Ottolenghi Flavor: A Cookbook

For fans of Plenty and Plenty More, embrace Flavor, a book that Ottolenghi describes as Plenty Three. EDIT: I'm adding the following comment on cooking times a day after I posted my initial review. A reviewer below mentioned that in the whole book there are only 5 recipes that can be produced in under 30 mins. I disagree. Just in the first 12 recipes alone, there are 6 recipes that have a cooking time of 30 mins or less, and the prep for all of those recipes is speedy, with some ingredients being prepped during the cooking time. Yes, there are recipes that have multiple steps, and long cooking times, but this is not advertised as a recipe book specifically for those who need to get dinner on the table in 30 mins. There are plenty of other books out there that offer that. However, a quick scan shows a number of recipes that do meet that bill. For example, Noors Black Lime Tofu. The tofu is tossed in cornstarch and fried for 6 mins, while the tofu is frying throw the onions and garlic in a food processer. Fry that for 10 mins. Add the spices etc and cook for another minute. Add water, simmer for 6 mins. Add the tofu to the sauce and toss in the spinach, serve straight from the pan and dinner is done. The One Pan Orecchiette Puttanesca cooking time is just 14 mins if you boil the pasta while the sauce is reducing, then stir together.. Some of the more labor intensive recipes you might like to save for the weekend but there are weeknight healthy and delicious sounding recipes in this book. Flavor contains 100 recipes, which are almost all vegetarian sometimes vegan (45 recipes) that occasionally dabbles with fish sauce and parmesan, eggs and dairy. Yotam offers substitutions for various ingredients where possible such as light soy sauce for fish sauce. At the start of the book, Yotam lists the 20 ingredients that he considers essential to this book. He is not suggesting that you rush out and purchase them all right away (if you don’t already have them, you will likely want to stock most of them anyway, after trying these recipes) He describes these ingredients are being the essence of the book. These ingredients have been used to enhance, draw out and accentuate, they are umami rich, many of them are aged, and all have complex layers of flavor. These 20 ingredients are: Aleppo Chile (Gochugaru Korean hot pepper flakes are suggested as a substitute) Ancho chile, Anchovies packed in olive oil, black garlic, Persian dried black lime (he suggests that regular lime could be used, but to me, Persian lime has a scented, earthy tang that really is a different thing entirely from fresh lime) Cascabel Chiles (ancho as a substitute) Dried Whole Chipotle, Fish Sauce, Gochujang paste, Ground cardamom, Hibiscus flowers, jarred butter beans (canned are acceptable but jarred is preferred) Mango Pickle (not chutney) Masa Harina, Miso (preferably white not sweet white) red bell pepper flakes, rice vinegar, rose harissa (regular harissa can be substituted, I would like to add that culinary rose petals can also be crushed and added to harissa, and these can be found at World Market or online) Shaoxing Wine, Tamarind Paste. The book is divided into three main categories. Process, Pairing and Produce. Those categories are further divided into Process: Charring, Browning, Infusing, Aging Pairing: Sweetness, Fat, Acidity, Chile Heat Produce: Mushrooms, Alliums, Nuts and Seeds, Sugar: Fruit and Booze Finally we have Flavor Bombs which is a two page spread, showing all of the condiments that are in the book with the corresponding page number (see my photo) Butters, oils, salsas, mayonnaise, sauce, pickles, salts and spiced nuts. Each chapter begins with an essay on that subject which covers the subheadings. I love this, as I read cookbook like novels and here, each method and the equipment used, and a run down of some of the recipes and how they embody the method used, is described in detail with some cute, cartoon-like line drawings. Process for example, has 12 pages describing the processes and benefits to Charring, Browning, Infusing and Aging before we get to the recipes. Here are a selection of four recipes from each chapter (please see the corresponding photo) The Process Chapter Charring: Iceberg Wedges with Smoky Eggplant Cream Browning: Hasselback Beets with Lime Leaf Butter Infusing: Chilled Avocado Soup with Crunchy Garlic Oil Aging: The Ultimate Roasting Pan Ragu The Pairing Chapter Sweetness: Coconut and Tumeric Omelette Feast Fat: Stuffed Eggplant in Curry and Coconut Dal Acidity:Noors Black Lime Tofu Chile Heat:Saffron Tagliatelle with Ricotta and Crispy Chipotle Shallots The Produce Chapter Mushrooms:Broccoli with Mushroom Ketchup and Nori Alliums:Olive Oil Flatbreads with Three Garlic Butter Nuts and Seeds:Tofu Meatball Korma Sugar: Fruit and Booze Tapioca Fritters with