Me & My Cookbooks – Yotam Ottolenghi

It would be an understatment to say that Yotam Ottolenghi is a popular cookbook author. His vegetarian cookbook Plenty  graces more EYB member Bookshelves than any other single book in the EYB Library. And there is great excitement amongst EYB members at his newest book Plenty More, published this month in the UK and Australia and in October in the USA. The combinations of flavor, texture, and color in his recipes inspire countless home cooks. But have you ever wondered which cookbooks inspire him? Now you can find out via an interview with Ottolenghi on The Happy Foodie website.

You might be curious to know which cookbook started Ottolenghi on his culinary journey. He says it was The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden, and reminisces that this “was the book that got me out of the library and into the kitchen (and made me realise that you could stay somewhere in between the two for ever).” When asked which cookbook has really changed the way he cooks, he provided a response to which many EYB members can relate: it changes all the time. “Paula Wolfert’s The Food Of Morocco made me want to either move to North Africa or, more practically, focus on learning much more about North African cuisine; Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day made me want to live a sepia-tinged life shopping, cooking and eating in San Francisco.” Ottolenghi’s current inspirations include Morito by Sam & Sam Clark, The Food of Life by Najmieh Batmanglij, and Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison.

Find out more details about Ottolenghi’s favorites, including which authors he turns to for technique, which of his father’s cookbooks he would like to inherit, and whether he scribbles in the margins of his books, at The Happy Foodie. There you can also enjoy recipes from Plenty More, including Meringue roulade with rose petals and fresh raspberries. And don’t forget to visit the cookbook events calendar to view the dates and locations for the Plenty More book tour.