SIMPLY YOTAM

OTTOLENGHI AND SIMPLE? For anyone wondering, that is not a contradiction in terms! I know: I’ve seen the raised eyebrows, I’ve heard the jokes. Like the one about the reader who thought there was part of a recipe missing as they already had all the ingredients needed in their cupboard. The reason I’m so excited about my new book Ottolenghi Simple is that it’s full of recipes that are still distinctly Ottolenghi but are simple in at least one (but very often in more than one) way. THE BIG IDEA? Well, the point is that there are many ways to get a meal on the table and everyone has their own idea of what ‘simple’ means. GOT IT! TELL US MORE For me, it’s about being able to stop at my greengrocer on the way home, pick up something that looks good and have a meal ready within 20 or 30 minutes. My husband Karl, on the other hand, has a completely different approach. If we’re having friends over, he’ll want to prep and get ahead so that very little needs to be done when our guests are around. LIGHTBULB MOMENT So, building on this idea, my team devised a simple colour-coded system [see panel, right] to help you choose recipes, plan meals and make them with maximum joy. Once you’ve figured out what kind of cook you are – a ‘make ahead’ cook or a ‘short on time’ cook or a ‘whatever I have in my cupboard’ cook, for example – then the whole process of getting food on the table is transformed. You simply select dishes that fit your style and the occasion. I like to say it’s a kitchen liberation!