Orange Syrup and Star Anise I have listed a range of recipes from main courses to side dishes. In the process chapter for example Charring has 7 recipes, Browning has 11 recipes, Infusing has 8 recipes and Aging has 9 recipes. In that chapter every recipe has a corresponding full page sized photo or even a two page photo spread, sometimes multiple photos on a two page spread. Additionally, there are a number of photos of Yotam and Ixta cooking. This brings me to a bit of a gripe. I know that the majority of cooks like a photo of every recipe, and many people find it hard to get enthusiastic about a recipe with no photo, but this seems to be overkill at the expense of the amount of recipes in this book. Plenty had 120 recipes to 288 pages Plenty More had 150 recipes to 352 pages Flavor has a mere 100 recipes to 317 pages. Admittedly, the chapter essays take up some of this, but I never thought I would say this about a cookbook, but the photos are overkill. While I enjoy the photos of Yotam and Ixta cooking, these could have been reduced in size to half or even quarter page photos. The two page spreads of a single recipe, for example the Hasselback Beets, could have been reduced in size to a single page to make way for another recipe. Noors Black Lime Tofu has no less than three full pages of photos. A photo of the tofu in the pan with the paste, then a photo of the spinach being added to the pan, then a photo of the spinach being stirred in, then a photo of the spinach almost completely stirred in and almost wilted, and then a photo of the finished dish with spinach wilted satisfactorily. This type of photo series could have been kept for recipes that were a bit more complex, such as the home made Saffron Tagliatelle. That recipe has no photo at all and could really have used a series for people who have never made pasta before. Instead the two page spread has been used for the Saffron Tagliatelle dish with Ricotta and Crispy Chipotle Shallots. And in that instance the photo series shows the already made Tagliatelle on a tray, then it being cooked in water, then it in the pan with the parmesan being added, then its in the pan with the parmesan added now, and then a full sized photo of it in the pan with the crispy shallots on top. There always has to be a gripe, but for me this is a pretty big one. If I was the editor I would have said one photo only per recipe unless a difficult technique really needs to be shown and add more recipes in place of all the rest. The book is pretty, but beyond a photo of each finished dish, the rest of the photos are just eye candy and most of the extra photos of the type I described above, are not what I would consider helpful or even particularly interesting. Personally, I would prefer more recipes. Another area which I think had some room for expansion was the Flavor Bombs page. While it is helpful to show all the condiments etc on one page with the recipe page number listed, and in the intro to each recipe there are some ideas on how else to use one of the Flavor Bombs I think this could have been fleshed out a bit more. For example, if you have leftover Fenugreek Marinade from the Curry Crusted Rutabaga Steaks it is described as keeping for two weeks and can be used as a base for curries or for marinating vegetables or different meats. Perhaps this could have been expanded to say mix with yoghurt and serve with grilled chicken, or to marinate chicken before grilling (I don’t know if that would be good, just riffing here) but if I am going to make double or triple of a condiment I would love a handful of simple ideas sketched out, to start me off on the journey of what else I could do with these Flavor Bombs beyond a line or two on the recipe page. But perhaps that is just nit picking. There are some ideas, I just want more, more, more! Gripes aside, the recipes themselves sound great and I will be cooking through this book, as I have done with all of Ottolenghis other books. Fans of Ottolenghis will want this book, so I am preaching to the converted here but it is always nice to read an extensive review before purchase even if you pretty much know you are going to purchase a book. Newbies, this is a pretty vegetable book with some very interesting recipes. You can't go wrong with this book or Plenty or Plenty More if you want to expand your vegetable repertoire. Or Ottolenghis other books if you also want interesting recipes that include meat and fish. I am happy to have this book and I will post an update when I cook from it (I pre-ordered it and just received it today) If this review was helpful to you, please click the helpful button. It always gives me a huge kick to see that my reviews were helpful to other like minded cooks. You might also be interested in my other cookbook and ingredient reviews and my ideas lists of kitchen tools etc Happy cooking!

