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I understand why Ottolenghi’s other books had to come first. But I sincerely believe that this one is his best yet, especially for the way we American cooks operate.
UPDATE December 2018: Check the equivalents/conversions as you study ingredient lists. Some conversions are incorrect in this first edition. If you are an experienced cook or baker, I believe that you will catch these mistakes--and I am not going to change my 5-star rating. But, be careful! And a plea to the publishers: Please edit this product page --in a prominent way--when the corrections have been made, so that people feel at ease with buying this book. It would be a shame for this book to fall short--just because conversions are screwed up!
What is this book about? And how do these "simple" methods work? The “modus operandi”, or MO, goes somewhat like this: And it’s SIMPLE: (Please stay with me, as I work the way through these letters. The next paragraph gets to be long-ish.) Because these concepts drive the book, if you don’t care for or believe in these six methods, then maybe you won’t appreciate this cook book. On the other hand, if you currently think that you don't need to learn these S-I-M-P-L-E MOs, then maybe you are the perfect "target" for this book! Can I convince you to buy this book? These S-I-M-P-L-E cooking principles are important to accept, to grasp, and to own.
If you are a somewhat experienced home cook with the ability to manipulate recipes, you’ve probably already tinkered with some from Ottolenghi’s previous publications and made them your own. So, you have already practiced SIMPLE and you beat Ottolenghi to the punch in a way, creating your own SIMPLE recipes, using the following techniques: Maybe you created a riff that does not take too long, (S = short on time). And you streamlined some ingredient lists, (I = ten ingredients or less). And I bet you’ve broken apart some recipe steps, so that you could do some in advance, (M = make ahead). For sure, if you’ve cooked from Ottolenghi’s recipes before, you’ve built up your pantry to come up with a quick (pantry-led) dish when you don’t have extra time to shop, (P = pantry). And you have developed some steps to keep your hands and mind free to do other things, such as slow cooking, marinating ahead, building an entire meal in one pot or one sheet pan, ( L = lazy cooking). And last but not least, you know those techniques and recipes that you’ve mastered—and therefore embraced as being E = easy: Where you say to yourself, “Oh, I can do that, no problem!” Well, in this book Ottolenghi encourages us to try some recipes that might seem intimidating in some way, but, as he puts it, “are easier than you think.”
Where some cookbooks falsely claim to be “easy”, or “week night” cooking, most of the recipes in this book actually are. Just get thoughtful about the concepts and just don’t balk! Grasp these concepts or methods and fine tune your planning skills. You will be a better--and more creative--cook for it.
On to contents: Veggies are overwhelmingly in the forefront—in their own chapters, Raw Veg and Cooked Veg—but also throughout all the other chapters. (Except the Dessert chapter, which is, of course, led by fruit.) I remember writing in my review of one of his other books, and it continues to be a fair warning for this one: If you do not have opportunities to find fresh herbs, you cannot substitute dry herbs and get proper results. I didn’t really check to see if I could say that every recipe uses fresh herbs, but I believe it is safe to say that most recipes require fresh herbs. Once one buys an Ottolenghi cook book, if you have a yard, you will be incorporating herb plants into your flower beds…..
And you will need to buy quality spices, too, if you want these recipes to excite and astound you. There is a huge difference between the taste of grocery store shelf and bulk bin spices and what you get from an experienced spice merchant. The quality of the spices you use can make or break these recipes. Do an internet search of spice houses to find one that appeals to you. For an example, take in the scent and taste of cumin from an established and experienced spice merchant and compare it with what you last bought at the grocery store. You will be amazed at the difference.
The veggie dishes are fabulous! The day this book arrived in the mail, I was able to whip together a handful of veggie dishes—just with what I already had on my shelves and in the frig. See? SIMPLE. A tomato and cucumber raita uses a green chile paste with preserved lemon. Another tomato/bread salad mixes in anchovies and capers. I had just bought three bags of Moon Drop grapes. They are a long cylinder shape and so sweet. And I had all the ingredients for a marinade for the grapes that were then skewered and grilled. I had ingredients at hand for a green onion and herb salad, with cukes, bell pepper, mint, and cilantro. And also, all I needed to make Roast Cabbage with Tarragon and Pecorino, Mustardy Cauliflower Cheese, Carrot Salad with Yogurt and Cinnamon, Sweet Potato Mash with Lime Salsa (of basil, cilantro, garlic). There was so much I could have made—right then, with what I already had—that it was kind of overwhelming. And it was a powerful feeling--and when I realized that, it surprised me! We finally decided on Rice Noodle Salad with Cucumber and Poppy Seeds, (with onion, ginger, apple, chiles, mint and tarragon.)
There are beautiful potato recipes: Oven Fries with Oregano and Feta, Shallow-Fried Potatoes with Rosemary and Sumac, Sweet Potato Fries with smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic and sumac. And, so happy to see, lots of zucchini dishes! And, of course, eggplant—lots of eggplant recipes. (I'm in mid-Texas, and I'm glad my eggplant plants are still producing.) And some of these eggplant recipes I easily adapted to use my air fryer to roast the eggplant.
