Yotam Ottolenghi Popular Books

Yotam Ottolenghi Biography & Facts

Yotam Assaf Ottolenghi (born 14 December 1968) is an Israeli-born British chef, restaurateur, and food writer. He is the co-owner of seven delis and restaurants in London and the author of several bestselling cookery books, including Ottolenghi: The Cookbook (2008), Plenty (2010), Jerusalem (2012) and Simple (2018). Biography Yotam Ottolenghi was born to Jewish parents in Jerusalem and raised in its Ramat Denya suburb, the son of Michael Ottolenghi, a chemistry professor at Hebrew University and Ruth Ottolenghi, a high school principal. He is of Italian Jewish and German Jewish descent and often spent his childhood summers in Italy. He has an older sister, Tirza Florentin. His younger brother, Yiftach, was killed by friendly fire in 1992 during his military service. Ottolenghi is an Italian name, an Italianised form of Ettlingen, a town in Baden-Württemberg from which Jews were expelled in the 15th and 16th centuries; many settled in Northern Italy. Ottolenghi was conscripted into the Israel Defence Forces in 1989, serving three years in IDF intelligence headquarters. He then studied at the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Programme for Outstanding Students of Tel Aviv University where in 1997, he completed a combined bachelor's and master's degree in comparative literature; his thesis was on the philosophy of the photographic image. While working on his thesis, Ottolenghi served as a night copy editor for Haaretz. In 1997, Ottolenghi and his then partner Noam Bar moved to Amsterdam, where he edited the Hebrew section of the Dutch-Jewish weekly NIW. He later relocated to London to study French pastry cooking at Le Cordon Bleu. Ottolenghi met his partner Karl Allen in 2000; they married in 2012 and live in Camden, London, with their two sons, born in 2013 and 2015. In 2013, Ottolenghi "came out as a gay father" in a Guardian essay that detailed the lengthy process of conceiving their first son via gestational surrogacy, an option that he believes should be more widely available to those who cannot conceive naturally. Culinary career Ottolenghi served as a pastry chef at three London restaurants: the Michelin-starred Capital Restaurant, Kensington Place, and Launceston Place in Kensington New Town. In 1999, he became head pastry chef at the artisanal pastry shop Baker and Spice, where he met the Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi, who grew up in Jerusalem's Old City. Ottolenghi and Tamimi bonded over their shared language, Hebrew, and a joint "incomprehension of traditional English food".In 2002, the duo (in collaboration with Noam Bar) founded the eponymous delicatessen Ottolenghi in the Notting Hill district of London. The deli quickly gained a cult following due to its inventive dishes, characterised by the foregrounding of vegetables, unorthodox flavour combinations, and the abundance of Middle Eastern ingredients such as rose water, za'atar, and pomegranate molasses. When asked to explain his cooking philosophy Ottolenghi said "I want drama in the mouth." The Ottolenghi brand has since expanded to three more delis (in Islington, Marylebone and Chelsea), a formal restaurant in Spitalfields, a brasserie named NOPI in Soho, and a vegetable-centric restaurant named ROVI which opened in Fitzrovia in June 2018.In 2006, Ottolenghi began writing a weekly column for The Guardian titled "The New Vegetarian," though he himself is not a vegetarian and has sometimes noted where a vegetable-centric recipe would pair well with a particular cut of meat. Influenced by the straightforward, culturally-grounded food writing of Nigella Lawson and Claudia Roden, Ottolenghi's recipes rarely fit within traditional dietary or cultural categories. He explained that his mission is "celebrating vegetables or pulses without making them taste like meat, or as complements to meat, but to be what they are. It does no favour to vegetarians, making vegetables second best."His debut cookery book Ottolenghi: The Cookbook was published in 2008. Eight volumes have followed: the all-vegetable cookery books Plenty (2010), Plenty More (2014) and Ottolenghi Flavour (2020); Jerusalem (2012); NOPI (2015); the dessert cookery book Sweet (2017); Ottolenghi Simple (2018); and most recently a series of Ottolenghi Test Kitchen (OTK) books: OTK: Shelf Love (2021) and OTK: Extra Good Things (2022). Ottolenghi's bestselling cookery books have proven influential, with The New York Times noting that they are "widely knocked-off for their plain-spoken instructions, puffy covers, and photographs [that Ottolenghi] oversees himself, eschewing a food stylist". In 2014, the London Evening Standard remarked that Ottolenghi had "radically rewritten the way Londoners cook and eat", and Bon Appétit wrote that he had "made the world love vegetables".Ottolenghi has hosted three television specials: Jerusalem on a Plate (BBC4, 2011); Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast (More4, 2012); and Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Island Feast (More4, 2013). He served as a guest judge on the ninth (2017), eleventh (2019) and thirteenth (2021) seasons of the cooking game show Masterchef Australia. He had declined numerous guest-judge offers in the past and agreed to appear on Masterchef Australia "because it's quite humane and positive. It's about the personal development of the contestants more than the competition." Published works Ottolenghi: The Cookbook (2008) (with Sami Tamimi) Plenty (2010) Jerusalem: A Cookbook (2012) (with Sami Tamimi) Plenty More (2014) NOPI (2015) (with Ramael Scully & Tara Wigley) Sweet: Desserts from London's Ottolenghi (2017) (with Helen Goh & Tara Wigley) Ottolenghi Simple (2018) (with Tara Wigley & Esme Howarth) Ottolenghi Flavour (2020) (with Ixta Belfrage & Tara Wigley) Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love (2021) (with Noor Murad) Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things (2022) (with Noor Murad)Awards and recognition 2010 Galaxy National Book Awards "Food and Drink Book of the Year" for Plenty 2010 Observer Food Monthly's "Best Cookbooks Ever", Plenty ranked number 40 2011 Condé Nast Traveler "Innovation and Design Awards", NOPI, winner of the Gourmet award 2011 Observer Food Monthly's "Best Cookbook Award" winner for Plenty 2012 Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, "Identity" category for the restaurant Nopi 2012 Guild of Food Writers Awards, "Kate Whiteman Award for Work on Food and Travel" for Jerusalem on a Plate (BBC4) 2013 James Beard Award "International Cookbook" for Jerusalem 2013 Guild of Food Writers Awards, "Cookery Book Award" for Jerusalem 2013 Guild of Food Writers Awards, "Evelyn Rose Award for Cookery Journalist" for journalism in The Guardian 2013 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, the Dun Gifford Award winner for Jerusalem 2013 International Association of Culinary Professionals Awards, winner of the International award and the Best Cookbook award for Jerusalem 2013 Fortnum and Mason Food and Drink Awards, "Television Programme of the Year" for Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast (Keo Films) 20.... 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Best Seller Yotam Ottolenghi Books of 2024