Spectacular book! I’m a home chef and absolutely love experimenting in the kitchen, and this cookbook is pure inspiration. The recipes are creative, colorful, and full of flavor — exactly what the title promises! Ottolenghi has such a beautiful way of combining ingredients that make every dish feel vibrant and alive. The photos are stunning, and even just reading through the pages makes you want to cook immediately. Perfect for anyone who loves real, wholesome, flavorful food made with heart. Truly a masterpiece! 💛🍋

Flavor, the newest cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage, explores how vegetable recipes can maximize their flavor through three approaches: process, pairing, and produce. The process section emphasizes methods like charring, aging, and infusing ingredients. Pairing foods focuses on the sweet, acidity, fat, and heat of vegetables and seasonings to create a layered sense of flavor. The produce section includes vegetables like mushrooms and alliums that impart complex and rich flavors to recipes. The book starts with a list of Flavor’s 20 Ingredients, some essential items that recipes rely on for heat, spiciness, and tang. These include fish sauce, miso, ground cardamom, tamarind paste, and rose harissa. Calling chili peppers “busy diplomats” of food culture, Ottolenghi and Belfrage explain their use of flavors that cross national boundaries and are common in cuisines across the globe. The book ends with an array of Flavor Bombs, condiments, sauces, salsas, and infused oils, that add dimension to recipes. Another section lists ways to sort recipes for everyday cooking, from meals that can be completed in 30 minutes to make-ahead meals and special occasion meals like brunch, a Mexican feast, and a Sunday roast. From the Process section, I made Iceberg Wedges with Smoky Eggplant Cream. Eggplant is charred for a yogurt-based sauce with garlic, mustard, lemon juice, and olive oil. The Pairing section puts the emphasis on combinations of sweetness, fat, acidity, and heat from chili peppers. From this part, I made Sweet Potato in Tomato, LIme, and Cardamom Sauce. Sweet potatoes are mixed with olive oil, maple syrup, cardamom, and cumin and roasted. Then they are sauced with a spicy tomato mixture chili peppers, cardamom, cumin, and lime zest. Another recipe from this section was equally successful: One-Pan Orecchiette Puttanesca. The traditional puttanesca recipe is enhanced with the addition of chickpeas, cumin, hot paprika, and lemon juice. It makes a beautiful presentation with green olives, cherry tomatoes, and capers. Both these recipes prove the cookbook’s mission to maximize flavor combinations. In the Produce section, a winning recipe was Noodle Salad with Mushroom and Peanut Laab. A vegetable-based variation on the Thai-Laotian recipe. Mushrooms are sauteed and combined with peanuts in a tamarind paste, maple syrup, soy and fish sauce, and lime juice sauce. It is topped with rice noodles, green beans, cucumbers, and an herb mix of of mint, basil and cilantro. An amazing mix of flavors and textures. I will definitely make these recipes again as I continue to try many others. All the recipes are explained clearly and can be completed by a cook of any level of experience. Photographs by Jonathan Lovekin provide an inspiration for completion and presentation of each dish. This cookbook would be a much-appreciated holiday gift, especially for a vegetarian cook or anyone who would like to experiment with flavor and texture. Thank you, Ten Speed Press, for an advance copy of Flavor in return for a free and unbiased review. I have enjoyed reading and cooking from Flavor.

I have been a long-time fan of Ottolenghi and his cookbooks are always the first ones I reach for if I have guests coming over. This is a great addition to my collection. Lovely recipes with beautiful pictures to inspire. Looking forward to trying out some of these during the holidays

I first discovered Ottolenghi through the cookbook Plenty, the first in his series of plant-based cooking. At the time I was a pretty inexperienced home cook trying to adopt a more plant-based diet through recipes with exciting flavor profiles that motivated me to eat better. His cookbooks Plenty and Plenty More has helped me accomplish those goals. Flavor is the third book in his series of plant-based cookbooks, and true to form, provides a number of drool-worthy recipes likely to join my growing rotation of Ottolenghi-inspired favorites. This cookbook is organized a bit differently from the others, with recipes focused on "process" (such as charring, browning, infusing, and aging); "pairing" (combining flavors with sweetness, fat, acidity and chile heat), and produce (with a focus on mushrooms, alliums, nuts and seeds, and sugar). I especially appreciate the chapter toward the end with meal suggestions and feasts, which provides lists of recipes that home cooks like me can prepare in 30 minutes or an hour (on my list to try include cardamom tofu with lime and greens, the ultimate roasting pan ragu, and sweet potato in tomato, lime, and cardamom sauce), as well as recipes that are relatively low effort to pull off (such as portobello steaks with butter bean mash and sweet and sour sprouts with chestnuts and grapes). Then there's a listing of suggestions for feasts, with three-course menus with some of the more involved recipes; high on my list to try when I am feeling ambitious is the korma feast, with tofu meatball korma, berbere ratatouille, and flatbreads). One of the things I most appreciate about Ottolenghi's books is that they have introduced me to exciting ingredients that have helped me punch up my home cooking. This cookbook uses several of his perennial favorite ingredients like rose harissa (which has become of one of my condiments of choice), black lime, and Aleppo chile flakes. This cookbook also features several chiles popular in Mexican cuisine (ancho, cascabel, and chipotle) as well as Asian ingredients such as gochujang chile paste, shaoxing wine, and mango pickle. For home cooks like me who want to keep it interesting, such ingredients are fun to discover and experience. Finally, I need to give the authors major props for the thoughtfulness and care that went into this cookbook. For example, the introductory note to the recipe for "The Ultimate Roasting-Pan Ragu" describes their process for developing the recipe: "In our mission to create the best meatless ragu, enough versions were made to sink a large ship." It reminds me of a note of a recipe in one of Ottolenghi's other books that has stuck with me: that he is always tinkering with recipes to keep things fresh and exciting, and to elevate them to higher levels of excellence. No wonder Ottolenghi can be so prolific while continuing to top his game. This book reflects that spirit, and I am grateful for how his books continue to inspire and challenge me to cook plant-centric meals.

