Yotam Ottolenghi Quotes
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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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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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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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Marinating chicken in miso adds lots of character to the meat with little work.
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Jerusalem artichokes have a great affinity with nuts. I love them with chopped walnuts or almonds, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and plenty of olive oil.
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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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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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Chermoula is a potent North African spice paste that is ideal for smearing on your favourite vegetables for roasting.
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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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You don't need a machine to make pasta: a rolling pin and a fast hand can create a smooth, if thick, sheet.
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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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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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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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Small okra pods have a much more attractive texture than large ones, which, when cooked, can be gloopy, stringy and totally spoil a dish.
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It's well worth making your own harissa, but there are some very good commercial varieties.
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Amaranth, the world's most nutritious grain, is available from health food stores.
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What makes maftoul worth celebrating is that it's so easy and forgiving to cook.
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Some days, just occasionally, when I've had just one too many chickpeas, drizzles of olive oil or chunks of feta, I crave a return to the sushi-filled joints of Tokyo.
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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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Going out for a meal, especially for young urbanites, is less about socialising over enjoyable food than about enjoying food as a way to socialise.
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You can be vegetarian and eat fish. It's your choice, just say: 'I am what I am.' There are no hardcore divisions anymore.
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How can something that's 95% water be so divisive? Alone among vegetables, the poor, innocent stick of celery elicits the most vicious attacks.
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Custard is controversial: what makes it a custard, how best to cook it and, crucially, is it to be eaten or put in a pie and thrown?
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A lemon, boiled whole and blitzed, makes a useful base for all sorts of dressings.