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Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own.
I get attached to certain cookbooks. This week’s pick for my cookbook of the week is Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi. Similarly to the book I chose for last week (Hershey’s Best-Loved Recipes), this book and I have history. That’s the hope, isn’t it? When you buy a cookbook for yourself or as a gift for someone else, you’re hoping they build a relationship with it, use it for years, and form fond memories every time they cook from it. That’s how I see this cookbook—each recipe is a wink to great meals shared over the years.
It certainly helps that every recipe freakin’ rules too.
A bit about the book
Plenty More’s subtitle is “vibrant vegetable cooking from London’s Ottolenghi,” and that says a lot. For starters, you should know that “Ottolenghi” is also the name of the chef’s string of high-end delis across London. I say high-end because the price point is a little steep, not because the food or atmosphere are unapproachable. In fact, it’s very welcoming inside. I’ve been to two locations in London and happily give them all of my money because the food is so good it makes me cry, or laugh, or get mad. And you can have a piece of that emotional rollercoaster at home.
A great cookbook for (wannabe) veggie lovers
The other key to that subtitle is the “vibrant vegetable” part. Yes, I’ve given you a vegetarian cookbook. No, do not roll your eyes at me. What they do with vegetables in this cookbook is nothing short of magic. As a person who eats meat, I can honestly say that you do not even think about meat or wonder for a moment if a recipe would be better with meat.
Each recipe is substantial and satisfying. Even the salads are robust with flavor. One of my favorite things is how Ottolenghi uses surprising ingredients in places I had forgotten they could go. Why not put juicy lemon segments in a salad, or walnut halves in my pasta?
This is an excellent cookbook choice for someone who is trying to eat more vegetables, or is dead-bored of the same veggie recipes. How many times can you roast carrots and cauliflower before you or your kids start thinking maybe they just hate vegetables? Plenty More shakes up the idea of vegetarian cooking with unexpected combinations.
That said, this book is probably best for someone who is familiar with cooking; it’s not really a beginner’s cookbook. The ingredient lists can be long and potentially unusual, and there are a variety of cooking methods used. Something I appreciate about Ottolenghi’s recipes is that he frequently incorporates ingredients from multiple cultures, like the Iranian Vegetable Stew With Dried Lime. A beginner might be deterred by the Iranian limes or barberries in the recipe, and not consider that they could substitute ingredients to replace them.
The recipes you can expect
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
The recipes in this book are categorized by cooking method. You’ll find sections like steamed, braised, roasted, fried, and so on, which is kind of nice because it builds in some variety. Something “tossed” doesn’t have to mean a leafy green salad (there are those too), but maybe a satisfying eggplant dish tossed with a rich dressing.
Each recipe’s method is contained within three to six paragraphs, and while the author assumes you know how to recognize certain states of food preparation (like food processing nuts down to a paste is something I know will take a while and some scraping), the steps are clear without being overly wordy. There’s always a gorgeous picture to accompany the recipes too, which is nice for eye-candy, but also helpful if you’re unsure how the dish is supposed to turn out.
I have my favorites in this book, but I decided to try something new this week. I made the Cauliflower Cake and was not disappointed. Like every recipe in this book, the namesake vegetable becomes absolutely dazzling.
It’s a savory cake that uses red onions for flavor as much as for color, cauliflower for bulk and a creamy texture, along with eggs and a giant dose of grated parmesan. The cake baked up fluffy and the tiniest addition of turmeric lent a warm yellow hue to the crumb. This is one of those recipes that makes your whole kitchen smell amazing. The sesame seed and nigella seed crust adds flavor and a bit of wow-factor to the presentation. I’ll be bookmarking this one for the future.
How to buy it
Even if you’re into cookbooks just because they’re pretty, this is a great choice. It’s a hard cover with a gorgeous dark photograph on the front. When you touch it, you’ll realize that it’s pleasantly pillowy. Not like a child’s hardcover (but not not like it.) You’ll have to feel it for yourself. My copy was a gift from a friend, but you can buy it online for around $20 and in real-life bookstores for around $30. If you love this one, keep an eye out for Ottolenghi’s newest book Comfort, which will be released in the U.S. on Oct. 8 of this year.