Egg recipe to die for I haven’t really made a whole lot from this book so far not because it’s not good but because I’ve been so busy working, however, I did try the Omlet with grapefruit dipping sauce, and it was absolutely delicious. Make sure if you try that one that you include the salad portion with it. Wrap up the salad in the omelette and dip it in the sauce and it’s a beautiful thing! Other than that, I’ve taken a MasterClass from chef Ottolenghi’s which I highly recommend. The only negative thing I found with this recipe was that it was a little disjointed as far as the prep instructions in the way they were written. Maybe it’s just me. But personally for this recipe alone, the price of the book is worth it. If you get a chance to do the MasterClass make sure chef is at the top of your list. Very pleasing presentation And some really good food that I made from the included online cookbook.

Every recipe I've made from this cookbook has impressed! They can be a bit involved (generally, a lot of produce prep or multiple components) but they aren't difficult by any means, and the payoff is always worthwhile. Additionally, individual components can be utilized for a variety of other dishes encouraging cooks to be more creative without relying on a recipe. I don't find that they require too many or difficult-to-source ingredients, however, the flavor combinations are unique and interesting and not things I would come up with on my own. I am vegan and most of the recipes in this cookbook are vegetarian or vegan. I don't have much experience cooking on the fly and I find the non-vegan recipes really easy to veganize on my own. As a relative novice and someone who is pretty overwhelmed by cooking more complex dishes, I have also found the recipes to be surprisingly foolproof. One thing I really appreciate is that specific times and temperatures are given for most components. This eliminates a lot of confusion for someone less experienced by not relying on subjective criteria (e.g., Ottolenghi will say to cook shallots for 7 minutes on high heat and then 6 minutes on medium-low instead of simply "carmelize" or "cook until browned and soft" - how brown? how soft? which heat setting? it matters but someone who has never carmelized shallots before has no frame of reference for the temperature or amount of time needed to achieve the desired result). As for the construction of the book itself, I have had no issues with my copy. I like that it will lay flat and I love that there are photos for pretty much every finished dish, sometimes with photos of intermediate steps, as well. I recently purchased about a dozen cookbooks as I'm trying to convenience eat less and incorporate more produce into my diet, and this is the only one with recipes that have stayed on my mind after cursorily flipping through them. Even after marking recipes I'm interested in, I usually need to flip through to decide on something but with this cookbook, I always know what I'm going to cook from it next because it just sits in my head until I do. I would highly recommend this to people looking to eat more produce and ENJOY it (I'm historically an EXTREMELY picky eater and it's gotten me to try and love so many new things!), as well as learn cooking skills and techniques that can be applied to more than just the recipe at hand.

What more can I say, I have yet not liked a cookbook authored by Ottolenghi. I have about 4 other of his books and I use them quite often, especially when I am cooking for a dinner party and I want to impress my guess. The recipies are easy to follow, some are more labor intensive but worth the outcome, ingredients are mostly easy to find, but there is always amazon. My only complaint is not the book but the way Amazon handles their packaging and shipping of their books, this one came creased at the corners because it was stuffed in a box to small. Pity. I think I might start ordering my books from a smaller company who cares. Other than that you can't go wrong with a Ottolenghi book!