Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love

by Yotam Ottolenghi, Noor Murad

Relaxed, flexible home cooking from Yotam Ottolenghi and his superteam.

Whether they're conjuring up new recipes or cooking for themselves at home, the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen team do what we all they raid their kitchens. But then, they turn whatever they find into approachable creations with an 'Ottolenghi' twist.

This instinct is in perfect sync with recent times, when we've all been standing in front of our kitchen shelves, our cupboards and our fridges, wondering what to cook with what we've got; how to put a can of chickpeas or a bag of frozen peas to good use, instead of taking an extra trip to the shops.

For the first time, the team welcome us into their creative space. These dishes pack all the punch and edge we expect from Ottolenghi, but offer more flexibility to make them our own, using what we've got to hand. There's the ultimate guide to creamy dreamy hummus, a one-pan route to confit tandoori chickpeas and a tomato salad that rules them all.

This book is all about feeding ourselves and our families with less stress and less fuss, but with all the 'wow' of an Ottolenghi meal. It's a notebook to scribble on and add to, to take its ethos and absolutely make it your own.

This is how to cook, the OTK way.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Culinary, Cuisine

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2021

About the author

Yotam Ottolenghi's path to the world of cooking and baking has been anything but straightforward. Having completed a Masters degree in philosophy and literature whilst working on the news desk of an Israeli daily, he made a radical shift on coming to London in 1997. He started as an assistant pastry chef at the Capital and then worked at Kensington Place and Launceston Place, where he ran the pastry section. Yotam subsequently worked for Maison Blanc and then Baker and Spice, before starting his own eponymous group of restaurants/food shops, with branches in Notting Hill, Islington and Kensington.

Reviews

[Olivia Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Ottolenghi cookbook and the book is amazing. I have tried around 5 recipes and my family loves it. I can't believe that I didn't want to pick up an Ottolenghi cookbook in the past. I think this cook book is less intimidating and any beginner can start on the recipes by turning to any page.

[Shahedah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel compelled to start this 5 star review with a caveat: I am not an Ottolenghi obsessive.

I was a young’un working in a bookstore many years ago when his second book, Plenty, was released. By that stage Ottolenghi had already gained somewhat legendary status, and so the constant customer queries about Plenty had me intrigued. I picked it up over and over again, wanting to fall in love and feel the urge to buy the book so I could be part of the cult, but I never did.

I tried again with Simple. It seemed to be so much more in line with my way of cooking, but with the trademark Ottolenghi flavour profiles. And yet…

OTK Shelf Love, however, proves that Ottolenghi has changed.

If you’re thinking about buying the book (which is why you’re likely reading this review), you should know a few things:
1. the book is a small, flexibound format
2. don’t worry, there is still at least one (but usually several) photo of every recipe
3. the book will not fit in with your other Ottolenghi books
4. because it’s not meant to.

Read my full review at: http://foodiarist.com/2021/10/04/revi...

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of Ottolenghi will delight in this new book. The first in a series, Shelf Love is a result of 2020 when it was suddenly necessary to turn to ingredients that one had on hand in the pantry or freezer. Recipes are largely vegetarian but there are also a few meat dishes. Many recipes are gluten-free or can be easily adapted; however, I think it would be difficult to adjust the majority of the recipes to be grain-free if that is what you are after. Recipes all have what I consider the trademark Ottlenghi spiciness and Middle Eastern feel. Each recipe has a photo and lists prep time, cook time, and other times such as soaking, setting, and resting. Many recipes also include substitutions to help tailor recipes to your tastes. There are dips, breads, noodles and grains, vegetables, meats, one-pan dishes, and desserts. A few dishes I enjoyed were mashed eggplant and peas, chickpea Cacio e Pepe, and some unique twists on chicken noodle soup and Mac and Cheese. There is a helpful index that breaks recipes down into those that can be made vegan, are kid-friendly, or can be made in under an hour. There are not many recipes that can be made in under an hour and truthfully I didn't find any when I realized that the under an hour times only accounted for cook time and not prep, stopping to read and reread the recipe, or anything additional. As with all Ottolenghi recipes, I find that the dishes included in this book are much more involved and elaborate than an average home meal. That said, they are less elaborate and time-consuming than recipes I have tried from his previous books. If you are new to Ottolenghi, I think this is a great book to start with and if you already know and love Ottolenghi, then you will almost certainly enjoy this. In my opinion, this is his best book so far and I look forward to seeing what he comes up with in the next test kitchen installment.
Disclosure: I received a free copy form Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

[Orla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will caveat my review by saying that I am a fan of Ottolenghi and had a number of his other cookbooks, which I love to read as much as cook from.