  • The Little Book of Marmalade synopsis, comments

    The Little Book of Marmalade

    Lucy Deedes

    A perfect guide to making marmalade from the awardwinning Lucy Deedes.Marmalade had been around for hundreds of years – as a Portuguese sweetmeat, an afterdinner digestif, an aphro...

  • The London Cookbook synopsis, comments

    The London Cookbook

    Aleksandra Crapanzano

    From an awardwinning food writer comes this intimate portrait of Londonthe global epicenter of cuisinewith 100 recipes from the city's best restaurants, dessert boutiques, tea and ...

  • The Grilled Cheese Sandwich synopsis, comments

    The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    Sian Henley

    Ready to eat in just minutes and devoured in seconds, the grilled cheese sandwich is the perfect quick and cheap meal. Combining quality breads and cheeses, create fun and quirky r...

  • My Darling Lemon Thyme synopsis, comments

    My Darling Lemon Thyme

    Emma Galloway

    Over 100 vegetarian recipes, flavourpacked + glutenfreeSpiced pumpkin snacking cake, Pea, mint + halloumi fritters, Mushroom + lentil lasagne, and Roasted strawberry + ginger 'ice ...

  • Week Light synopsis, comments

    Week Light

    Donna Hay

    Australia's bestselling cookbook author and most trusted home cook, Donna Hay, returns with a beautiful new cookbook that you'll want to use every night of the week. There are endl...

  • Chinese Cookery synopsis, comments

    Chinese Cookery

    Ken Hom

    Chinese Cookery is Ken Hom's timeless collection of over 150 recipes. These classic dishes have been passed down from generation to generation and follow the Chinese rules of balan...

  • Classic synopsis, comments

    Classic

    Mary Berry

    “These are my wonderful brandnew recipes timeless classics, simple British dishes and delicious, modern favourites to tempt family and friends. With my trusted tips and techniques...

  • Mezcla synopsis, comments

    Mezcla

    Ixta Belfrage

    JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE 100 recipes for everyday eating with builtin wow factor, from the Ottolenghi protégé and coauthor of Ottolenghi Flavor shaking up the food world.   ...

  • The Book of St John synopsis, comments

    The Book of St John

    Fergus Henderson & Trevor Gulliver

    'The Book of St John is too witty to be a manifesto, but it is a sturdy invocation of the need for comfort, generosity and ritual at the table. And it is a gurglingly delightful co...

  • Venice synopsis, comments

    Venice

    Russell Norman

    A beautifully designed cookbook with easy, seasonal Italian recipes perfect for any foodie!Russell Norman returns to Venice the city that inspired POLPO to immerse himself in th...

  • Great British Puddings synopsis, comments

    Great British Puddings

    Jill and Simon Coombe (formerly The Pudding Club)

    Please be upstanding, ladies and gentlemen, for the greatest puddings that this fair land has to offer!Celebrating the gooiest, yummiest, sweetest treats that made Britain great, t...

  • The Fast Five synopsis, comments

    The Fast Five

    Donna Hay

    Donna Hay, Australia's most trusted and bestselling cookbook author, returns with a book that you'll want to cook and eat from time and time again the ultimate bible of fast, deli...

  • Ottolenghi synopsis, comments

    Ottolenghi

    Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi

    Available for the first time in an American edition, this debut cookbook, from bestselling authors Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi of Plenty and Jerusalem, features 140 recipes fr...

  • Sweet synopsis, comments

    Sweet

    Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  A collection of over 110 recipes for sweets, baked goods, and confections from superstar chef Yotam Ottolenghi, thoroughly tested and updated. Yotam...

