The A B C of O P Q

Two more of my library books - O stands for [Yotam] Ottolenghi, the Israeli-born British chef. He says his mission is to "celebrate vegetables or pulses without making them taste like meat, or as complements to meat, but to be what they are. It does no favour to vegetarians, making vegetables second best." I like his recipes - they are always packed with flavour ["drama in the mouth" is another of his sayings]

This book, Shelf Love, was produced at the beginning of the pandemic, by his staff at the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen [OTK] which is located under the railway arches in Holloway. The title reflected the mood of the time- people were in lockdown, trying to produce interesting meals when getting to the shops was not always easy. Chapter One is 'that one shelf at the back of your pantry' - the place where forgotten ingredients lurk behind larger packets - random tins of beans, packets of unusually shaped pasta, a forgotten spice. I am trying to make my food more flavoursome [post covid I think my taste buds need waking up] without using lots of chillies.

These recipes vary from making your own basics [hummus, pita bread, through interesting fresh salads and warm soups, to comforting dishes with pasta and sausages, and sweet, indulgent cakes. And the ideas are inspired, helping you use things up- that bag of frozen mixed veg lurking in the back of the freezer becomes Moroccan Maakouda, a street food potato cake. A great way to get the 5-a-day into children. 

Instructions are good, and there are 'make it your own' boxes with suggestions for substitutions and space for notes. It is definitely a 'work book' - the indices are brilliant. ['dummies' editors please take note] 

As well as the standard alphabetical index of recipes and ingredients, there are category indices;  one-pot/kid-friendly/under-an-hour etc as well as a useful pantry checklist. The illustrations are clear. The writing is fun to read - and it is clear that the staff at OTK are a friendly team, working together and celebrating good ideas. This one is going on my Christmas list. Definitely *****

PQ stands for Pain Quotidien. We discovered PQ in Brussels on a family holiday in 2000. These Boulangerie Kitchens produced fresh breads, breakfasts and light lunches. We loved the morning pastries, the tartines - the French take on Scandi smorgasbord, the simple salads, and the delicious desserts.

But what I loved the most were the long, communal tables where the diners sat, and ended up in convivial conversation with strangers around them. This is part of the philosophy of the founder, baker Alain Coumont. A lovely sense of sharing 'our daily bread'. Seven chapters - Bread, Breakfast, Tartines, Soups, Salads, Sharing, and Desserts. Recipes are well explained and clearly photographed.

Scattered throughout are snippet of ACs thoughts on food [Vegetarian, raw, home grown, organic, less meat etc]  I took two of his tartine ideas as the basis for a summer lunch. 

beet caviar, caper and salmon tartine

labneh, herb and cucumber tartine [which is the picture on the cover]

For starters, I had no sourdough loaf- but I did have a part-baked baguette, which I sliced on the diagonal, and toasted lightly under the grill. In place of salmon, I used some canned tuna - with jarred beetroot and capers. In place of labneh I used regular cream cheese [kefir cheese would have worked too] and lots of my home grown herbs 

A super fresh lunch, enjoyed in the summer sunshine with glasses of sparkling water

I rate this one ***** also. But no, I wouldn't want to own a copy - it is mostly an inspirational 'ideas' book.