Shelf Love is meant to be more of a simplified home cooking recipe book but, as this is still an Ottolenghi cookbook, you will have to take this with a pinch of salt. The recipes are not difficult but they are often time consuming and involve and number of different elements (and a lot of washing up)!!

To save Shelf Love from becoming another cookbook on my shelf which I read but don't cook from I have given myself the challenge of cooking my way through all of the recipes for 2022, with 8 recipes done and 78 to go. This has meant cooking recipes which I am unlikely to otherwise have tried (like savoury porridge, which was surprisingly tasty). I am thoroughly enjoying the cookbook and the challenge (as is my family)!! The only word of caution I would give is to never attempt more than one Ottolenghi element per meal because, while it will be a delicious meal, it won't be worth the stress or washing up involved!!!

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating this without having cooked any of the recipes, which I try not to do with cookbooks. However, I felt a bit misled by this being pitched as a pantry cookbook. I suppose I expected recipes that could be thrown together, and not so much handmade noodles and hours-long effort. I feel like it just didn't come together, unless you have a very extensive pantry and a lot of time on your hands.

[Kelly Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the concept: cook from your pantry, use up those neglected ingredients. There are lots of flavor combinations that are new to me and that I'm excited to try. I've made three of the recipes, and a couple fell flat. I'd rate them 3, 3, and 5 out of 5 respectively. The potatoes with aioli and buttered pine nuts was my favorite, though quite heavy. I feel like the recipe collection should be curated a little more tightly, and the recipes tested on a wider audience, though I'll continue to try several more and update my rating accordingly.

I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

[Kb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a very misleading title. I don’t know whose back pantry shelf includes black limes or pomegranate molasses, but they are remarkably absent from mine. Also not in my pantry: pine nuts. They are ridiculously expensive.

And therein lies the problem. The marketing of this book talks about using a can of chickpeas or a bag of frozen peas—I mean, that I could get behind—but then the recipes are all ridiculously complicated. For example, you don’t use passata, or heaven forbid an ordinary can of crushed tomatoes; no, you are supposed to hand-grate actual tomatoes and discard the skin. Who does that?! Especially in a country where decent ripe tomatoes are hard to come by except for two months of the year.

The best part of this book was the method for making a perfect creamy hummus. If you are going to put in the effort to make your own hummus, you might as well use the obscure tips and tricks given in this book.

[Denver Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sub subtitle is "Recipes to Unlock the Secrets of Your Pantry, Fridge, and Freezer" and that indeed is the beauty of this book. Divided into sections by stash - pantry, veg bin, dishes, fridge raid, freezer, and desserts - and from basics like pita to slightly more involved vegetarian 5-a-Day Toad in the Hole, beginning cooks as well as advanced will find something suitably delicious to tackle. One standout feature is a foldout in the inside front cover, a guide to which recipes use which spices, legumes and grains, baking staples, veggies, meat, seafood, dairy and nuts and seeds - so if you don't have oats, don't bother going to pages 36, 204, 224! Full index follows, with another foldout in the back of the book with meal suggestions, broken out by vegan, kid-friendly, fast and more. A couple of recipes that called out to me - Herby Cabbage and Potato Gratin with Gruyere and Ricotta, and the much simpler Jar of Butter Beans with Preserved Lemon, Chile and Herb Oil. The writing is friendly and makes each recipe approachable.

[Sabina · Rating 4 out of 5]

First cookbook that I read from front to back. I love how Ottolenghi uses natural flavours to bring taste to a dish. 12 garlic cloves was a bit shocking at first, but I soon realised why.
I removed a star because he just uses too much oil.

[pennyg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this cookbook! Not only beautiful but so thoughtfully put together and not only fun to use but fun to look at. It is smaller in dimension than I was expecting but just large enough to hold comfortably in your hands with loads of color photos (always a bonus). Orange is the dominate color with Semi- soft flexible cover and a handy orange ribbon to keep your place. There is a general index in the back and two other indexes, one of ingredients and another of specialty topics. A page for your notes in the back and a small note section under each recipe. The chapter headings are not ones you typically find in cookbooks ( who does the dishes, fridge raid, the one shelf in the back of your pantry).

Written by Noor Murad and one of my favorites, Yotam Ottolenghi during the height of the pandemic with some scrumptious sounding recipes; Butternut squash with orange oil and caramelized honey, Upside-down lemon, maple, and vanilla cake with lemon- maple butter, and best of all, the secret to the very best hummus. Most recipes are heavy on veg and legumes, but some meat and dairy are included with very few extremely exotic or hard to find ingredients. I'm fairly new to Za' atar and Sumac but couldn't do without them in my cooking now. My reading recently has been dominated by stories of the middle east and that has apparently influenced or tempted my taste buds and this is definitely the cookbook to satisfy them.

