Thing is, this book doesn't exactly spell out accessibility where ingredients were concerned. I really knew I was in the weeds when a recipe for potato salad called for 10-15 quail eggs. Additionally, the average ingredients list length is about thirteen items long, which I would say is a tad excessive for ANY recipe, whether meat is involved or not. Ottolenghi is a genius with vegetables—it’s possible that no other chef has devised so many clever ways to cook them.”

Pour the coconut milk into a bowl and gently whisk until smooth and creamy. Set aside four tablespoons – you’ll use this when serving – then tip the remaining coconut milk into the soup pot. Bring the mixture up to a boil, turn down the heat to medium and leave to simmer gently for 25 minutes, until the lentils are soft but still hold their shape. Put the eggs in one bowl, the flour in another and the breadcrumbs in a third. Take the patties from the freezer and one at a time roll them first in the flour, then the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs, to coat, then leave at room temperature for an hour, until partially defrosted. It’s essential they defrost, or they won’t cook through before the crust starts to burn (if you don’t want to fry them at this point, store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours, so they’re ready to fry when you are). I have made nearly half the recipes in this book. All were divine. I will never see vegetables the same way again. He imbues so many textures, and different flavors into minimally cooked, if at all cooked vegetables. I have only eaten on average two times meat a week for the last 3 weeks, which combined with daily superfood smoothies has really upped my energy levels. Jonathan Lovekin's food photography is splendid, if not exactly ground-breaking. (Is there ground to break in food photography?)Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil, then add the lentils, onion, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, until the lentils are cooked and starting to fall apart. Drain, discard the bay leaves, then tip the lentils, onion and garlic into the sweet potato mash. Add the cinnamon, paprika, parsley, mint, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, mix well, then gently stir in the feta so it’s incorporated but remains in chunks. Everything just looks so good! I will say I didn't like the Roasted Parsnips and Sweet Potatoes with Caper Vinagrette as much as I anticipated, mostly because it was a little sweet for me. We had two roasted already sweet vegetables, which has the effect of concentrating the sweetness. Ottolenghi then adds some sweetner in the vinagrette, which I thought unnecessary. Also, much as I love the idea of capers with this meal, it seemed like gilding the lily. It's hard to make the argument for further dressing roasted vegetables, already so easy and so good. Small quibble. It was great cold, maybe even better. Heat half the oil in a large, high-sided saute pan on a medium-high flame. Add the garlic, onion, half the oregano and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and fry for eight minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden, then tip into a small bowl. A stunningly gorgeous cookbook with some spectacular recipes. I would like to give it a 4.5. The book has a wonderful feel to it--you just want to hold it and never put it down. So far I have just tried the Green Couscous, which was excellent, but I have a ton of dishes tabbed to make. A cookbook to savor.

It IS worth the effort, but you have to plan ahead for these recipes in my experience. Partly I think it's because he's plating these dishes for a restaurant and he's got at least a little help to do that. What I usually do is choose one as a main dish and then prepare things I'm familiar with to accompany, or I just choose a side dish or dip to go with an easier-to-prepare meal. These recipes are based on meatless dishes and reflect eclectic influences including the Middle East, South East Asia and Latin America. The book is full of delicious, mouth-watering recipes. Shakshuka is originally a Tunisian dish but has become hugely popular in Jerusalem and all over Israel as substantial breakfast or lunch fare. Tunisian cuisine has a passionate love affair with eggs and this particular version of shakshuka is the seasonal variant for the summer and early autumn. Potatoes are used during the winter and aubergines in spring. Stream, read & listen Explore the best the Sydney Opera House has to offer through our online platforms. Yotam Ottolenghi is the most creative but also practical cook of this new culinary era—a 21st-century Escoffier.If I had a four-star rating for cookbooks, I would give Plenty More five stars.”

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About 35 years ago I became a Lessmeatarian, but it was only when Mark Bittman introduced me to the term that I knew anyone had described my eating philosophy. The beautiful cookbook Plenty puts not-meat front and center with big, bold dishes that feature vegetables and grains. Whether you use these recipes as mains or as sides is beside the point. Ottolenghi presents intensely flavored dishes, not uncomplicated, I might add, which will energize the taste buds no end. The book is not vegan, but I think many of the recipes could be veganized easily. And the vegetarian dishes are pretty restrained on the animal products.