Ottolenghify
Ottolenghi, the verb
Ottolenghify doesn’t exist in the modern-day dictionary. But it should. Let’s say it did though, and the verb is as universally recognized as stands true in the OTK universe, here’s what we think it would say:
Ottolenghify
Pronounced: Otto-lengy-figh
Verb: British
Derived from the noun ‘Ottolenghi’, also an adjective
- To Ottolenghify is to make something feel unequivocally Ottolenghi
- To add flair, a slight twist to the familiar
- A surprise in the mouth
"I Ottolenghified my roasted aubergine with some feta.
Shall we Ottolenghify this dessert display with some huge meringues?"
The test kitchen team, as individually diverse as they are, all happen to speak the same food-language. Having all worked their way through the Ottolenghi delis and restaurants, it seems they’ve also inadvertently been schooled in the skill of what it takes to make an Ottolenghi dish, well, Ottolenghi.
So, what does it mean, really, for a dish to be ‘Ottolenghi’?
It’s the celebration of vegetables. An all-inclusive vegetable environment. It’s abundance. Big plates of food piled high, generous and inviting. It’s food with a Middle Eastern twist, not always, but mostly; the cardamom to the vanilla, the allspice to the tomato. It’s the building of flavour. Laying the brick work for a very solid, very tasty foundation. It’s the finishing touches; the zesty salsa, the pickled herb stems or the drizzle of oil. More than anything, it’s the chefs. Each of them making their mark with different tastes and experiences, different palates and cultural influences. Ottolenghi is one of the above and all of the above together.
Which brings us to this book, Extra Good Things – filled to the brim with all the added extras that make a dish undeniably ‘Ottolenghi’.
Ottolenghify
Ottolenghi, the verb
Ottolenghify doesn’t exist in the modern-day dictionary. But it should. Let’s say it did though, and the verb is as universally recognized as stands true in the OTK universe, here’s what we think it would say:
Ottolenghify
Pronounced: Otto-lengy-figh
Verb: British
Derived from the noun ‘Ottolenghi’, also an adjective
- To Ottolenghify is to make something feel unequivocally Ottolenghi
- To add flair, a slight twist to the familiar
- A surprise in the mouth
"I Ottolenghified my roasted aubergine with some feta.
Shall we Ottolenghify this dessert display with some huge meringues?"
The test kitchen team, as individually diverse as they are, all happen to speak the same food-language. Having all worked their way through the Ottolenghi delis and restaurants, it seems they’ve also inadvertently been schooled in the skill of what it takes to make an Ottolenghi dish, well, Ottolenghi.
So, what does it mean, really, for a dish to be ‘Ottolenghi’?
It’s the celebration of vegetables. An all-inclusive vegetable environment. It’s abundance. Big plates of food piled high, generous and inviting. It’s food with a Middle Eastern twist, not always, but mostly; the cardamom to the vanilla, the allspice to the tomato. It’s the building of flavour. Laying the brick work for a very solid, very tasty foundation. It’s the finishing touches; the zesty salsa, the pickled herb stems or the drizzle of oil. More than anything, it’s the chefs. Each of them making their mark with different tastes and experiences, different palates and cultural influences. Ottolenghi is one of the above and all of the above together.
Which brings us to this book, Extra Good Things – filled to the brim with all the added extras that make a dish undeniably ‘Ottolenghi’.