Simple Dishes Packed with Flavor
Kristina’s Bookshelf
Ottolenghi Simple
By Yotam Ottolenghi
(Ten Speed Press, 2019)
Israeli-born London chef Yotam Ottolenghi and his flavorful, herb-intensive Middle Eastern dishes need no introduction. The author of more than half a dozen cookbooks, Ottolenghi is well-known and much loved for his restaurants and cooking style. His latest cookbook includes 130 recipes designed to be prepared in less than 30 minutes, generally with 10 ingredients or fewer, and in many cases with just one pot or pan. The dishes are the sort fans expect from Ottolenghi: slow-cooked chicken with a crisp corn crust; tofu with haricots verts and a Libyan chraimeh sauce made from garlic, paprika, tomato paste, and caraway seeds; pan-fried salmon with pine nut and olive salsa; and pappardelle with rose harissa, black olives, and capers. Desserts also shine. Try a cheesecake made from feta and cream cheese with its accompanying anise- and orange-infused cherry compote and crumble topping of hazelnuts and black sesame seeds. And of course, the recipes include lots of sumac, pistachios, mint, parsley, preserved lemon, and other signature additions. Another must-have cookbook filled with creative and strikingly flavorful dishes.
Edible East Bay’s book editor Kristina Sepetys is eager to share her ideas and book recommendations with
our readers.