[Tineke Vanhove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gevarieerde recepten, ideaal om te werken met dingen uit de voorraadkast of koelkast. Nu (juli) ook erg fijn om wat verrassende recepten bij de hand te hebben met zomergroenten en -fruit. Let wel: sommige recepten vragen heel wat ingrediënten, die zeker niet in elke voorraadkast zullen zitten.

[Nelly Santanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pas mon livre préféré malgré l'apparente simplicité des recettes.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ottolenghi love...
Begon voor mij met Plenty, meer dan 10 jaar geleden. Nog steeds grote fan van Ottolenghi's keuken.

OTK kado gekregen, alweer een geweldig kookboek. Eenvoudig en lekker.
Echt om elke dag uit te koken. Mooie samenwerking met Noor Murad.

Top 3
- Wortelpuree met korianderpistachepesto en ingelegde uien
- Rokerige, romige pasta met gebruinde aubergines en tahin
- Filopastei met bloemkool, kerrie en kaas

[Olwyn Wardman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this at midday in the library labouriously taking pictures of recipes and now I am very hungry

[Katrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s so good!

[Shipshapeeatworthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What does it take to get people home cooking again? Well, if we look at 2020, it was the situation that brought people back into their kitchens to bake and make, fostering their starters along the way. For some of us home cooking is something we'd always done but for some of us, home cooking was an entirely new endeavor. And, for some recipe developers, the pandemic shifted what audiences were expecting from cookbooks and recipes. Ottolenghi and his team of recipe developers have taken this challenge on in their latest book, Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love.

The team of recipe developers in the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen (OTK) offer the things that Yotam Ottolenghi mentions at the beginning of Shelf Love: skills and solutions with recipes that are flexible and useful. With the different strengths of each developer in the test kitchen comes recipes and ingredients that give the home cook the opportunity to build techniques and add to their recipe repertoire. The recipes are organized into 6 chapters: 1) That one shelf in the back of your pantry, 2) Your veg box, 3) Who does the dishes, 4) Fridge raid, 5) The freezer is your friend, and 6) At the very end. Shelf Love is mindful of how home cooks might use and will use the recipes, looking to inspire and encourage us to see our kitchens and pantries in a whole new way. I found that it's not about the ingredients that I'm missing or don't have but it's about what I do have to cook with.
While Shelf Love was born from all the experiences of those developers working in the test kitchen, it is Noor Murad who wrote the book and, as said in the introduction, "whose Middle Eastern influence makes a prominent mark on these pages."(6) I adore Noor's approach to home cooking and, it was when she shared the recipe for Smooshed Carrots w/ Cilantro-Pistachio Pesto and Pickled Onions on her Instagram feed in the spring of 2020 that had me impatiently waiting for the next Ottolenghi cookbook (which turned out to be OTK: Shelf Love). Thankfully this recipe is included in Shelf Love because it's one of my family's favourites. Roasted carrots are a supper staple here, and I appreciate how this recipe takes them further by adding extra flavour through the pesto and pickled onions. In the recipe notes I was smiling for the way the dish is described: as "...a good way to dress up the humble carrot in its most fantastic party attire."(68)

I've found myself reaching for Shelf Love when I'm out of ideas or when I have no desire to cook. While I love cooking for my family, sometimes I feel like I need a recipe that works on autopilot. The recipe for me is the Confit Tandoori Chickpeas. All of the ingredients get put into an oven-safe pan or pot and then they cook and mingle (lid on) for the next 75 minutes. I've served this with rice or naan (sometimes both) and, I always appreciate the fact there is so little to clean up afterwards AND it gives me 75 minutes to do something else. Not only does this recipe take care of itself but it tastes so bloody delicious! The chickpeas become so soft, and the spices flavour the oil so beautifully. This is one of the best recipes in the whole book.

No one -- except for myself -- seems to like Brussels sprouts in my house but when I serve the Brussels Sprout and Parmesan Salad w/ Lemon Dressing no one complains! This recipe has the home cook prepare the Brussels sprouts in two ways: raw and roasted. The raw sprouts get thinly shaved, while the others are roasted whole until well-browned. Then the Brussels sprouts are mixed with thinly sliced kale leaves, sliced red onion, basil leaves, and toasted hazelnuts. It's the dressing, made from lemon juice, garlic, mustard, and Parmesan cheese that really makes the salad (my mouth waters at the thought of it!).

And it was that one jar of lupini beans languishing at the back of my pantry that got star billing at supper time when I used them in the recipe for (One Jar of) Butter Beans w/ Preserved Lemon, Chile, and Herb Oil. I didn't have any jarred butter beans, but I did have that jar of lupini beans, so I decided to give the recipe a try. Crunchier in texture than butter beans, the jarred lupini beans tasted lovely after being left to marinate in the oil. Once the beans had finished marinating, I served them alongside sliced crusty sourdough and cheese. I appreciate how this recipe inspired me to reach for something in my pantry that may have otherwise been forgotten.

