Ottolenghi comes to the New York Times

Yotam Ottolenghi is best known for his savory, vegetable-centric recipes in cookbooks like Plenty and Plenty More, for his restaurant-inspired recipes in Nopi and Ottolenghi, and for the foods of his homeland in Jerusalem. Despite this savory focus, Ottolenghi likes sweets, telling The New York Times that he rarely goes a full day without eating something sweet. In fact, he likes sweets so much that he is going to write an occasional column for the Times that he says will be “filled with all things baked and sweet.”

Not everyone knows it, but the celebrity chef is trained in patisserie and  got his start as a pastry chef. His philosophy likely mirrors that of many home bakers. While Ottolenghi gets some satisfaction cooking for people, he notes that “there is something particularly – and instantly – rewarding about that moment of bliss that you see when someone bites into something sweet and delicious for the first time.”

The name of Ottolenghi’s new column is “Eat Your Sugar,” but he’s quick to say it isn’t all about sugar. Just as in his savory foods, the chef likes to pair bold flavor combinations. “It’s the pinch of golden saffron threads used to poach pears, the cubes of tangy feta whipped through some cream, the use of kataifi pastry (long strands of shredded phyllo) in the place of a more obvious shortbread base,” he explains. 

Ottolenghi’s latest cookbook, appropriately titled Sweet, will be out later this year.  (Update: we have started indexing this new column – only two recipes so far but it will grow).

Photo of  Strawberry, pomegranate, and rose petal mess from  Bon Appétit Magazine by Yotam Ottolenghi