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Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belphrage    {Reviewed by STELLA} Just when you think you have enough Ottolenghi books you are proven incorrect. Last year, as a result of some housekeeping and rearranging at home, the cookbooks ended up on their own bank of shelves in the kitchen rather than scattered between several shelves throughout the house. Result—a good collection of Ottolenghi cookbooks. The most well-used—the excellent Plenty and Plenty More. That combination of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern with a splash of other cuisine influences seems to suit my style of cooking, vegetable preferences and taste buds. The recipes place ingredients with each other in ways I had previously not considered. So when Flavour turned up last year, I really did have to question another Ottolenghi. But this one, another focused on vegetables, feels quite different from the previous books. Produced in concert with chef Ixta Belfrage, it plays with combinations of spices, herbs and those all-important salts, acids and heat in exciting and accessible ways. There’s plenty of text and asides from the recipes to keep the thinking cook happy, but again the focus is on the recipes. There is more Asian influence here, with soy and miso featuring, but the core remains Ottolenghi’s favourite Middle Eastern participants. A few new spices are featuring in our kitchen cupboard—harissa has become a constant on the shopping list. There’s plenty to enjoy here. The Aubergine Dumplings Alla Parmiginia tasted as good as they looked. They reminded me of the softness and full flavour of my father’s Greek-influenced meatballs (I don’t eat the meat any more, so aubergine is a great substitute). The Bkeila, Potato and Butter Bean Stew is delicious and super comfort food with a tang! The cooking down of the spinach into its concentrated form is quite remarkable and one would think unappealing. Absolutely not. And the tangy lemon and spice mix makes this recipe a wonder. The Portobello Steaks and Butter Bean Mash—just delicious, retaining all that is delightful about mushrooms with very tasty spices and olive oil all layered over the calming bean mash. Perfect for brunch or a late evening meal when you’ve had a busy day. And what if you get given a cabbage or two—not the most exciting vegetable (apologies to cabbage-lovers)? Cabbage with Ginger Cream and Numbing Oil, of course! This is perfectly cooked cabbage with lashings of cream cheese (gingered) and that Numbing Oil—wow!—chilli, ginger, star anise and more chilli. Scoop it up and enjoy. And this I think is the rationale of Flavour. It’s fulsome and enjoyable—all about sharing food together and exploring with your taste buds. And coming later this year is a new Ottolenghi. Test Kitchen will take you on a journey through your kitchen cupboards, celebrating humble ingredients and embracing the concept of flexible cooking. You can order this now. In the meantime, explore the Ottolenghi choices on our shelves (or due back in soon).