Yotam Ottolenghi Quotes
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The combination of lentils with rice or bulgur is the absolute height of Levantine comfort food. I could eat it every day.
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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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Dad likes my food, but he probably thinks it's too busy. He is a wonderful cook but only uses three ingredients. My mum rips out my articles and makes my recipes.
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Pizza was made for television in so many ways: it is easy to heat up, easy to divide and easy to eat in a group. It is easy to enjoy, easy to digest and easy-going. It is so Italian!
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Food can bring people together in a way nothing else could.
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Some heat, some spice and plenty of citrus are the building blocks of many North African fish dishes.
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Gooseberries aren't just for creamy desserts and pies.
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Middle Eastern cuisine has the same depth of ingredients and processes as other cuisines. They just haven't had as much exposure.
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As for pineapple, it's far more versatile than you might think, and certainly merits wider use than in Hawaiian pizzas and pina coladas and on cheesy cocktail sticks.
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I keep returning to the combination of artichoke, broad beans and lemon. The freshness of young beans and the lemon juice 'lifts' the artichoke and balances its hearty nature.
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If you can't taste an ingredient, you have to ask yourself why it is there.
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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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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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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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I can't stand recipes that don't have background.
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The addition of vinaigrette to freshly roasted vegetables gives them a freshness and juiciness they don't normally have; the acidity brings out new shades of flavour, too.
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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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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.
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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.
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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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Chefs don't use white pepper just to avoid spoiling the whiteness of pommes puree or bechamel. It has a more peppery aroma, with sharpness and sweetness, too.
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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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Believe it or not, I'm as much a fan of a supper shortcut as the next person.
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Kibbeh comes in all forms, but most feature bulgur and meat.