Customer Rating: 

Like other reviewers, i was sucked in by the fantastic reviews for this book, and got a copy for my birthday. I was very excited when it arrived, but, when I started actually studying the recipes, I found that :

a) I don't have half the ingredients, nor can I buy them anywhere near me
b) I need more cookery equipment than I own
c) I would need a whole afternoon to prepare the evening meal!


I did try making a couple of things, tried the apple and olive oil cake, that took me about two hours to make and it turned out very dry and ordinary. Plus the kitchen was like a bombsite.

If you are a real foodie and have no job to go to, perhaps this is the book for you!

Customer Rating: 

i had never heard of ottolenghi before but i read the reviews and thought id give it a go. I was so excited to receive this book and i flicked through from back to front. I loved the look and ingredient lists for the baked goods (towards the back), but as i got to the front of the book, my interest started to dwindle. The first part is LOADS of salad, and im not a salad fan. They also use lots of fruit and vegetable combinations and outlandish ingredients ive never heard about-and yes im usually always shopping in deli's and healthfood/alternative food stores. I decided to then read the introduction section. I really enjoyed the first part and i felt that the explainations of how the restaurant got together was sufficient. Then it carried on and on and on! I also felt that throughout the book there was a pretentious undertones.
I have tried a few recipes and those that i did try i felt (like a previous reviewer put quite exact) that tehy seemed to be lacking in something or not enough of something to make it taste right...but again, thats just my opinion on taste.
I've not tried any of the baked goods yet, and they do look amazing.
Please remember its only a fellow foodies opinion! I wouldnt recommend this book but i do like the pictures and the fact that they accompany a snippet of thought with each recipe....

Customer Rating: 

I am a great admirer of this cookbook, but for cooks who are not experienced, a few words of warning. There appear to be a few errors on ingredient quantities, and, as with much middle eastern cookery, many of the recipes require the use of an inordinate number of pots pans and dishes. Many of the recipes are certainly not for the cook in a hurry. Having said that, if you have time, the recipes reward with delicious results.

Customer Rating: 

I bought this book after seeing 'Plenty' on a friends bookshelf and decided to take a look here and see what it's all about.

The reviews sold it for me and the book has stood up to expectations.

There are LOTS of the things that I like to eat, flavoursome salads, new ideas for family chicken dishes (which went down really well, even with my fussy 3 year old) and gorgeous looking meringues and sweet things which I haven't tried yet but which definitely fall into the category of 'food porn'.

Well worth a look.

Customer Rating: 

Wonderful book! Great food and different, and the book has a good mix of everything. Each recipe is very well set out in stages. Glossy pages and fab photos make this enjoyable to flick through as well - would make a really nice present for foodies. Gave the Caramel and Macadamia Cheesecake to friends last week and they are still drooling....