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Date syrup is a natural sweetener that has wonderful richness and treacly depth; I drizzle it over semolina porridge.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
I now understand how varied the world of cultivated rice is; that rice can play the lead or be a sidekick; that brown rice is as valuable as white; and that short-grain rice is the bee's knees.
Yotam Ottolenghi
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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.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
Buckwheat, like Marmite and durian, is a seriously divisive foodstuff, so it needs a seriously capable defence team if it's ever going to make it on to most people's dinner tables.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
New-season lamb shoulder, cooked pink, is the perfect platform for a mixture of fresh and cooked herbs.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
For me, the end of childhood came when the number of candles on my birthday cake no longer reflected my age, around 19 or 20. From then on, each candle came to represent an entire decade.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
Sweet potatoes are ideal for lazy days: just bake, then mash and mix with yogurt, butter or olive oil.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
Stereotypical vegetarian food looks gray and brown.
Yotam Ottolenghi
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Every era has its own list of ingredients that are considered exotic and then, 15 years later, they're not.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
How can something that's 95% water be so divisive? Alone among vegetables, the poor, innocent stick of celery elicits the most vicious attacks.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
The main distinction for fresh chillies is whether they are red or green, the difference being one of ripeness.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
After all these years of cooking and writing recipes, I am still amazed every time I notice how even the minutest of variation in technique can make a spectacular difference.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
Tahini is fantastically versatile, its deep, nutty flavour a harmonious match with roasted vegetables, grilled oily fish or barbecued meat.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
A food processor, or even one of those small bowls that fit on a stick blender, is a real treasure. No, that's not an overstatement.
Yotam Ottolenghi
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Having grown up in the Middle East, eating beans for breakfast always seemed like a bizarre British eccentricity.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
Sea spaghetti looks like dark fettuccine and has a similar texture - you can get it in health food stores or online.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
Food can bring people together in a way nothing else could.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
When I was a kid, there was always food to be had on the street in Jerusalem, but anything above a falafel stand was mediocre or worse.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
The only way reliably to gauge the heat of any particular chilli is to cut it in half, so exposing the core and membranes, and to dab the cut surface on your tongue.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
Long-, medium- and short-grain rices differ in the amount and type of starch they have.
Yotam Ottolenghi
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A great fig should look like it's just about to burst its skin. When squeezed lightly it should give a little and not spring back. It must be almost unctuously sweet, soft and wet.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
I have a terrible tendency to lick my fingers when I cook. So much so that I got a telling off from my pastry teacher years ago, who said it would hinder my prospects.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
I have been cooking with preserved lemon for years, using it left, right and centre, but I am still far from reaching my limit.
Yotam Ottolenghi -
TV chefs are not responsible for people's consumption of fibre; this is not our job.
Yotam Ottolenghi