Dessert for breakfast is a wonderful thing and when I made the recipe for Sticky Miso Bananas w/ Lime and Toasted Rice, I actually used them as a topping for my morning oatmeal! I normally make my oatmeal using a bit of milk and a pinch of salt so these roasted bananas with their sweet/tangy/salty/umami-rich flavour totally added to the oatmeal. And the sticky and creamy texture of the bananas and oatmeal are so perfect for these cool late-autumn mornings. The whole breakfast felt comforting and had a nice stick-to-your-ribs quality.

Unlike other cookbooks, OTK: Shelf Love has some at-a-glance foldout guides. At the front of the book home cooks are given a foldout at-a-glance guide for ingredients -- Cans & Jars, Spices, Legumes & Grains, Baking, Veg Box, Meat, Seafood & Dairy, and Nuts & Seeds -- where ingredients are listed under these headings along with a corresponding page number(s) where to find recipes using these ingredients. Then, at the back of the book the headings -- Meal Suggestions, Vegan/Easily Veganised, Veggie Mains, Non-Veg Mains, Kid-Friendly, One Pot/Pan/Tray, Under an Hour, and General Notes -- are given so that home cooks can quickly see recipes. Blank, lined pages are also given so that the home cooks can make notes and, it is in this way that I think the authors are encouraging us to truly make this cookbook our own.

Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love is not only a cookbook born from the kitchen experiences brought on by the pandemic but it's part of a new type of cookbook that is redefining what home cooking can mean in these post-lockdown times. This cookbook also ushers in a new era of Ottolenghi cookbook that is focusing on how the many voices and experiences of the test kitchen team are influencing recipe development in the Ottolenghi oeuvre.

Please note that this is an excerpt of a review posted to www.shipshapeeatworthy.wordpress.com

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Appetite by Random House for providing me with a free, review copy of this book. I did not receive monetary compensation for my post, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Dree · Rating 4 out of 5]

p110 Pulled Pork Vindaloo--used pork loin. Good, no complaints. Shredded so easily, I usually do pork for shredding the the crock pot but this worked better. Technique is a keeper for days I am home all day.

p 120 Chickpeas cacio e pepe-- delicious, used chard.

p 158 Herby cabbage and potato gratin with Gruyére and Ricotta--this was good (husband LOVED it). But IMO not worth the amount of time it took. The recipe says prep time of 15 min, but I think that is a typo for 1 hour 15 min. I spent 1 hour 20 chopping, mixing, and deconstructing a green cabbage (it takes forever!!).

p 179 Curried cauliflower cheese filo pie--yummy, had a partial collapse. Delicious but SOOO much cheese.

p 200 Greens and chermoula potato pie--excellent. Used Yukon gold. Chermoula is amazing, the puff pastry works perfectly.

[NerwSlowa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nieśmiałych recenzji kulinarnych ciąg dalszy.

Uwielbiam książki Ottolenghiego, jednego z najbardziej znanych szefów kuchni i piszących o kuchni osób na świecie. Raz, że w Polsce wszystkie jego książki wydawane są przepięknie, stając się idealnym podarunkiem na rozmaite okazje, dwa, że ich treść jest zawsze dopracowana i - przynajmniej dla przyzwyczajonego do polskich smaków odbiorcy - zaskakująca. Lubię te książki trzymać w rękach, czytać, przeglądać i planować robienie przepisów. Muszę jednak przyznać, że zwłaszcza w książkach wydanych w Polsce najwcześniej (np. "Jerozolima") dużo było przepisów tak wyrafinowanych, że ich zrobienie mogłoby być w naszych warunkach trudne. Wiecie, osiemnaście kroków, trzydzieści składników, trzy godziny gotowania. Im dalej, tym jednak było z tym lepiej (np. "Obfitość" czy "Cała obfitość"), by w końcu dojść do ideału (moje ukochane "Prosto"). Do nowych książek podchodzę więc z pewną ostrożnością, ale równocześnie z nieukrywanym optymizmem.

Miło mi obwieścić, że "Shelf Love" (ach, kocham ten tytuł) idzie w stronę tych "życiowych" książek Ottolenghiego, z której przepisy rzeczywiście można pogotować w domowym zaciszu, i których składniki (w większości) dostać można w lokalnych warzywniakach również w Polsce.

