Great British Food Christmas 2024
As YotamOttolenghi’s newbook Comfort hits shelves, ClaireMunnings sits down to chat with him and co-author HelenGoh about how the familiar and exciting can sit side by side – especially at Christmas COMFORT WITH A TWIST Y otamOttolenghi certainly knows a thing or two about how to deliver comfort and joy on a plate. During the past 20 years, the Israeli-born chef has made a name for himself as the king of vibrant, bold dishes which light up the soul and beg to be enjoyed and shared. And his latest cookbook – a collaboration between himself and three other ‘hungries’, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and TaraWigley – is a recipe collection that will make you smile inmuch the same way as Yotam’s creations themselves. A joyful celebration of food, home and the connections we make as we cook, Comfort features dishes that are both nostalgic and novel, reassuring and eye-opening, and provides the perfect inspiration for feasting this winter. “We didn't start off writing a book on comfort,” reveals Helen, when I sit down to talk to both her and Yotam. “We just wanted to do a book of the food we love, and, over time, when people looked at what we were creating, the main feedback was how the dishes all represented comfort food from varying viewpoints.” Of course, comfort means different things to different people, and the fact this overarching theme has so many layers is something that clearly appealed to the authors as they were putting it together. There’s the fact that the act of cooking itself can be a form of comfort when life feels hard, the idea that specific dishes and ingredients can be anchoring in a nostalgic way, and the sense that simply eating with people (or conversely, alone) can be immensely gratifying. So what brings them comfort? “For me, one of the most joyful things is to go into the kitchen after a busy day andmake something easy, familiar and comforting,” says Yotam, adding that this can be particularly true in winter, when there’s something about the cold temperature that makes us seek the warmth of cooking. “I think of the kitchen as a warm place,” he explains. “Historically, people went to the kitchen to warmup. I mean, we've got warmhouses these days, but there’s still an idea that it’s somewhere warmer than the rest of the house. When you start cooking, it creates a particular vibe, and in the winter, that's very powerful, because there’s a warmth and a smell that comes out of the kitchen and in some ways it doesn't evenmatter what you are cooking.” ST E P OUT OF YOUR COMFOR T ZONE Yotam and Helen are keen to encourage home cooks to find joy by stepping out of their comfort zone – giving a hint of newness to the familiar and taking traditional cooking to the next level. And both agree that these colder months – and Christmas in particular - can be a great time to offer ‘spruced-up’ versions of your go-to dishes. “People do expect ritual and tradition at this time of year - and on the one hand, it's very reassuring to have that, especially in an uncertain world,” Helen says. “But on the other hand, there's sometimes a bit of boredom that comes with it.” For her, though, there’s definitely a way to both expand your comfort zone andmaintain familiarity. “So, for example, you could still offer a roast chicken, but maybe change it up with the Sri Lankan dukkha from the book – where we mash it with butter and slip it under the skin of the chicken,” she suggests. Yotampoints to a Brussels sprouts recipe in Comfort as another example of how to elevate the familiar to something extra special. “This shows that even if you go for a traditional Christmas, you can create things that feel very fresh and novel in that particular setting. It doesn't need to be done in the same way that you always do.” Sharing ideas and being open to new recipes and concepts is something Yotam and Helen take much pleasure in themselves – and it’s a common theme in their own home cooking too. “For me, I really could never have thought that something like a Yorkshire pudding would become part of my repertoire, but the kids just love them so much,” Yotam laughs. “And that’s something we learned through working on the book: you can catch someone's comfort – it's contagious.” “Forme, one of themost joyful things is to go into the kitchen after a busy day andmake something easy, familiar and comforting” greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com 66 INTERVI EW | YOTAM OTTOLENGHI
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