Yotam Ottolenghi Quotes
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Brunch, for me, is an extended breakfast that should be enjoyed whenever you have time properly to engage in cooking and eating.
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The taste of any simple tomato-based salad is dependent on the quality of the tomatoes.
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I rarely cook traditional risotto, but I love other grains cooked similarly - barley, spelt or split wheat. I find they have more character than rice and absorb other flavours more wholeheartedly.
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Food was always important in my family, but I didn't think of it as a vocation until a later point in life.
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For people who think of chicken as the meat choice of those-who-don't-really-like-meat, brining a bird will be a revelation.
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I love the way soft white cheese such as ricotta or the creamier mascarpone reflect the milieu in which an animal has been raised.
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Marinating chicken in miso adds lots of character to the meat with little work.
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Amaranth, the world's most nutritious grain, is available from health food stores.
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Like all rice, black rice is great at absorbing flavours, but it's just as happy to act as a satiny bed for a poached egg, say, if you want to keep things simple.
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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.
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Conflict is very much a state of mind. If you're not in that state of mind, it doesn't bother you.
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Yoghurt cuts sweetness and richness, tempers spice, and makes a dish sing.
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I love my garlic press; in fact, it is probably my one true desert island gadget. But I'm happy to put it aside whenever the smell and sweet taste of slow-cooked garlic is called for.
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It's well worth making your own harissa, but there are some very good commercial varieties.
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As with lemon juice, the more sorrel you use, the more it has to be balanced with something sweet, starchy or creamy - it's a yin-yang approach to cooking that I find rather calming.
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The kitchen is tough. It's one of the last bastions in civilized culture that sets out to crush the spirit.
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Orange blossom water would make a magical addition to your store cupboard.
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What makes maftoul worth celebrating is that it's so easy and forgiving to cook.
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Halva works brilliantly in ice-cream.
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When it comes to cooking pasta, the first essential is to make sure you have a big enough pot: it needs room to roll in the water while cooking.
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Way back when I was a junior pastry chef, I'd bake loads of muffins every morning, as many as 120 or so, while operating on autopilot.
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Many people struggle to make hummus that lives up to their expectations at home, and recreating a favourite brand or the stuff from your local deli is almost impossible.
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Many ingredients are called 'earthy,' but none comes as close to fitting the bill as buckwheat. I'm mildly obsessed with the stuff.
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Small okra pods have a much more attractive texture than large ones, which, when cooked, can be gloopy, stringy and totally spoil a dish.