Cała książka powstała na początku pandemii, gdy ze względu na lockdowny trzeba było ograniczyć "wyrafinowanie" przepisów, i moim zdaniem wyszło jej to na dobre. Przyznaję, że zawsze odstrasza mnie, gdy wiem, że żeby zrobić jeden przepis, musiałabym pójść do piętnastu różnych sklepów, a z czterech kolejnych zamówić coś na allegro. Tutaj natomiast prawie wszystkie składniki są normalne i zwyczajne, dostępne w większości Biedronek czy innych sklepów, które macie pod domem, a jeśli chociaż troszeczkę interesujecie się gotowaniem, nic nie powinno jakoś strasznie Was zaskoczyć (zwłaszcza jeśli siedzicie w kuchni wegetariańskiej czy wegańskiej i np. tahini czy ciecierzyca to dla Was normalny składnik). Oczywiście nie mogę Wam obiecać, że absolutnie wszystko znajdziecie od razu, bo ja np. estragon czy kardamon zamawiam ze sklepu z przyprawami, ale na pewno nie ma tutaj przepisów zaczynających się od "kup dwa kilo ośmiorniczek, kilo małż, pół kilo biszkoptów cavalieri i wyciągnij trzy litry masła klarowanego przez minimum piętnaście godzin". Składniki nietypowe to m.in. czarne limonki (przy czym one są tak nietypowe, że aż jest o nich cała osobna strona, można je też dostać na allegro), sumak (allegro), za'atar (allegro), jednak są one używane tylko w niektórych przepisach i na pewno nie stanowią większości ani nawet ćwierci książki.

W tym miejscu nadmienię też, że jeśli czytacie tylko tytuły przepisów, to apeluję o ostrożność - parokrotnie tytuł przepisu zawierał "dziwną" nazwę typu "hawaij" (jemeńską mieszankę przypraw), i prawie już odwracałam kartkę, po czym okazywało się, że w samym przepisie jest powiedziane, jak daną rzecz robi się w domu (do hawaij miesza się kolendrę, kmin, goździki, kardamon, kozieradkę i kurkumę, co brzmi o wiele bardziej "życiowo"), a tytuł jest tylko skrótowy (i nie trzeba w poszukiwaniu danego składnika jeździć przez pół miasta).

Poza dostępnymi składnikami podoba mi się podział przepisów. Książka podzielona jest na sześć rozdziałów, każdy skupiony wokół jednego wybranego tematu.

Pierwszy rozdział koncentruje się na składnikach, które mogą już nam zalegać w spiżarce - samotnym słoiku fasoli (z ziołową oliwą, kiszonymi cytrynami i chili), worku cebuli (zupa cebulowa ze wspomnianą już mieszanką przypraw hawaij robioną w domu, ciecierzycą i grzankami z serem), ciecierzycą (wskazówki, jak zrobić idealny hummus), drożdżami (bardzo ciekawie wyglądający przepis na domowe pity, który chyba zagości w moim stałym repertuarze), grochem (puree z grochu z cebulą i salsą z kaparów), kuskusem perłowym (wielki placek z sosem z papryki). Zwłaszcza te przepisy mogą być fajnym materiałem do nauki - w co najmniej kilku recepturach Autorzy szczegółowo opisują wybrane techniki przygotowywania potraw, zupełnie odmienne od tego, co znamy (np. technikę przygotowywania makaronu ze środkowych Chin).

Drugi rozdział to coś, co u Ottolenghiego lubię najbardziej, czyli warzywa - pomidory (nadzwyczajna sałatka pomidorowa), marchew (przerobiona na puree z kolendrowym pesto i cebulą), znów cebula (zrumieniona i wyłożona na kluskach ziołowo-serowych), bakłażany (w formie pikantnego puree z groszkiem albo z sosem pomidorowym i tahini), cukinia (grillowana, z sosem jogurtowym i masłem z szafranem), ziemniaki (pieczone z piniolami i aioli, czyli sosem również zrobionym z domowych składników typu czosnek, musztarda, jajko itd.), brukselka (jako sałatka z parmezanem i sosem cytrynowym(.

W rozdziale trzecim czytamy o potrawach jednogarnkowych, w większości szybkich i pełnych smaku - pikantnej duszonej ciecierzycy z pomidorkami, pieczonym orzo puttanesca, łososiem z za'atarem i tahini, cacio e pepe z ciecierzycy (tak, danie jest inspirowane makaronem cacio e pepe, z masłem, pieprzem i serem), jednogarkowym spaghetti z kurczakiem czy pieczonych warzywach z fetą i piniolami z harissą.

