Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi Yotam Assaf Ottolenghiis an Israeli-born British chef, recipe writer and restaurant owner...
NationalityIsraeli
ProfessionChef
Date of Birth14 December 1968
CountryIsrael
meals people serve
These days, meals are more open to personal preferences. People like to serve themselves.
definitely eaten hardly meals none
Hardly any of my most memorable meals have been eaten in a restaurant, and definitely none in one of those fancy marble-floored, polished-silver establishments.
bowl meals plain rice served southern stuff
Buttermilk's palate-cleansing tartness is one reason it's used a lot in southern India, where meals often end with a small bowl of the stuff served with plain rice and pickles.
actively compares meals
Eating ready-made meals is about being very passive, and actively cooking is something that nothing compares to.
full home purely quite
Too many books are full of recipes that aren't doable at home. They are purely aspirational. They are quite frightening, even for me.
add dried neutral otherwise
Dried porcini add a substantial, deep flavour to otherwise more neutral vegetables. I use them in risottos, mashed roots and winter soups.
bit cakes perceived quite
Fish cakes are perceived as being quite British, and they're always a bit brown and a little dull.
easier preparing
Preparing and cooking squid is easier than most fish. The only thing to remember is not to cook it for too long.
cheese italian labelled melts
Scamorza, an Italian curd cheese often labelled 'smoked mozzarella,' melts fantastically well.
admittedly main raw
Raw fish suppers admittedly require a little planning, not least in the acquisition of the main ingredient.
cheese good image people
People don't know how good cauliflower is, because they always have this image of cauliflower cheese - awful, sticky, creamy and rich.
busiest home
Even in the busiest kitchen, there's always a point at the end of the day when you go home.
knowledge naturally
The teaching thing, the one where I have to impart my knowledge, is probably what comes the least naturally to me because I'm an absorber of things.
accused ingredient truth
I've been accused of having very long ingredient lists, and I guess there's some truth in that.