There is an entire chapter for fish and seafood, and there’s plenty of lamb recipes along with some beef and pork recipes in the Meat chapter.
Of course, like his other books, and like all Ten Speed Press books, the page layout is “easy on the eyes” and your eyes can easily find and keep your place. Ingredient lists are accurate and show both Imperial and Metric measurements. Instructions are easy to understand and do not leave you guessing.
Last night we made a small version of Chicken with Miso, Ginger and Lime. (It calls for 8 leg/thigh bone-in, skin-on cuts, and I cut it down to three thighs. It calls for mirin, maple syrup, soy sauce, cilantro and onions. And we put it with sticky rice. Doesn't that sound good?
What will probably turn out to be a favorite is the Cornbread with Cheddar, Feta and Jalapeno, (and corn, cumin, cayenne, brown sugar, instant polenta, sour cream, scallions, cilantro). Does that not make your mouth water? I substituted some Navajo Aztec blue cornmeal for the instant polenta, because I'd never seen instant polenta in any of my grocery stores.That recipe is in the Brunch chapter. And a picture of it is in the "Look Inside" feature on page 18.
While you are waiting for this cookbook to arrive, make sure you have these items in your kitchen, in addition to your usual pantry staples and fresh vegetables: Yogurt, sumac, Za’atar, Urfa chile flakes, Rose harissa, tahini, preserved lemons, pomegranate molasses, and cardamom. And think seriously about barberries and black garlic. Have some or all of these on hand, and you can hit the ground running the day the book arrives.
I’ve seen some other early reviews that mention poor book binding. I’m having no issues with that.
I am really happy to have this book. I already love it, and I find it easy to embrace the concepts in it—and I can elaborate on them. I’ve got the experience to be able to say that a LOT of these recipes will be “keepers”.
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From the Publisher
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 18, 2018
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 7, 2021
I do encourage anyone who buys this to take two minutes to read the introduction written by the author, so that you understand how to look at this book. He makes a good point that “simple” is different for each person, as it was for each person who helped put the book together. For example, simple for one person may mean, put it together and let the oven do its thing while you do something else, or simple is few ingredients, or simple is prep fast, or simple is make ahead on Sunday so you can just assemble it quickly after work on Monday. That’s how the SIMPLE system helps you choose recipes. There’s something for everyone.
I’ve included a picture of the inner cover with a brief description of the SIMPLE grading system, and each recipe has one or more of these letters to categorize the recipe. So don’t expect every recipe to meet all 6 criteria.
The introduction goes over ingredients:
For those who are intimidated by the “Ottolenghi Ingredients” (see picture)
If you live in Texas, I was able to add these following ingredients into my curbside pickup at H-E-B. Saves time searching! I was able to find Sumac, Za’atar, Pomegranate Molasses, Ground Cardamom, Tahini, and Date Syrup (Molasses)—not Ottolenghi ingredients, but a unique ingredient used in a recipe. All for reasonable prices. Note, each store will vary, so if you can do curbside pickup—find the closest “big” H-E-B close to you and go town. Curbside is something I’ve come to embrace during the pandemic, and it saves so much time when it comes to finding special items.
If you don’t have an HEB, then your local grocery store with a good international section that includes middle eastern ingredients/brands like SADAF etc, may have these.
Black Garlic I found at our local 99 ranch market which is an Asian grocery store, so if you have one in town, check it out.
I found Harissa at our local Kroger’s but not Rose harissa, but I do have rose water and will try to simulate the taste.
There are recipes for Rose Harissa online and the ingredients are quite attainable, so you could make a batch to jar and use for months. The recipes I have found involve both petals and rose water, but I will omit the rose petals and try mixing the proportions for harissa to rose water to at least get the floral element.
I’ve seen you can find many of these ingredients at the middle eastern grocery store. Many Asian Supermarkets have a good Indo/Paki/Middle Eastern section—you might find them there too
It’s more likely cheaper to buy in store than online.
[UPDATE: I went to our local middle eastern grocery store, Phoenicia— all or most of these ingredients are $6 at most. Awesome!!]
BUT EVEN IF you don’t have these, and don’t have these special grocery stores, and don’t feel like buying them online and paying more for them—improvise! He offers substitutions if you can’t find the fancy stuff, and the internet has all the substitutions you need when you’re missing something.
That’s what you would do when you’re cooking “normal” things at home right? I don’t have heirloom tomatoes, but I have normal tomatoes! I don’t have date syrup, but I have honey. So take a chance and you might be pleasantly surprised, or disappointed—but that’s the fun in learning and gaining experience with cooking.
With that being said, any substitution means it will deviate from the original taste intended, but if you like it, and your loved ones like it, then the substitution was a win and you didn’t need to buy a $13 ingredient you may only use once or twice.
I say this so that people will not hold back from this book because of these special ingredients.
At the end of the introduction, he clarifies certain ingredients to be EXTRA clear—and I really appreciate that he took the time to be very clear throughout the book to help the reader be successful in following the recipes.