Rozdział czwarty to przegląd lodówki, ale zawierający potrawy nieco przypominające te z dzieciństwa, które zjemy z chęcią, zachwycając się ich kojącymi właściwościami. Jest tutaj np. makaron z serem po arabsku, z pesto z za'atarem i chrupką cebulą, magiczna zupa z kurczaka z parmezanem i pappardelle, makaron z dymnym sosem bakłazanowym i tahini, ryżowe klopsiki z wołowiną w pikantnym sosie pomidorowym, grillowane warzywa z sosem musztardowym z parmezanem, zupa krem z pomidorów z makaronem orecchiette i cebulą oraz chili.

Następnie zajmujemy się potrawami, które bazują na składnikach mających duże szanse znajdować się w naszej zamrażarce. Jest tutaj placek z ciasta filo z kalafiorem, cheddarem i musztardą, duszona fasolka szparagowa w pomidorach z kardamonem i czosnkiem, kotleciki warzywne w cieście z harissą, papryka faszerowana kukurydzą z marynowanym jalapeno, tarta z ciasta francuskiego z zieleniną, szpinakiem, ziemniakami i ziołową pastą.

Końcowe kilkanaście stron (rozdział szósty) to przepisy na desery - markizy z ciasta marchewkowego czy ciasto kokosowe. Przyznaję, że jeśli chodzi o desery, jestem dość wybredna, ale jeśli lubicie owoce i słodkości, to również tutaj nie powinniście być zawiedzeni.

Nie mogę przyczepić się do strony "redakcyjnej" - w końcu dostałam czarny tekst na białym tle (zdziwilibyście się, jak często to wcale nie jest oczywiste), wyraźne litery, porządne odstępy między linijkami. Byłam też zaskoczona, jak dobrze całość została przetłumaczona przez p. Annę Palmowską (aczkolwiek nie rozumiem, dlaczego jej nazwisko nie znalazło się na stronie tytułowej), i w opisach, i w niektórych tytułach przepisów (faloodeh na ochloodeh <3 - faloodeh to popularny irański deser). Przepisy są podzielone na wyraźne, oddzielone od siebie kroki, które można robić po kolei, każdy przepis zawiera też co najmniej jedno zdjęcie (a przepisy, które opierają się na nietypowych technikach, są najczęściej zilustrowane jeszcze dodatkowymi fotografiami).

Nie jestem za to fanką okładki - poprzednie książki Ottolenghiego wydawane były w porządnej, twardej oprawie, "Shelf Love" jest natomiast w miękkiej okładce, która po paru otwarciach książki bardzo brzydko się wygina i zagniata.

Jeśli chodzi o wyłączenia pokarmowe, to większość przepisów jest wegańska, dużo jest też rzeczy wegetariańskich (często z przypisami, jak zmienić w opcję wegańską). Na końcu książki zamieszczone zostały także rozkładane plansze ze spisem głównych dań wegańskich (lub łatwo zmienialnych na wegańskie; ok. 30), głównych dań wegetariańskich, niewegetariańskich (tych naliczyłam około 18, z czego jakieś 5-6 bazuje na rybach).

Ponieważ nieco się rozpisałam, to podsumuję: książka "Shelf-Love" to dla mnie jedna z tych książek kucharskich, z których po prostu chce mi się gotować i z którą chcę odkrywać nowe smaki i techniki. Jeżeli jesteście na samym początku Waszej drogi z gotowaniem i wolicie zacząć od bardzo podstawowych przepisów, to niekoniecznie jest to moim zdaniem wybór dla Was, ale jeśli na tym etapie poszukujecie w kuchni nowych technik, smaków i połączeń, zwłaszcza warzywnych, i wymagających niekiedy nieco czasu i pracy, ale w przyjemny i nieprzekombinowany sposób, to śmiało sięgajcie po tę książkę. Ja na pewno będę jej używać do czegoś, co nazywam "gotowaniem o średnim natężeniu" - czyli przynajmniej na początku nie do gotowania bardzo szybkiego, między pracą, wyjściem z domu i tysiącem rzeczy życiowych na mojej głowie (jak np. Alicję Rokicką "Italia na talerzu" albo niektóre przepisy Jamiego Olivera), ale też nie bardzo obciążającego, wymagającego dodatkowych rąk do pracy i całego dnia spędzonego w kuchni. Bardziej na zrelaksowanie się po długim dniu pracy, gdy mam wolny wieczór, który po gotowaniu spędzę z serialem albo książką, albo jako pomysły na luźne spotkania z przyjaciółmi, żeby coś robiło się w piekarniku, gdy my rozmawiamy i popijamy winko. Kluczowe moim zdaniem też okaże się parokrotne przeczytanie przepisu przed jego zrobieniem - wiele przepisów ma czas przygotowywania oscylujący w granicach 15-20 minut, a czas przyrządzania (czyli np. gdy dana potrawa sama piecze się w piekarniku i nie trzeba na nią zwracać uwagi) bliższy 90. Jasne, żeby wydać ostateczny werdykt, muszę zrobić kilka przepisów, ale jak na razie jest to dla mnie coś bardzo dobrze się zapowiadającego.

