Ottolenghi, but simple

Cooking simply means something different to everyone, but Yotam Ottolenghi’s definition is so universal that it feels like you’re hearing yourself talk: ‘As far as I’m concerned, “simple” means stopping by the greengrocer on my way home, buying a few ingredients that look delicious and turning them into something tasty within 20 to 30 minutes of getting home.’

Simple cooking is what it’s all about in Yotam Ottolenghi’s new cookbook of the same name. And let’s be honest; we were all kind of waiting for it. His recipes and dishes are generally a guarantee of success, but seeing those endless ingredient lists instantly makes me zone out and reach for Allerhande. And then naming your cookbooks Plenty and Plenty more too. Haha, yes, we get that.

For the lazy chef

Simpel promises to be different; the cookbook is packed with recipes that are simple in at least one way. And there’s a whole system behind that. Do you know what kind of lazy ass chef you are and what occasion you want to cook for? Using the symbols above each recipe, you can check whether the dish meets your specific kind of laziness in the kitchen:

S = speedy, I = 10 ingredients or fewer, M = make ahead, P = pantry, E = easier than you think and L = lazy.

Ottolenghi for every day

The fact that the recipes in this book are much simpler than you’re used to from Ottolenghi doesn’t mean he compromises on flavor or distinctive character. Take the very first recipe in the book: braised leeks with eggs and za’atar. Put it on a brunch menu somewhere and I’ll order it. The recipe meets five of the six criteria for a quick and delicious dish, making it fit my personal standards for the-ultimate-weeknight-meal. And then a whole book full of those – no fewer than 140 new recipes. Long live workdays!

Title: Simpel
Author: Yotam Ottolenghi
Publisher: Fontaine Uitgevers
Price: €29,99