When chef Yotam Ottolenghi published his best selling cookbook, “Ottolenghi Simple” in 2018 his aim was to uncomplicate cooking.
“‘Simple’ was my way to get more people to cook my food. I felt people felt the recipes were too complicated or elaborate for them,” said the Israeli-born British chef. “I wanted to prove that you can get complexity and flavors from recipes that are quicker and more accessible.”
“Ottolenghi Simple” became a New York Times bestseller and was selected by NPR as the 2018 best book of the year.
The celebrity chef, restaurateur and author has written many best-selling cookbooks since then. But in a time when life seems complicated by many distractions, Ottolenghi decided he had more to say on the subject of simple cooking.
This year he debuts the long-awaited follow-up to “Ottolenghi Simple,” titled “Simple Too,” which has more recipes and advice on simplifying the task of meal making.
“I felt like I started to collect recipes that do more of the same things that ‘Simple’ did … recipes that are doable and accessible,” Ottolenghi said. “It’s been eight years and in that time I have collected techniques that are really cool and really helpful.”
The book begins with a relatable introduction. He describes the familiar conundrum of struggling to decide on what to make for dinner and the natural response of reaching for the phone to look up ideas, only to be distracted by the many notifications, pictures and messages found on our tiny screens.
“It’s a noisy world out there,” Ottolenghi writes. “And simple cooking is our solution.”
Ottolenghi achieves simplicity by tapping into a collection of recipes he refers to as the fundamentals. This section at the back of the book features recipes that can be used to create a larder of dressings, sauces and more that can be used to take, say, a roasted vegetable or a grilled piece of fish to the next level. “The one sauce,” for example, is versatile enough to go on chicken, meatballs or pasta.
“It’s a tomato sauce that takes five minutes to put on a tray and takes no work at all to make,” he said.
Tomatoes, olive oil and any herbs on had go into “the one sauce,” along with two whole heads of garlic.
“The idea of using two whole heads of garlic, without peeling or separating and all that is something that appears more than two or three times in the book, because I just find it so useful,” said Ottolenghi. “It’s a lot of shortcuts, but still so full of flavor, so you don’t feel like you are missing out on anything.”
Other recipes he is excited about include broccolini with another fundamental, mushroom sprinkle made up of dried shiitakes and sesame seeds, and a grilled asparagus dish served in miso and olives.
“The asparagus is roasted and as it is cools down you add the miso, green olive dressing and lime juice and it just soaks it in,” the chef said. “It is a wonderfully easy recipe to make.”
Chef Yotam Ottolenghi with “Simple Too” co-author, Verena Lochmuller.
(Jonathan Lovekin)
Ottolenghi often collaborates with others for his cookbooks and for “Simple Too” he has partnered with Verena Lochmuller. She worked with him on his last book, “Comfort” which focused on culturally specific comfort food. Ottolenghi said Lochmuller seemed like a natural partner to help with the squeal to “Simple.”
“When I started working on ‘Simple Too,’ she was the first person I approached because she has the instincts of a home cook, but the experience of a professional chef which is what you want for a book that people will actually cook from,” Ottolenghi said.
Chef comes to Irvine Barclay next month
For his upcoming appearance at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Oct. 14, Ottolenghi will collaborate with KCRW’s Evan Kleiman.
Kleiman is the longtime host of KCRW’s Good Food radio show and podcast and a chef, restaurateur and cookbook author in her own right, known for titles like “Cucina Fresca,” “Pasta Fresca” and more. She is often called “the fairy godmother of the L.A. food scene” and has received recognition from the James Beard Foundation and the International Assn. of Culinary Professionals. Kleiman will join Ottolenghi on stage for conversation for “Simple Too: A Evening with Yotam Ottolenghi.”
Ottolenghi said he is looking forward to showing the audience how simple cooking can help us slow down and get off our phones.
“I think we are living in a more anxious world and we are spending more time on our phones and people need to ground themselves, and cooking in the most grounding activity,” he said. “It’s both physical and nourishing and that combination is something I want to emphasize and say it is a a really wonderful way to spend your time, that does not involve a screen.”
“Simple Too: A Evening with Yotam Ottolenghi” hosted by Evan Kleiman will take place at the Irvine Barclay Theatre at 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine on Oct. 14. For tickets, go to thebarclay.org
Dining and Cooking