I don't buy too many cookbooks (and when I do, there's a one in/one out policy), but a couple of times a year I log on to Amazon.co.uk and indulge in the pleasure of ordering new British cookbooks. Why on earth would one want cookbooks from the land of supposedly bland, unimaginative food? Because they're anything but! Lately it seems that some of the most colorful, flavorful, and inspiring cookbooks are coming out of the multicultural UK. Here are three that I've made room for in my collection…
Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi – Fans of Chef Yotam Ottolenghi's weekly Guardian column, The New Vegetarian, will recognize many of the dishes in this volume of Mediterranean-inspired recipes. Ottolenghi is not vegetarian, and neither is his restaurant. But he has a deep appreciation for fresh produce, inspired by his upbringing in Israel where he was "exposed to the multitude of vegetables, pulses and grains that are celebrated in the region's different cuisines." The book includes vibrantly spiced and textured dishes like Roasted butternut squash with sweet spices, lime and green chilli; Saffron cauliflower with sultanas (raisins) and green olives; Aubergine (eggplant) with buttermilk sauce and pomegranate seeds; Green pancakes with lime butter; and Fried butterbeans with feta, sorrel and sumac. This is one cookbook where I want and expect to make just about every recipe, cover to cover.
• Plenty, £11.96 at Amazon.co.uk
Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume: Cuisine of the Eastern Mediterranean by Silvena Rowe – Bulgarian-born Rowe follows up her previous cookbook, Feasts: Food For Sharing from Central and Eastern Europe, with an exploration of the Eastern Mediterranean, focusing on a "wonderful panorama of fruits, vegetables, meat and rice dishes" both ancient and modern. There are gorgeous meze dishes and salads featuring ingredients like sumac, pistachios, and pomegranate molasses; vegetarian-friendly bites of red lentil kofte and falafels made from chard and beets; fragrant dishes like Almond and Roasted Garlic Soup with Toasted Coconut and Slow-Cooked Lamb with Spring Onions, Cheries and Lemon; and condiments made from combining dried flowers and sea salt. And, like Plenty, this cookbook is photographed by Jonathan Lovekin, who gives everything an inviting, sumptuous air.
• Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, £14.27 at Amazon.co.uk
Flavour: A World Of Beautiful Food by Vicky Bhogal – This cookbook came out last year, but I'm still constantly delighted by the stunning recipes and images. Flavour is infused with a sense of adventure and determination – not only to celebrate the diversity of global ingredients at our fingertips, but to really get the most out of them in day-to-day cooking. Drawing upon her Indian heritage, her multicultural experience in the city of London, and an "insatiable curiosity," Bhogal invents dishes like Chickpea Fritters with Beetroot, Buffalo Mozzarella and Pink Pepper; Red Snapper Brushed with Chipotle, Strawberry and Rosé; Courgettes (Zucchini) Stuffed with Coffee Rice and Oregano; and Mango Ice Sticks with Dipping Sugar. Throughout, Bhogal makes combining ingredients and flavors seem effortless and has a wonderful way of inspiring readers to experiment on their own.
• Flavour, £12.50 at Amazon.co.uk
Related:
Recipe Review: Ottolenghi's Ricotta Hotcakes with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes
Recipe Review: Vicky Bhogal's Foil-Baked Feta
(Images, clockwise from top left: Flavour, Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, Flavour, Plenty, Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, Plenty)
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British cookbooks are fantastic at the moment. Two more I would recommend are Tender, by Nigel Slater, and The Garden Cookbook, by Sarah Raven (the latter goes under the title "In Season" in the US, for some reason). Both books hook into the home vegetable garden and organic veg box delivery trends, and tell us almost as much about growing the vegetables as cooking them. They are both organised seasonally, too, which is helpful.
Where are these Brits cooking?? I'd love to actually GO to a restaurant that has flavors like this. Seems that everytime I'm in London, I have to really search high and low for a worthwhile restaurant. Does anyone have any recommends?
Thanks for a lovely post highlighting these cookbooks! I agree that the UK has produced quite a number of amazing food writers and chefs.
I can't wait to take a look at Ottolenghi's Plenty, I do love his Guardian column. And I swear by Nigel Slater, every single recipe turns out, always! I can't wait for Tender v.2 in the fall.
Her flavors are more traditional but Darina Allen's Forgotten Skills of Cooking: The Time-Honored Ways are the Best is another recent book that is absolutely wonderful.
I just returned from a trip to London and I brought back Tessa Kiros's Falling Cloudberries and Apples for Jam. They are absolutely beautiful and the recipes are amazing.
missamyscerra, Yotam Ottolenghi has 4 restaurants: http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/locations/
@sarahdesade and @Slow Lorus I adore Tender as well, and have already pre-ordered v.2! :)
@missamyscerra Ottolenghi has several branches in London, while Rowe is executive chef at the Baltic Group restaurants. When I lived in London, I mostly ate at Middle Eastern restaurants along Edgware Road.
@jsuzannefarmer I agree, that's a beautiful book!
Cannot recommend Plenty enough (or the Ottolenghi restaurant, for that matter). I received it about a month ago and have been cooking from it non-stop, it's just chock full of inspiring vegetarian recipes. (Emily, you're right that the book isn't vegetarian as it does mention several non-veg ingredients, but there's no meat there, either.)
Tender is also an awesome book, I'm very excited for Volume II, which is about fruit.
Fantastic post Emily. Every Christmas I look forward to receiving a few UK published cookbooks from family.
On a recent trip to London I bought 'Everyday Harumi' - fabulous cookbook.
Great post, Emily! I, too, have Tender vol. 2 on order. Perhaps we should form a club?
Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone has used the Leon cookbook. I've been eyeing it up over at amazon.co.uk and would love to hear a report.
Oh, the Leon cookbook: wonderful stuff! And they have several London restaurants which serve fantastic food and are great value.
From the Leon cookbook I really loved:
Hippy Farm Beans
Cardamom Rice Pudding
Sweet Potato Falafel
Also, Nigel Slater is so lovely. He's unpretentious and makes real, unfussy, home cooked food, such as fragrant turkey and spinach.
jsuzannefarmer - Tessa Kiros's books are gorgeous. She has a new one out called Venezia, I think, and it looks as beautiful as the others. I make the Honey Cake with rosemary from Apples for Jam a lot - my kids think it's wonderful. ALL of her recipes are wonderful.
Dana V - I don't have the Leon cookbook, but Allegra McEvedy is terrific. Giles Coren, restaurant reviewer for The Times, called Leon “without doubt, the coolest food book I have ever seen.”
@missamyscerra Incidentally, the NYT just published an article on Silvena Rowe and her new restaurant.