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Monday, July 11, 2011

Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi

By Yotam Ottolenghi
Price:     $22.61


Product Description
Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the most exciting new talents in the cooking world, with four fabulous, eponymous London restaurants and a weekly newspaper column that's read by foodies all over the world. Plenty is a must-have collection of 120 vegetarian recipes featuring exciting flavors and fresh combinations that will delight readers and eaters looking for a sparkling new take on vegetables.


Yotam's food inspiration comes from his Mediterranean background and his unapologetic love of ingredients. Not a vegetarian himself, his approach to vegetable dishes is wholly original and innovative, based on freshness and seasonality, and drawn from the diverse food cultures represented in London. A vibrant photo accompanies every recipe in this visually stunning book. Essential for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike!

Product Details
  • Amazon Sales Rank: #136 in Books
  • Published on: 2011-03-23
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 288 pages

About the Author
Yotam Ottolenghi is co-owner of four Ottolenghi restaurants, co-author of Ottolenghi: The Cookbook and author of the weekly New Vegetarian column in the Guardian newspaper. He lives in London. Jonathan Lovekin is a lifestyle and food photographer based in London.

Customer Reviews
Something a bit different.
I buy a lot of cookery books, and borrow even more from the library. Most of them are getting quite interchangeable these days. Yotam Ottolenghi's new book however has nothing I've seen in other books. All the recipes are fresh and original, but not difficult or fiddly. I have spent the last few years tearing his recipes out of the Guardian at the weekend, now I don't have to. His recipes work, are full of flavour, and as I said before quite different. An excellent book even for someone who has hundreds of cookery books.

At the centre of each dish, .. is an ingredient, one ingredient.'
In his introduction to this book, Yotam Ottolenghi writes that that each dish is based around one of his favourite ingredients. This has led to an idiosyncratic organisation of recipes: some components (such as aubergines) have their own chapter; others are organised botanically (such as brassicas) and others reflect associations that are part of the way Ottolenghi shapes his menus.

These recipes are based on meatless dishes and reflect eclectic influences including the Middle East, South East Asia and Latin America. The book is full of delicious, mouth-watering recipes.

The recipes are accompanied by anecdotes and by mouth-wateringly beautiful photographs. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The amount of preparation required varies between dishes: some are quick and easy, others will require more time. But it's worth it. There is a recipe here for just about any occasion.

The Wait was worth it
I have been eagerly awaiting the US release of this book since its UK release last year.
I have the (UK version) of the first Ottolenghi book, which is easily my favorite cookery book of my (embarrasingly large) collection. I've never been let down by one of his recipes, and I've made most of them.

I was so excited to receive this in the mail, and I can say that the wait for this book was worth it.
The photography is gorgeous, and for those of you who like a picture to accompany every recipe, you got it.

I love how the book is laid out in chapters by main ingredient. This is especially helpful for those who belong to a CSA/Veg Box scheme and are looking for something to do with the chard/cabbage/leeks etc.

The commentary on each recipe is thoughtful and helpful. The flavor combinations that Mr. Ottolenghi uses are thoughtful and interesting, and often allow us to enjoy a vegetable in a way that we had not previously. I often feel like I'm doing my body a favor by making one of his recipes, given that they feature abundant quantities of fresh vegetables and whole grains.