar, and pomegranate molasses.
Why is Ottolenghi so popular? ›
The deli quickly gained a cult following due to its inventive dishes, characterised by the foregrounding of vegetables, unorthodox flavour combinations, and the abundance of Middle Eastern ingredients such as rose water, za'atar, and pomegranate molasses.
Does Ottolenghi have a new cookbook? ›
Ottolenghi fans, rejoice: 2024 will see the release of a brand-new cookbook from the acclaimed chef, restaurateur, and bestselling author.
What is Ottolenghi style food? ›
From this, Ottolenghi has developed a style of food which is rooted in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean traditions, but which also draws in diverse influences and ingredients from around the world.
How many cookbooks does Ottolenghi have? ›
find Yotam on
He has co-authored and published eight cookbooks, including Plenty and Jerusalem, SIMPLE , FLAVOUR , and his latest, Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love. Ottolenghi is also a weekly columist for The Guardian.
What are the criticism of Ottolenghi? ›
The only real criticisms heard by the industry about Ottolenghi's earlier books were that that the ingredients lists were too long, and the recipes too complicated. "So Simple was simply genius," says Jane Morrow. Each book is very much a hands-on process, with a core team of long-term collaborators.
Does Ottolenghi eat meat? ›
If anything, Mr. Ottolenghi — tall and dapper, with salt-and-pepper hair, half-rim glasses and a penchant for pink-striped button-downs and black sneakers — should be a vegetarian pinup. But here's the rub: he eats meat. Apparently this is enough to discredit him in the eyes of the most devout abstainers.
Is Ottolenghi A Vegan? ›
The guy's an omnivore but his recipes are overwhelmingly vegetarian and vegan. His vegetarian (not vegan) cookbook Plenty< spent years near the top of Britain's bestseller lists.
Are Ottolenghi recipes difficult? ›
We cook a fair amount of Ottolenghi recipes at home, because he's one of the regular food writers in our regular newspaper (The Guardian). They are usually fairly simple recipes that focus on a good combination of flavours - even as home cooks, they're not nearly the most complicated things we make.
Are Ottolenghi recipes complicated? ›
Some of the recipes are fairly straightforward but he does have a reputation for including some hard to get ingredients and some recipes can be very involved. I really enjoy his recipes and find they are very tasty.
About us. Ottolenghi began in a small shop in Notting Hill, London in 2002. Chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi were at the helm, creating a unique deli, restaurant, and bakery setting, which soon became a clear reflection of our obsessive relationship with food.
Who is the CEO of Ottolenghi? ›
Emilio Foa, who was previously CEO of furniture retailer OKA and former CFO of fashion brand Burberry, became the first CEO of Ottolenghi Group in April. The move, Foa claims, allows Ottolenghi to focus on the creative side of the business, while he works on operational logistics, brand growth and marketing strategy.
What to serve with Ottolenghi baked rice? ›
This is such a great side to all sorts of dishes: roasted root vegetables, slowcooked lamb or pork.
Is Ottolenghi a Michelin star? ›
So far, his books have sold 5 million copies, and Ottolenghi - although he has never even been awarded a Michelin star and without being considered a great chef - has successfully blended Israeli, Iranian, Turkish, French and, of course, Italian influences to create a genre that is (not overly) elegant, international, ...
Which cookbook has sold the most copies? ›
More than 75 million copies of the book have been sold since it was first published in 1950. Owing to the dominant color of the book's covers over the years, the Betty Crocker Cookbook is familiarly referred to as "Big Red", a term that General Mills has trademarked.
Are Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi still friends? ›
The chemistry between them was immediate, not least because of their common background; they have been fast friends ever since. In 2002, Tamimi joined Ottolenghi and Bar in opening the first Ottolenghi Deli.
Who has the best gastronomy in the world? ›
Leading the pack, Italy stands out as the best cuisine in the world. Next up are Japan and Greece.
What is the biggest cooking competition in the world? ›
The Bocuse d'Or (the Concours mondial de la cuisine, World Cooking Contest) is a biennial world chef championship.