The book is beautiful with many pictures and of most of the recipes. Its layout is user friendly. And Ottolenghi is very detailed in his instructions.
Cut it this way, and lay it on the dish this way, in this direction.
Most recipes are very approachable. And if you understand the SIMPLE system, then you can choose a recipe that suits your needs at that moment. There are soo many great recipes here, so don’t be discouraged to try new things!
UPDATE:
I have made about 5-6 recipes already, and now that I’ve acquired the rest of the ingredients and have found a middle eastern grocery store to replenish my ingredients—I can forsee many of these becoming go to/staple recipes in our house.
I also highly recommend using this book alongside Adeena Sussman’s “Sababa” cookbook. She offers recipes to many of these special ingredients, spice blends, and condiments.
Middle eastern grocery in town? Buy this cookbook!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 7, 2021
I am no professional chef, but I’m an experienced home cook. And I found these recipes to be very doable, and I think many of these I could do with my twelve year old little cousin.Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 7, 2021
I do encourage anyone who buys this to take two minutes to read the introduction written by the author, so that you understand how to look at this book. He makes a good point that “simple” is different for each person, as it was for each person who helped put the book together. For example, simple for one person may mean, put it together and let the oven do its thing while you do something else, or simple is few ingredients, or simple is prep fast, or simple is make ahead on Sunday so you can just assemble it quickly after work on Monday. That’s how the SIMPLE system helps you choose recipes. There’s something for everyone.
I’ve included a picture of the inner cover with a brief description of the SIMPLE grading system, and each recipe has one or more of these letters to categorize the recipe. So don’t expect every recipe to meet all 6 criteria.
The introduction goes over ingredients:
For those who are intimidated by the “Ottolenghi Ingredients” (see picture)
If you live in Texas, I was able to add these following ingredients into my curbside pickup at H-E-B. Saves time searching! I was able to find Sumac, Za’atar, Pomegranate Molasses, Ground Cardamom, Tahini, and Date Syrup (Molasses)—not Ottolenghi ingredients, but a unique ingredient used in a recipe. All for reasonable prices. Note, each store will vary, so if you can do curbside pickup—find the closest “big” H-E-B close to you and go town. Curbside is something I’ve come to embrace during the pandemic, and it saves so much time when it comes to finding special items.
If you don’t have an HEB, then your local grocery store with a good international section that includes middle eastern ingredients/brands like SADAF etc, may have these.
Black Garlic I found at our local 99 ranch market which is an Asian grocery store, so if you have one in town, check it out.
I found Harissa at our local Kroger’s but not Rose harissa, but I do have rose water and will try to simulate the taste.
There are recipes for Rose Harissa online and the ingredients are quite attainable, so you could make a batch to jar and use for months. The recipes I have found involve both petals and rose water, but I will omit the rose petals and try mixing the proportions for harissa to rose water to at least get the floral element.
I’ve seen you can find many of these ingredients at the middle eastern grocery store. Many Asian Supermarkets have a good Indo/Paki/Middle Eastern section—you might find them there too
It’s more likely cheaper to buy in store than online.
[UPDATE: I went to our local middle eastern grocery store, Phoenicia— all or most of these ingredients are $6 at most. Awesome!!]
BUT EVEN IF you don’t have these, and don’t have these special grocery stores, and don’t feel like buying them online and paying more for them—improvise! He offers substitutions if you can’t find the fancy stuff, and the internet has all the substitutions you need when you’re missing something.
That’s what you would do when you’re cooking “normal” things at home right? I don’t have heirloom tomatoes, but I have normal tomatoes! I don’t have date syrup, but I have honey. So take a chance and you might be pleasantly surprised, or disappointed—but that’s the fun in learning and gaining experience with cooking.
With that being said, any substitution means it will deviate from the original taste intended, but if you like it, and your loved ones like it, then the substitution was a win and you didn’t need to buy a $13 ingredient you may only use once or twice.
I say this so that people will not hold back from this book because of these special ingredients.
At the end of the introduction, he clarifies certain ingredients to be EXTRA clear—and I really appreciate that he took the time to be very clear throughout the book to help the reader be successful in following the recipes.
The book is beautiful with many pictures and of most of the recipes. Its layout is user friendly. And Ottolenghi is very detailed in his instructions.
Cut it this way, and lay it on the dish this way, in this direction.
Most recipes are very approachable. And if you understand the SIMPLE system, then you can choose a recipe that suits your needs at that moment. There are soo many great recipes here, so don’t be discouraged to try new things!
UPDATE:
I have made about 5-6 recipes already, and now that I’ve acquired the rest of the ingredients and have found a middle eastern grocery store to replenish my ingredients—I can forsee many of these becoming go to/staple recipes in our house.
I also highly recommend using this book alongside Adeena Sussman’s “Sababa” cookbook. She offers recipes to many of these special ingredients, spice blends, and condiments.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 21, 2023
Top reviews from other countries
Dênis R. P.
Maravilhoso! Comida boa até trocando metade dos ingredientes
Reviewed in Brazil 🇧🇷 on June 11, 2020
