Yotam Ottolenghi

I wouldn't normally "pad" my statistics with a cookbook, but in fact I did spend a lot of time reading this book. Each section and almost every recipe includes a description of the food, culture and history of Jerusalem, providing detailed context. The different cultures of Jerusalem often share similar dishes and cuisines, with small adaptations, and Ottolenghi also describes many instances in which each culture (Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Israeli, Syrian, Iraqi, etc.) claims ownership of a show more particular tradition, but in fact the origins are very murky. This is a beautiful book, and many of the recipes are very accessible, but I took one star away because many more recipes are what I would describe as "varsity-level," not for the amateur or the faint of heart. I'm not an expert cook, but I do prefer to follow recipes, so I intend to tackle a few of these, including pickles and condiments, so we'll see how it goes! show less

As so often occurs — especially with cookbooks — how much you’ll appreciate Israeli-born and London-based celebrity chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Plenty depends on who you are. Serious foodies eager to try vegetarian and vegan dishes will thrill at the intricately crafted dishes with exotic ingredients like Taleggio cheese, quail eggs, duck eggs, tamarind pulp, truffle oil, preserved lemon, grapeseed oil, ground dried Persian lime, the Middle Eastern grain called freekeh, kaffir show more lime leaves — well, you get the idea. For serious foodies, this book is a five-star find!

Incipient vegetarians will also love this cookbook. Every single recipe is vegetarian, and many are vegan. Too many are billed as appetizers (“starters” in Brit-speak), but most of those could be stretched into a nice dinner. The variety of vegetable-based dishes will astound the reader, many with a Middle Eastern flair.

While foodies and vegetarians may love this book, Midwestern soccer moms — short on time and access to exotic ingredients — not so much.

Still, even for cooks whose idea of exoticism runs more towards tabbouleh, coq au vin, from-scratch burritos, or tres leches cake that starts with a cake-mix box, there are about one or two dozen gems in Plenty — definitely worth the price if you can get the cookbook in the Kindle format for $3.99 on sale, as I did. Otherwise, check the book out of the library and copy down the dozen recipes that you can adapt and actually use. show less

Recipes easy to follow and the results packed with flavour - encouraging me to use up all that zaatar and sumac in my spice cupboard - plus fabulous photography and fascinating background stories. Eating my way through this (and so glad I found it in my favourite second-hand bookshop). It might even encourage me to give beetroot a chance.

This wonderful cookbook has reconnected me with food and cooking, something I've fallen away from a bit in recent years. It takes me back to my time in Israel and the Palestinian territories, where I learned that I could have olives and turkish coffee for breakfast. While the recipes recall those meals, they take those familiar culinary ideas to a different place. The recipes are easy but terribly fuss-, usually involving many steps. I've found an odd solace in these high maintenance dishes. show more They get me out of my head and produce some beautiful meals. I thank David Ravel and Polly Morris for recommending it. show less