When it comes to comfort food, we all have our go-to dishes. Recipes we reach for again and again that fill us up and remind us of home. Those are the recipes chef Yotam Ottolenghi and his collaborators highlight in his latest cookbook, “ Comfort .
” Ottolenghi will be in conversation with Nancy Silverton at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Oct. 13 to discuss his new book. I spoke with the acclaimed Israeli-born British chef, restaurateur and author last month about that upcoming appearance and all things comfort.
Ottolenghi said he and his co-authors Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley wanted to use this book as an opportunity to acknowledge the fact that comfort food can be culturally specific. “What Helen, Verena, Tara and I are really focusing on here is the emotional impact food has on us,” said Ottolenghi. “Rather than come up with a list of recipes that are perceived as being comfort, like mashed potatoes and mac and cheese, we tried to bring up recipes that we like to cook at home and bring us a sense of comfort.
” Ottolenghi grew up in Israel with parents of Italian and German heritage, but he also spent summers in Italy and eventually moved to London as an adult. Each of the co-authors has their own unique background and journey, and the places they have called home influence their cooking. Shakshuka, a breakfast dish of poached eggs and tomato sauce, is a dish Ottolenghi is credited with popularizing with the publication of his 2010 book, “Plenty.
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