Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook Review

Ottolenghi Simple

After our many cookbook reviews, one thing we learn is that simple is a relative term. What’s simple for a skilled cook can be a challenge for a novice. In Ottolenghi Simple, Yotam Ottolenghi, the author of best-sellers Jerusalem and Plenty, offers more than 100 recipes that suit a few different “simple” styles. From dishes that use fewer than 10 ingredients to those that take less than 30 minutes or to those that can be made in advance.

Simple for Yotam Ottolenghi will certainly cause grimacing among those who are unaccustomed to picking out the tiny seeds from 12 cardamom pods. But for the fans of and for confident cooks looking for clever flavor combinations, his latest cookbook is a thrill.

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Middle Eastern Cuisine

Yotam Ottolenghi, the Israeli-born chef best known for vegetable-forward cooking, and for inspired a whole new wave of chefs and restaurateurs while firmly put Middle Eastern cuisine on the map.

Another characteristic that defines Ottolenghi Cuisine is their challenging components and hard-to-find ingredients. But this time, in this cookbook, as the name suggests, we have a 130-strong collection of recipes, with all of Yotam’s signature bold flavors and inventive vegetable-focused dishes, but finally in a more manageable package.

It might take some Googling to source ingredients like rose harissa, fenugreek seeds, or baharat, but for those who know Ottolenghi’s rigamarole, this is indeed a collection of quick, everyday recipes. For those unfamiliar with Ottolenghi’s style, this is the perfect intro course.

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What Is Inside “SIMPLE”?

Just like in any Yotam Ottolenghi cookbook, Simple is full with amazing recipes with fantastic flavors and clever combinations that make every dish so brilliant. Each dish is categorized according to the Simple key, helping you to choose the best recipe to suit the time, ingredients and energy levels you have available:

S – short on time: less than 30 minutes
I – 10 ingredients or less
M – make ahead
P – pantry
L – lazy
E – easier than you think

Perfect for midweek meals, quick, fuss-free dinner party menus that will wow guests without requiring hours spent in the kitchen and simple bakes and sweet treats, these are Ottolenghi recipes as you’ve never seen them before.

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At The End

To conclude, in this cookbook, Ottolenghi offers SIMPLE meal suggestions for mid-week suppers, weekend brunches, and a lot more. Suggestions that include various Feast themes – Winter feast, Middle Eastern feast, and so on. There is also a fantastic breakdown of common ingredients, explaining what each is, and ways that you can use it.

So, if you like simple recipes with fantastic and clever combinations this is the perfect cookbook for you!