Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love

Who’s the author? None other than the inimitable Yotam Ottolenghi, Noor Murad and the rest of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen family: an eclectic bunch of talented chefs and cooks with diverse backgrounds and stories. This dream team, headed up by Noor, has worked together for years cooking, testing, experimenting and co-writing Ottolenghi’s best-selling cookbooks, with each member adding their own twists, flair and flavour to one of the most revered test kitchens around.

What’s it about? OTK: Shelf Love is a recipe book that will teach you to fall in love with cooking intuitively from your cupboards and pantry, fridge and freezer. By cleverly using your kitchen finds, you’ll put a flavoursome, Ottolenghi-level dinner on the table any day of the week.

Chapters span fridge and pantry, one-dish bakes and sweet endings. There are back-of-the-shelf recipes that turn forgotten packs of beans and grains into the likes of Savoury Oat Porridge with ginger-garlic crumbs or Buttery Parmesan Braised Chickpeas. There’s fridge-raid Kale Pesto Strata and veg-centric Spiced Butternut Mash with Pancake Omelettes, as well as freezer-foraged Curried Cauliflower Cheese Filo Pie. There’s also plenty to delight a sweet tooth, like Muhallabieh with burnt honey orange syrup, katai and pistachio sugar.

With ‘Make it your own’ suggestions and swap-outs, and space to jot down your own notes, this cookbook is all about embracing rule breaking and putting your own stamp on every dish. Time and fuss-saving tips, simplified ingredient lists, and cravings-inducing photography ensure you’ll never be short of inspiration again.

Recipes we love: (All The Herb) Dumplings with Caramelised Onions. Fish Kofta in Ancho Chilli and Tomato Sauce. Spiced Semolina with Fried Corn, Peanuts and Coriander. Upside-Down Lemon, Maple and Vanilla Pudding with Lemon-Maple Butter. We could go on and on…

Perfect for: Savvy cooks seeking new ways to cut food waste and make the most of cooking from their kitchen shelves, cupboards and fridge, Ottolenghi-style. And Ottolenghi fans who have always wanted a backstage pass to the magical world of the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen.