Customer Reviews

Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In his introduction to this book, Yotam Ottolenghi writes that that each dish is based around one of his favourite ingredients. This has led to an idiosyncratic organisation of recipes: some components (such as aubergines) have their own chapter; others are organised botanically (such as brassicas) and others reflect associations that are part of the way Ottolenghi shapes his menus.
These recipes are based on meatless dishes and reflect eclectic influences including the Middle East, South East Asia and Latin America. The book is full of delicious, mouth-watering recipes.
The chapter headings may give some idea:

Roots
Funny Onions
Mushrooms
Courgettes and Other Squashes
Capsicums
Brassicas
The Mighty Aubergine
Tomatoes
Leaves Cooked and Raw
Green Things
Green Beans
Pulses
Cereals
Pasta, Polenta, Couscous
Fruit with Cheese

The recipes are accompanied by anecdotes and by mouth-wateringly beautiful photographs. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. The amount of preparation required varies between dishes: some are quick and easy, others will require more time. But it's worth it. There is a recipe here for just about any occasion.

I first borrowed this book from the library, but quickly realised that I needed my own copy.

A note for American readers: the ingredients are listed in grams and millilitres rather than cups and ounces.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I buy a lot of cookery books, and borrow even more from the library. Most of them are getting quite interchangeable these days. Yotam Ottolenghi's new book however has nothing I've seen in other books. All the recipes are fresh and original, but not difficult or fiddly. I have spent the last few years tearing his recipes out of the Guardian at the weekend, now I don't have to. His recipes work, are full of flavour, and as I said before quite different. An excellent book even for someone who has hundreds of cookery books.

I have been eagerly awaiting the US release of this book since its UK release last year.
I have the (UK version) of the first Ottolenghi book, which is easily my favorite cookery book of my (embarrasingly large) collection. I've never been let down by one of his recipes, and I've made most of them.

I was so excited to receive this in the mail, and I can say that the wait for this book was worth it.
The photography is gorgeous, and for those of you who like a picture to accompany every recipe, you got it.

I love how the book is laid out in chapters by main ingredient. This is especially helpful for those who belong to a CSA/Veg Box scheme and are looking for something to do with the chard/cabbage/leeks etc.

The commentary on each recipe is thoughtful and helpful. The flavor combinations that Mr. Ottolenghi uses are thoughtful and interesting, and often allow us to enjoy a vegetable in a way that we had not previously. I often feel like I'm doing my body a favor by making one of his recipes, given that they feature abundant quantities of fresh vegetables and whole grains.


I've never written a review on Amazon before, but I do rely on them heavily when making purchases, so I wanted to pass on what a gem this book is.

Definitely worth it if you are looking for new/inventive ways to eat! Not like any other book out there. I am only not in love the puffy cover on the new American edition. Not sure who thought that was a great idea, nonetheless a great find!!!

FYI: I noticed many previous comments note that measurements are in metric, which must be for the previously published British edition. This is the newly published American edition and is in standard American measurements.

Cheers!

I just want to mention that Plenty (white cover) and Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes From London's Ottolenghi are EXACTLY the same book! The only little differences are :
- the first is the original book published 4 the UK (2010), the other in the US (2011)
- the first uses grams, millilitres, the other uses cups, ounces and pounds. Both use tsp and tbsp
- the ingredients appear in the order they are used in the second book
- the covers are different but all images and recipes inside the books are EXACTLY identical
- some ingredients are named differently : double cream for heavy cream, caster sugar for sugar, broad beans for fava beans, etc.
- the quantities in the second book are rounded : 400g asparagus is 1 lb
I bought the second book by mistake and I prefer the first one for the metric units.

What a wonderful book !

This book is artfully done. Full color photos are great. The recipes are inspiring and out of the ordinary. The only problem, measurements are in metric units and some of the ingredients I've never even heard of, let alone able to find them in the grocery store. I think they are items that are eaten more in other countries. As someone who loves exotic gourmet foods, and would dare call myself a foodie, definitely made me realize that there are lots of produce and seasonings that I have yet to discover. Have to pick through the ones with more available ingredients but definitely worth the money overall. Print out a metric conversion table for easier measuring if you live in the U.S.

I cook daily for a vegetarian household and use a fair number of cookbooks to keep things interesting (Greens, Moosewood, etc.). When a friend gave us "Plenty" recently as a gift, I was a little blase about it at first--just another cookbook. But, wow, this one is really something different. With heavy emphasis on herbs and spices, this collection of recipes kicks vegetables up to a much higher level. I'm working my way through it slowly (there are a lot of requests for repeats) and so far have tried the green couscous (herbs on steroids); cauliflower frittata (you won't go back to mac and cheese); black pepper tofu (unbelievably good), mushroom and herb polenta (the best polenta dish I've ever had) and the ultimate mushroom lasagna. And a huge bonus--most of the dishes that I've tried so far are relatively QUICK and EASY to prepare.

The overall accent for the food in this book is Middle Eastern, with an emphasis on fresh everything, especially herbs. It does not include much for dessert, but I like that the focus is on main dishes. The photography/illustrations are lush and the food actually turns out pretty much as pictured. This is an unusually well written cookbook that actually adds something to vegetarian cooking. I just bought three more copies to send to friends for Christmas--it's that good! Highly recommended.

Plenty is the most gorgeous cookbook I have; thus far, I have made two dishes: Caramelized garlic tart, and eggplant with buttermilk/yoghurt topping with pomegranate seeds. I think the carmlelized garlic tart was fabulous, but could have used twice the garlic designed, and half the cheese. Nevertheless, it was fabulous. The eggplant, on the other hand, needed a lot more spices: garlic and za'atar. In addition the recipe to bake at 200 degrees was not hot enough, and I had to turn it up to finish. I think some of these issues suffer from metric to fahrenheit conversion, and perhaps from the difference between American za'atar and Mediterranean. That does not however, explain the garlic!

The pictures lure you in and I intend to try several more recipes in the near future.

Many fresh and exciting recipes with interesting ingredients. Some hits, a few misses, but always unusual. However, the measurements in many recipes are way off. Did anyone test them before the book was published? For example, the Tofu with Black Pepper called for FIVE tablespoons of ground pepper in a dish supposed to serve four people. It was nearly inedible--but when made with about one-fifth the pepper, it was spicy and delicious.
A lot of effort went into the photos and production of this book. Too bad no one took the time to vet the recipes. Still worth a try if you're willing to take the mearements as suggestions and have the experience to adjust them.

Great receipes, fabulous pictures and easy instructions make this book a winner. I am not a vegan and I purchased this book due to an article I read in the British version of House & Garden. WATERMELON & FETA - wonderful! A hit at the funtcion I went to and had to bring a dish. WOW!!