Cooking the Books

This month we're cooking up a discussion of Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi. Book club members are invited to make and bring a dish to talk about. Yotam Ottolenghi - the beloved chef who has captured the hearts of homecooks looking for inspiration and great-tasting cooking - is back. In Ottolenghi Comfort, he brings his inspiring, flavor-forward cooking to comfort dishes. With game-changing low-lift recipes as well as recipes to spend an afternoon on, Ottolenghi Comfort presents creative dishes that are comfortable to both cook and eat. In more than 100 recipes, Ottolenghi - and co-authors Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller, and Tara Wigley - bring together childhood memories and travels around the world, celebrating food and friends and the connections they build together, ones to pass on from generation to generation. For Ottolenghi, a bowl of pasta becomes Caramelized Onion Orecchiette with Hazelnuts & Crispy Sage, a warming soup is Cheesy Bread Soup with Savoy Cabbage & Cavolo Nero, and potatoes are transformed into Garlicky Aligot Potato with Leeks & Thyme. In Comfort, he tackles everything from crepes to hummus; lamb meatloaf to quick ramen; savory rugelah to chocolate mousse. This is a book filled with meals that are easy and exciting, familiar and fresh, new and nostalgic, revelatory yet reassuring.