[Amy Alderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Have used this book so much since I bought it. Lots of unusual recipes and techniques to try. Rice Koofteh, Mango Cobb Salad, Salmon in Tahini, Kale Strata, confit chickpeas - all winners. As always, I don't always follow all of Ottenlenghis instructions as these often don't make sense in terms of efficiency (why use 1 bowl when you could use 2) or ammounts (personal taste - he always puts way too much cardamom in things and I cut the number of chillis in half) but he does provide space for notes and suggest making these recipes your own so I guess that's the point of this book anyway.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring recipes! Interesting to learn how the test kitchen works.

[Laura Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bestes Kochbuch aller Zeiten. Geschmacklich einfach alles top. Gut beschrieben. Allerdings alles etwas aufwendiger zuzubereiten.

[Catwalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend gave me Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love for Christmas (2021). I've been thumbing through it for two months, reading through the lists of ingredients and contemplating how interesting they all seemed. This past week, I dug in and made two of the main course dishes. Both were delicious.
The focus of the book is cooking with what you have around, similar to Donna Hay's Off The Shelf: Cooking From the Pantry. In contrast to Donna Hay, who rarely exceeds five to seven ingredients in a recipe, the Ottolenghi team indulges in fairly long lists of ingredients. Fortunately, the cooking techniques are straightforward. For the two recipes I tried out, the steps were not challenging, based mostly on timing. I chose to saute the onion and garlic for one dish rather than adding them raw, and skipped the instruction to puree them. The techniques were mainly how fine to chop, what to mix together, and when to add ingredients to the roasting pan.
The authors encourage you to get creative. Each recipe has suggestions of alternative ingredients, etc., and a space to make notes of what variations you've tried.
The only issue I have with the book is that the binding is not designed to lie flat. I expect that that problem may solve itself the more it gets used.
Over the years, I've found that most cookbooks hide one amazing recipe among a number of mundane ones, with the challenge being to find that one standout. With two hits in the first two attempts, this cookbook promises to be one of the most-used on my bookshelf.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feeling about this cookbook and have not cooked anything out of it, so I'm perhaps not the best reviewer.

I LOVE the OTK channel on YouTube and they cook many of the dishes in the cookbook there - well worth the watch. This cookbook is heavily vegetarian but not 100% - there are maybe 10-15 meat-based recipes in here although they all give options on how to make them vegetarian. Some are pretty obvious like sub the meat for plant-based meat substitutes but some are less obvious.

I do not own any of the other Ottolenghi cookbooks, but I have seen them, they are glossy hardbounds with lovely pictures and pretty involved recipes. This is a flexible softbound book with less staged-looking pictures. I read through this in e-book format though I saw the physical book when I was out shopping.

For a book that was written during the pandemic to take advantage of things you have stocked at home - I think most homes are going to be missing at least 1 if not more of the ingredients in most recipes. You'll also want to have access to a well-stocked Middle Eastern grocery if you want to cook from this book. Or be willing to order a lot of ingredients online and get them delivered. The ingredient and prep lists are still pretty long - this is not exactly a 5 ingredient type cookbook.

Still, some of the recipes look intriguing, but they do mostly build on similar taste profiles. I'm holding off on adding this to my personal collection because I know I'd get a lot of pushback on so many recipes involving eggplant, cauliflower, and chickpeas (so many chickpeas). There are also a ton of tomato-based recipes in here, but I wouldn't get pushback on those!

As with many cookbooks, unless you KNOW you want it, I always suggest checking it out from your library first before taking the purchase plunge. I think that's a good approach here too.

[Virginia Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love: Recipes to Unlock the Secrets of Your Pantry, Fridge, and Freezer: A Cookbook", by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi, was born of necessity from the challenges of cooking during the food shortages and uncertainties of a global pandemic. Nurtured with love, and strengthened and supported by the "skills and solutions" of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen Team, this collection of 85 Middle Eastern-inspired recipes, cooking insights, and kitchen wisdom will elevate humble ingredients into memorable meals prepared with comforting ease. Beginning with basics such as hummus and pita bread, you will also find sections featuring legumes and grains, vegetables, meat, seafood, and dairy, nuts and seeds, vegan fare, and veggie and non-veggie mains. The desserts are tempting and varied. Beautiful color photos showing cooking techniques and finished dishes are interspersed with cooking tips and helpful hints. The three recipes I tried: "Cheesy Polenta and Tomato Sauce"--familiar, favorite flavors combined for a satisfying veggie main (can also be served as a side dish); "One-Pan Crispy Spaghetti and Chicken"--everyone loved this dish; and "Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies"--packed with all the good stuff you want in a cookie, and then sandwiched together with an indulgent cream cheese filling. The Ottolenghi Test Kitchen Team obviously had a lot of fun putting together this cookbook, and you will have just much fun reading the book and cooking up some wonderful food.

