Quotes from Yotam Ottolenghi

I'm a firm believer that the world should be your oyster when you're cooking. People should open themselves to other cuisines - there are a lot of hidden secrets all over the world.

For those, like me, who can't rely on being given a home smoker this Christmas, you can build your own approximation with just a roll of tin foil and a big wok or pan for which you have a lid.

Some days, just occasionally, when I've had just one too many chickpeas, drizzles of olive oil or chunks of feta, I crave a return to the sushi-filled joints of Tokyo.

When I was a kid, there was always food to be had on the street in Jerusalem, but anything above a falafel stand was mediocre or worse.

The difference between a bland tomato and great one is immense, much like the difference between a standard, sliced white bread and a crusty, aromatic sourdough.

The taste of any simple tomato-based salad is dependent on the quality of the tomatoes.

The only way reliably to gauge the heat of any particular chilli is to cut it in half, so exposing the core and membranes, and to dab the cut surface on your tongue.

My maternal grandmother made fantastic ox tongue with velvety roasted potatoes. She cooked sweet red cabbage and lovely cauliflower with butter and bread crumbs.

There are tons of wonderful places to eat in London.

If the first bite is with the eye and the second with the nose, some people will never take that third, actual bite if the food in question smells too fishy, fermented or cheesy.

I have to admit that I can't take a whole fig and eat it on its own as I would a peach or mango. It's just too much.

I used to love fine dining, but I lost my appetite for it to a degree because sometimes it is too much about the effort and too little about the result.

I always preferred my father's pasta the next day, when he'd put it in a hot oven with heaps of extra cheese. It would emerge slightly burned and very crisp on top.

Souffles don't deserve their reputation as potential disasters.

Raw fish suppers admittedly require a little planning, not least in the acquisition of the main ingredient.

Though not a true cereal but a fruit, buckwheat seeds resemble cereal grains and are often used in a similar way to rice, barley, bulgar or quinoa, usually as a side dish.

Like all rice, black rice is great at absorbing flavours, but it's just as happy to act as a satiny bed for a poached egg, say, if you want to keep things simple.

I've been accused of having very long ingredient lists, and I guess there's some truth in that.

Every era has its own list of ingredients that are considered exotic and then, 15 years later, they're not.

A quick shallow fry is a great way to transform leftovers, and no more so than in the case of risotto.

Tel Aviv is the most exciting place to eat in Israel.

Greek yogurt with some olive oil stirred in can transform many dishes.

Yogurt sauce, as you may have noticed by now, is a regular presence in my recipes - that's because it has the ability to round up so many flavours and textures like no other component does.

Sweet potatoes are ideal for lazy days: just bake, then mash and mix with yogurt, butter or olive oil.