going sweet on ottolenghi

 

I have all of Ottolenghi’s cookbooks. We have shared so many nights with Ottolenghi, albeit his food, not Yotam himself. After having just finished watching Yotam on Master Chef for the past two nights, I realise that all this time I have been pronouncing his name incorrectly, Yoth…am instead it is Yot…am! Oh dear me!

Guess Who is Coming to Dinner | My sister once asked me whom I most admired in this world. Knowing all too well that for her it was Oprah (and just a little disappointed that she didn’t pick me). It made me think to myself that if I had a “guess who is coming to dinner” kind of moment, who would I want to sit with me at the table.  I would have liked to sit at the table with Nelson Mandella, Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Angela Jolie, Aung San Suu Kyi and the likes and yet I have never been one of those people who would clamber to get an autograph of some famous person (certainly not sportsmen because generally, I have no idea who they are anyway).

Be an Inspiration | Look at the fabulous legacy left by Coco Chanel. Her exquisite style and grace are legendary and she has made a massive impact on the world of fashion. She encouraged women to dress for themselves and be themselves. She encouraged women to be confident. So do I want to be like Coco Chanel?  Not.  However, Coco Chanel truly inspires me on just about every level.

It is not only famous people who inspire me in life. If we open our eyes we can see the beauty in the actions of many people who surround us each day and who are often silently inspiring us. Sometimes their inspiration can be felt in a small way and sometimes in ways that truly matter and make a difference in our lives.

I am digressing (the strange thing that … and I am starting to sound a little like Anne of Green Gables with my rambling, just a little less articulate).

I am inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi (pronounced Yot … am), his cookbooks, his restaurants and the passionate relationship he has with food (I even love his personal story)! When I first fell across his cookbooks I developed an absolute love of the way he talked so passionately about food and ingredients. He introduced me to so many new spices, which I did not even know existed (Ras-Ei-Hanout has become my second best friend). Over the past five years, I have cooked a lot of his recipes and while they are not always the easiest of dishes to cook they are ever so flavoursome. His food is filled with heart!

It has never been Yotam Ottolenghi that I crave to meet or sit with at my dinner table, but his recipes and his love of food and spices continue to inspire me on every level.

Ottolenghi Relaunched | So imagine my delight when I yet again visited his website, trawling for a new recipe, to find that there has been a new cookbook released. They have just relaunched a special edition of the cookbook titled Ottolenghi and the cover is printed in a vibrant red. How fabulous! I send a message to myself that I must order this online before they sell out.  I just know how fabulous this vibrant red will look sitting on top of my existing collection of Otto cookbooks.

Can you imagine my double excitement when I also found out that they are releasing a brand new cookbook titled Sweet? So for all those Otto diehards like me, go online and order your copy now from their online store.

I have copied details about his new recipe book because I adore his desserts. His rosewater and pistachio meringues are one of my favourites and you need to have a great set of beaters to master this one. Luckily I have a Kitchenaid and it beats the perfect meringue and pavlova.

My take on Ottolenghi’s rosewater and pistachio meringue!

Order via: http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/books/ottolenghi

Following blurb taken directly from Ottolenghi’s website.

Pre-order your signed copy now: Ships for publication date September 7*

In his stunning new baking and desserts cookbook, Yotam Ottolenghi and his long-time collaborator Helen Goh bring the Ottolenghi hallmarks of fresh, evocative ingredients, exotic spices and complex flavourings – including fig, rose petal, saffron, aniseed, orange blossom, pistachio and cardamom – to indulgent cakes, biscuits, tarts, puddings, cheesecakes and ice cream.

Sweet includes over 110 innovative recipes, from Blackberry and Star Anise Friands, Tahini and Halva Brownies, Persian Love Cakes, Middle Eastern Millionaire’s Shortbread, and Saffron, Orange and Honey Madeleines to Flourless Chocolate Layer Cake with Coffee, Walnut and Rosewater and Cinnamon Pavlova with Praline Cream and Fresh Figs.

There is something here to delight everyone – from simple mini-cakes and cookies that parents can make with their children to showstopping layer cakes and roulades that will reignite the imaginations of accomplished bakers.

*Please note: This item is available for pre-order only.

I so want the walnut, rosewater and cinnamon pavlova recipe (a fresh challenge for my husband at Christmas).