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Easy salmon en croute. Photos, Levon Biss.
7 Ways by Jamie Oliver
The irrepressible Jamie Oliver has produced yet another cookbook for anyone looking for some uncomplicated kitchen inspiration. He describes ‘7 Ways’ as the companion book to his highly acclaimed ‘5 Ingredients’, published in 2017.
The recipes are grouped into 18 categories, reflecting what Oliver calls the ‘hero ingredients’. This provides a handy reference if you are staring at a cauliflower or some fish fillets in the fridge that need to be eaten, but want a change from the usual routine.
There are soups, one-pan wonders, pasta and traybakes, and a group called Fakeaways, which look a bit like homemade takeaways.
Each recipe comes with a full breakdown of its nutritional value and, even better, the ingredients are simple and not expensive. Known for his emphasis on making healthy food choices, Oliver says that 72 per cent of the recipes are classed as everyday dishes and 28 per cent are classed as occasional. “Think weekday versus weekend,” he says.
Photos, Jonathan Lovekin.
Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi & Ixta Belfrage
Published by Ebury Press
This is a timely cookbook, given the recent publicity around reducing meat intake for better health and environmental reasons. Yotam Ottolenghi, an Israeli-English chef, has made it his mission in Flavour to present vegetables in a new and exciting way. As he says himself, “Flavour is a celebration of wonderful, versatile vegetables. The ambition was to prove that the possibilities are endless when it comes to building flavour with them”.
It seems that the secret of ramping up the flavour of vegetable dishes is what Ottolenghi refers to as ‘The 3 Ps’: Process, Pairing and Produce.
• Process explains how to add flavour in a vegetable by subjecting it to a process, such as charring, browning, infusing or ageing.
• Pairing explains how flavour can be dialled up by what it is paired with – sweetness, fat, acidity and chilli heat.
• Produce shines a light on some key vegetables and ingredients, namely mushrooms, alliums, nuts, seeds and sugar. He says these all naturally possess a depth of flavour that allow them to play starring roles.
The book includes a special feature on the condiments, sauces, pickles, salsas and infused oils that all figure strongly in the recipes.
Not all the ingredients in these recipes will be readily available on the shelves of the average home kitchen, but if you are looking for something a bit out of the ordinary this is a great place to start.
Book Giveaway
Mahurangi Matters has a copy of Flavour to giveaway to one lucky reader. Send an email to gm@localmatters.co.nz with Flavour in the subject line to be in the draw. Entries must be received by November 11.
