Five of the best cookbooks

GLOBAL INFLUENCES ABOUND IN A NEW VEGGIE COOKBOOK

OUR PICK FLAVOUR

Yotam Ottolenghi & Ixta Belfrage

The final instalment of Plenty

— a trilogy of books celebrating vegetarian cooking — sees Yotam Ottolenghi team up with his test kitchen head chef, Ixta Belfrage. Having travelled extensively through Europe and Latin America, selftaught Belfrage injects the book with techniques and flavours (think infused oils and heaps of chilli heat) from Brazil, Mexico, France and Italy. Together, the pair have produced a collection of more than 100 vegetarian dishes that combine culinary traditions from around the world. Expect fusion dishes such as aubergine dumplings alla parmigiana, celeriac and goat’s cheese ‘tacos’, and spicy mushroom lasagne. To help budding chefs make the most of their ingredients, the book is split into three sections covering ‘process’ (with instructions on the art of charring, ageing and infusing vegetables to perfection), ‘pairing’ (diving into the four pillars of great flavour: fat, sweetness, acidity and heat), and ‘produce’ (identifying a range of plant-based ingredients). If you didn’t believe in the flavour and versatility of meat-free cooking before, you certainly will now. £27, Ebury Press