Yotam Ottolenghi is visiting Australia at the moment, so it seems a good time to put up this post which has been sitting in my drafts for a few days.
I bought his book SIMPLE at the end of last year in iPad format. So yes, it has an exit plan – at any time I can just delete it from my library. But I can’t see myself doing that any time soon, because it’s brilliant.
I have several of Ottolenghi’s other books and they’re very inspiring but the recipes are complicated and often too much work for a family dinner. This one however, as the title proclaims, is simple. Last weekend, having come home excitedly with discount berries from Harris Farm, I made two of the desserts from it.
The first was the Blackberry and Plum Friand Cake (here’s a link to the recipe)…
It used five of our backyard eggs – whites only, so I turned the yolks into microwave custard to accompany it (recipe is here). I used all five yolks in the custard, even though my recipe only specifies four, and it was completely fine…
We had friends over for dinner and the entire cake was demolished for dessert…
The following day, I tried the Blueberry, Almond and Lemon Cake. If you’d like to give it a go, the recipe can be found here. Our lemon tree is on holidays at the moment, so I used one of the many limes I have in the fridge…
The cake was moist and very moreish. Big Boy and Small Man had three slices each…
I can’t recommend SIMPLE highly enough! The e-book is well formatted, with lots of hyperlinks for easy navigation, and about half the price of the hardcover version. You will need a tablet or a computer though – I don’t think it will work very well on the original black and white Kindle. Enjoy!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Maybe you’ve convinced me to take another look at this book. My mum bought it for my birthday a few weeks back and I was so excited to dive I to it but then found myself thinking….hmmmm, avocado butter? Baked celeriac? Did feel a bit disappointed and underwhelmed by some of the recipes but maybe I need to sit and read it properly. I do agree though, there’s more chance of cooking recipes from this book than from some of his others!
I was underwhelmed too, but these look delicious. I am now a total Sabrina Ghayour convert. This book (or any of hers!) is great if you don’t already have it:
I’ll have a look, thank you!
I’m actually a lover of very simple cooking – Jamie’s 5 ingredients book and Hugh FW’s Everyday are in regular rotation here. So this one fits right in! 😆
Celia, I love that book too. I just made the tomato salad with ginger and spring onion salsa. So fresh and delicious in this heatwave we are having. Your photo of the cakes look delicious – they will be next on my ‘to bake’ list.
That cake looks delicious.
hello there, I love verything Yotam does, his ideas are so colourful. We have been watching re-runs of his Mediterranean feast program. Very inspiring, so have been jotting down the ingredients and his recipes and trying some out. Yes some seem to have quite a list of ingredients but I choose to omit some, the basic flavour profiles are so interesting by making it more smple. I have a recent book and I’d like more but I’m trying to destash so buying more stuff isn’t practical. Our local library is a trasure. Best wishes to you and yours
Celia, if you have a moment, the second latest post in my blog is about a modification of one of his recipes from the book… get your hands on rose harissa! You will love it! or make some! That could be a nice project too
I did a modification of his peach, raspberry and hazelnut cake, loved it!
That cake definitely looks delicious and one to try :)
YES, I have his book and all of the others…….SWEET is unreal. Glad you are having fun with it!!
Ooh I’ll have a look for sweet, thank you!
I bought Sweet the other day. Simple was sold out, but I will track it down. I have some of the others, but I also find them too complicated with too many ingredients that then gather in the pantry.
Just missed seeing Ottolkenghi, at the biggest interview he has ever done, by the brilliant Adam Liaw at the Sydney Opera House last week – 2500 cheering aficionados present . . . but found it so, so enjoyable on YouTube yesterday as promised by the Opera House: just keyboard name and place: wonderfully worth it! Do hope the Annabel Crabb and Maeve O’Meara talks eventuate also. For some reason have never felt any of his recipes were ‘complicated’ compared to most cookery tomes . . .
Hi Celia, I am slowly working my way through Simple, and so far, have enjoyed the recipes I’ve tried! An absolute winner in our house has been the hot charred cherry tomatoes on yoghurt (page 70). I’ve made it several times and with your delicious bread to mop up the sauce, I’m sure you’ll love it too.
I am a keen Ottolenghi fan and have all his books…and the ‘sweet ‘ one to with Helen Goh. I admit to being a little disappointed initially with needing some of the ingredients (rose harissa etc) but I have made several of the recipes since and love it…..so much so it will be the cook book to kick off my Tuesday Night Cookbook club next month. Bring any disg from the book…I live the roasted tomato with greek yoghourt. Sounds simple, is simple but simply delicious. Perfect summer dish
Thanks for the positive review of this book. It’s on my list to buy. I think it’s great to try these recipes and put them up on your blog. Cheers, Pauline
Wow the cakes look amazing! Will have to give the book a shot!
I am going to try that loaf. I have lemons and limes in the fridge. Now the decision is which to use.
Looks so yummmmy!!
Ottolenghi is brilliant , yes his recipes require a lot of time, but I have found a way around to simplify them and they are still most delicious
I really rate this book too, more in here that I would cook than his others. We tried the risoni with prawns and marinated feta and it was fantastic. So was the peach and hazelnut cake.
I have soooo many cook books but Simple sounds wondeful. I will keep an eye out for it in hardcopy as recipe books just get lost in the multitude of books in my Kindle list.
I think I’ll be trying those recipes out, thanks Celia.
I made the broccoli and peanuts recipe last night. It was easy and noms. I’d chop up the peanuts next time but other than that it was a won. Maz.
Thanks for the heads up, Celia. I saw Amanda had reviewed the book, but I’d promised myself NOT to buy any more cookbooks (after our clear out and move last year). I bought this one for my iPad too. Love the look of that cake. Mmmmm. xx
Thanks for those recipes. Here in north Tas I’m picking blackberries, plums and blueberries and have lemons and a bay tree – all good to go.