Disclosure: "I've received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review."

[William J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written cookbook from Goodreads First Reads. You can just tell that a lot of love was put in this cookbook. I was impressed with many of the step by step instructions including pictures showing how to make many of the recipes. It's like your taking an expensive cooking class but your not paying all the money. I always like to make some of the recipes before I give my opinion. I made the Creamy dreamy hummus with the Pita recipe and it was fantastic. I've always had trouble making hummus before I made this recipe. Once again, I appreciated the instruction and photos. I made the Braised beef short ribs with butter beans and figs. It was delicious. I also made the Kale pesto strata with Gruyere and mustard. It was very good. My family also enjoyed the Roasted potatoes with aioli and buttered pine nuts. My personal favorite in the dessert category was the Chocoflan but I can't wait to try the Coconut dream cake. This cookbook has brought me much happiness and I highly recommend that you buy, gift, but most importantly read this cookbook and try a new recipe. I know you won't be disappointed.

[Noah Oanh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely eat Middle East and Indian food so this food defo shows me some basic ideas about the lovely good in those areas plus some random ones that they got based on what they have left in their pantry :)

My favourites would be:
- the Bang Bang Noodles (learn to make the Noodles from scratch!)
- Black limes (rare ingredient that I never heard before this book and it really made my meat tasted slightly different in the good way)
- their sweet potato shakshuka was from heaven - I love it so much I made it couple times already!
- Spicy pulled pork vindaloo was quite interesting with cumin and mustard seeds in it.
- I ate too many of chickpeas also! and did not know that you could use them on so many things!
- Cobb salad with mango and lime dressing.
- Toum: so good and I am used to not eat too much of garlic before.
- Verena's road trip cookies were so tasty and easy to make!
- Cheesy fruity stromboli: easy to make. May not need to add too much cheese in there but the rest of recipe I will keep!

[Terry94705 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I have a huge cookbook collection, the internet sites that have real reader feedback have spoiled me for cookbooks. Yes, there’s a lot of beautiful tried-and-true recipes in my cookbooks, but when I try something new or challenging I really want to be sure it’s not a dud. A surprising number of published recipes have errors or dopey instructions. This OTK book encourages innovation, but there are several “iffy” looking recipes that made me wish for reader feedback—even though this is a test kitchen.

As a beginner cook I once made a New Years stew published as such in a major newspaper. It called for 2 tablespoons of black pepper. The “correction” published a week later in that newspaper was too late. I had already ruined the new year for myself and my guests. On the internet a wiser cook would have alerted readers to the error right away.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little book of recipes is not as sumptuous as some of the other Ottolenghi books, which are more geared to when spending three days cooking up a feast with 67 ingredients. Instead, this book focuses on ideas of what to do with things at the back of your cupboard, in your freezer or veg box to rustle up a quick supper. As it happened, I did not have quite the right ingredients to tackle a specific recipe last night, but found myself adapting the ideas. So the fish fillets were coated with a zaatar breadcrumb combination and the risotto contained a very large handful of parsley. I shall use this book for inspiration rather than follow specific recipes, as I do with the other Ottolenghi and co. books.

[Ligaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

My family owns several Ottolenghi cookbooks and I've been to two of his London restaurants and my view of those are fabulous so perhaps I was expecting too much from this, noticeably, less "fancy" looking book. This seems (to me) to skew much more Middle Eastern than previous cookbooks. The premise is to use those ingredients already hidden in your panty, fridge, or freezer. My pantry likely looks nothing like theirs. We do have za'atar but asafoetida? Although I flagged 8 or so recipes, I'm not nearly as enthusiastic as I usually am from a cookbook and I'm uncertain that I'll invest the time in making them... Lots of tips on changing the recipes up to suit your family's taste, which is great. But definitely don't let this book dissuade you from looking at all the other Ottolenghi books.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

First cool thing I learned after reading the book was the meaning of Ottolenghi. My husband glanced over my shoulder to ask if the food was Mediterranean-inspired, and I replied, "Yes, but there's something more." The flavors sound incredible. My only hang-up are the difficult-to-find ingredients. For example, I wish the author had taken time to explain if replacing preserved lemons with fresh might ruin the outcome... but it's mentioned that the cook can use store-bought pizza dough instead if homemade, which I think goes unsaid. On the other hand, sometimes the author would give helpful recipes, such as orange oil-- I wouldn't know where to start looking for that. Overall, well worth studying and hopefully I'll add a few of these recipes to my rotation.