  • Mary Berry at Home synopsis, comments

    Mary Berry at Home

    Lucy Young & Mary Berry

    This is Mary Berry's collection of her favourite dishes that she cooks everyday for her family and friends. Mary and her close friend and assistant, Lucy Young, provide over 150 si...

  • The Healthy Lebanese Family Cookbook synopsis, comments

    The Healthy Lebanese Family Cookbook

    Mona Hamadeh

    'As Mona Hamadeh's two previous books are already a staple in our house, I have been waiting eagerly for the release of her new title and I was not disappointed. This new book is a...

  • One More Croissant for the Road synopsis, comments

    One More Croissant for the Road

    Felicity Cloake

    ‘Joyful, lifeaffirming, greedy. I loved it’ – DIANA HENRY‘Whether you are an avid cyclist, a Francophile, a greedy gut, or simply an appreciator of impeccable writing – this book w...

  • Doughnuts synopsis, comments

    Doughnuts

    Rosie Reynolds

    What comes to mind when you think of doughnuts? Well, these are not your average doughnuts...Rosie Reynolds has given the humble doughnut a muchneeded makeover, turning it into an ...

  • Simple Cakes synopsis, comments

    Simple Cakes

    Mary Berry

    Let Simple Cakes dispel the myth that cakebaking is all fuss and fiddle. Now Mary Berry guides you through the art of making the ultimate in comfort food, from cakes, biscuits and ...

  • Fress synopsis, comments

    Fress

    Emma Spitzer

    Fress (Yiddish): 'to eat copiously and without restraint' 'Fress, the knockout debut cookbook from Emma Spitzer, a 2015 finalist on Britain's 'Masterchef' show, seamlessly blends ...

  • The New Book of Middle Eastern Food synopsis, comments

    The New Book of Middle Eastern Food

    Claudia Roden

    The definitive volume on Middle Eastern cooking, a modern classic from the awardwinning, bestselling author of The Book of Jewish Food and Claudia Roden's MediterraneanOriginally p...

  • Jerusalem synopsis, comments

    Jerusalem

    Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi

    A collection of 120 recipes exploring the flavors of Jerusalem from the New York Times bestselling author of Plenty, one of the most lauded cookbooks of 2011. This...

  • Falastin synopsis, comments

    Falastin

    Sami Tamimi & Tara Wigley

    A soulful tour of Palestinian cooking today from the Ottolenghi restaurants’ executive chef and partner120 recipes shaped by his personal story as well as the history of Palestine....

  • One Pan Perfect synopsis, comments

    One Pan Perfect

    Donna Hay

    Donna Hay returns with her new, gorgeously luxe hardcover cookbook One Pan Perfect to make life simple, easy and delicious for her millions of fans.Donna loves to make it easy for ...

  • Plenty More synopsis, comments

    Plenty More

    Yotam Ottolenghi

    The hotly anticipated followup to London chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s bestselling and awardwinning cookbook Plenty. Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the world’s most beloved culinar...

  • Patisserie Maison synopsis, comments

    Patisserie Maison

    Richard Bertinet

    Patisserie, the art of the maître pâtissier, is the most admired style of baking in the world and requires the highest level of skill. In this new book master baker and bestselling...

  • Eat To Stay Young synopsis, comments

    Eat To Stay Young

    Gill Paul

    Growing older is natural, but eating the right foods can slow the process down and keep your body's stores of agefighting nutrients topped up. Featured in this book are the key fo...

  • NOPI synopsis, comments

    NOPI

    Yotam Ottolenghi & Ramael Scully

    A cookbook from acclaimed London restaurant Nopi, by powerhouse author Yotam Ottolenghi and Nopi head chef Ramael Scully. Pandan leaves meet pomegranate seeds, star anise meets sum...

  • Mary Berry Cooks synopsis, comments

    Mary Berry Cooks

    Mary Berry

    THE NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER!In this brandnew official tiein to Mary’s muchanticipated BBC2 series, the nation's bestloved home cook invites you into her kitchen to share the secrets of...

  • Sunshine on a Plate synopsis, comments

    Sunshine on a Plate

    Shelina Permalloo

    In 2012 over 6.5 million viewers watched Shelina triumph in the MasterChef final: with her instinctive spicing and intense flavours, she brought Mauritian food to TV for the first ...

  • How Baking Works synopsis, comments

    How Baking Works

    James Morton

    This is baking explained in a clear, accessible and engaging manner: foolproof recipes and perfect cakes and bakes every single time from GBBO favourite, James Morton. With stunnin...

  • Food52 Simply Genius synopsis, comments

    Food52 Simply Genius

    Kristen Miglore, James Ransom & Eliana Rodgers

    100 of Food52’s simplest, most rulebreaking recipes yet to help beginners and other timestrapped cooks build confidence in the kitchen, from the New York Times bestselling Gen...

  • Mary Berry Everyday synopsis, comments

    Mary Berry Everyday

    Mary Berry

    ‘Everyday cooking is about sharing your love of food with family and friends. With this book I hope that you will feel encouraged to create new favourites, making everyday meals in...