Yotam Ottolenghi Quotes
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The main distinction for fresh chillies is whether they are red or green, the difference being one of ripeness.
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My secret with kale is to add lots of sweet or sharp flavours to offset some of that grassy intensity.
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Tahini is fantastically versatile, its deep, nutty flavour a harmonious match with roasted vegetables, grilled oily fish or barbecued meat.
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Verjuice may not be the easiest thing in the world to find, but you should be able to track some down in good delis and online.
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There used to be a time - it isn't so much the case now - that vegetarianism was some kind of religion, and either you belong or you don't belong.
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My maternal grandmother made fantastic ox tongue with velvety roasted potatoes. She cooked sweet red cabbage and lovely cauliflower with butter and bread crumbs.
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I love dishes that feature the various shades of a single colour, making you stop to check what's in there.
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I am sure that in the story of Adam and Eve, the forbidden fruit was a fig and not an apple, pear or anything else.
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Believe it or not, I'm as much a fan of a supper shortcut as the next person.
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I can't stand recipes that don't have background.
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On some subconscious level, I've been prejudiced against turnips, parsnips, swedes and other roots. Do they taste of much? Are they really special? How wrong I was.
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As is always the way with pancakes, the first hotcake to come out of the pan will probably be a bit misshapen. Just scoff it, and carry on with the rest.
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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.
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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.
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I like to talk about food, ingredients, and how to adapt recipes. It's a dialogue.
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One Indian-inspired favourite of mine is mashed potato mixed with lemon juice, breadcrumbs, coriander and chilli, shaped into patties, fried and served with chutney and yoghurt.
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For those, like me, who can't rely on being given a home smoker this Christmas, you can build your own approximation with just a roll of tin foil and a big wok or pan for which you have a lid.
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TV chefs are not responsible for people's consumption of fibre; this is not our job.
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Every era has its own list of ingredients that are considered exotic and then, 15 years later, they're not.
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Most fish require a short cooking time, but cephalopods are the exception to this fishy rule. As with some cuts of larger land beasts, the longer they're cooked, the more tender they get.
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Fish cakes are perceived as being quite British, and they're always a bit brown and a little dull.
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Food can bring people together in a way nothing else could.
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Manouri is a Greek ewes' milk cheese that's light in colour and texture. It's fresh and milky, and goes well with other subtle flavours.
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Chinese sausage, which is widely available from Asian grocers and online, is sweet, rich, and enticingly smoky. I add it to steamed rice with strips of omelette and a few baby veg stir-fried with soy.