Israel-born chef, cookery writer
Yotam Ottolenghi
???? ????????
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Born
| Yotam Assaf Ottolenghi
(
1968-12-14
)
14 December 1968
(age 55)
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Education
| Tel Aviv University
(
Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Programme for Outstanding Students
)
Le Cordon Bleu
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---|
Spouse
|
Karl Allen
(
m.
2012)
|
---|
Children
| 2
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Culinary career
|
Cooking style
| Middle Eastern
|
---|
- ROVI,
Fitzrovia
, London, England (2018?present)
- Ottolenghi Spitalfields,
Spitalfields
, London, England (2015?present)
- Ottolenghi Chelsea,
Chelsea
, London, England (2022?present)
- NOPI,
Soho
London, England (2011?present)
- Ottolenghi Islington,
Islington
, London, England (2007?present)
- Ottolenghi Notting Hill,
Notting Hill
, London, England (2002?present)
- Ottolenghi Marylebone,
Marylebone
, London, England (2021?present)
|
- Ottolenghi Kensington,
Kensington
, London, England (2005?2013)
- Ottolenghi Belgravia,
Belgravia
, London, England (2012?2021)
|
- Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Island Feast (2013)
- Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast (2012)
- Jerusalem on a Plate (2011)
|
- James Beard Award
? Cooking from a Professional Point of View
2016
NOPI, the Cookbook
- James Beard Award ? International Cookbook
2013
Jerusalem
|
|
Website
| www
.ottolenghi
.co
.uk
|
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Yotam Assaf Ottolenghi
(born 14 December 1968) is an Israeli-born British
chef
, restaurateur, and food writer. Alongside Sami Tamimi, he is the co-owner of seven delis and restaurants in London and the author of several bestselling cookery books, including
Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
(2008),
Plenty
(2010),
Jerusalem
(2012) and
Simple
(2018).
[1]
Biography
[
edit
]
Yotam Ottolenghi was born to
Jewish
parents in
Jerusalem
and raised in its
Ramat Denya
suburb, the son of Michael Ottolenghi, a chemistry professor at
Hebrew University
and Ruth Ottolenghi, a high school principal.
[2]
He is of
Italian Jewish
and
German Jewish
descent and often spent his childhood summers in Italy.
[3]
He has an older sister, Tirza Florentin. His younger brother, Yiftach, was killed by
friendly fire
in 1992 during his military service.
[4]
Ottolenghi
is an Italian name, an Italianised form of
Ettlingen
,
[5]
a town in
Baden-Wurttemberg
from which Jews were expelled in the 15th and 16th centuries; many settled in
Northern Italy
.
Ottolenghi was conscripted into the
Israel Defence Forces
in 1989, serving three years in
IDF intelligence
headquarters. He then studied at the
Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Programme for Outstanding Students
of
Tel Aviv University
where in 1997, he completed a combined bachelor's and master's degree in
comparative literature
; his thesis was on the philosophy of the photographic image.
[6]
While working on his thesis, Ottolenghi served as a night copy editor for
Haaretz
.
[7]
In 1997, Ottolenghi and his then partner Noam Bar moved to
Amsterdam
, where he edited the Hebrew section of the Dutch-Jewish weekly
NIW
. He later relocated to
London
to study French pastry cooking at
Le Cordon Bleu
.
Ottolenghi met his partner Karl Allen in 2000; they married in 2012 and live in
Camden
, London, with their two sons, born in 2013 and 2015.
[4]
[8]
[9]
In 2013, Ottolenghi "
came out
as a gay father" in a
Guardian
essay that detailed the lengthy process of conceiving their first son via
gestational surrogacy
, an option that he believes should be more widely available to those who cannot conceive naturally.
[10]
Culinary career
[
edit
]
Ottolenghi served as a
pastry chef
at three London restaurants: the
Michelin-starred
Capital Restaurant
, Kensington Place, and Launceston Place in
Kensington New Town
. In 1999, he became head pastry chef at the artisanal pastry shop Baker and Spice, where he met the Palestinian chef
Sami Tamimi
, who grew up in Jerusalem's
Old City
.
[11]
Ottolenghi and Tamimi bonded over their shared language,
Hebrew
, and a joint "incomprehension of traditional English food".
[12]
In 2002, the duo (in collaboration with Noam Bar) founded the eponymous
delicatessen
Ottolenghi in the
Notting Hill
district of London. The deli quickly gained a cult following due to its inventive dishes, characterised by the foregrounding of vegetables, unorthodox flavour combinations, and the abundance of
Middle Eastern ingredients
such as
rose water
,
za'atar
, and
pomegranate molasses
.
[7]
[8]
[13]
When asked to explain his cooking philosophy Ottolenghi said "I want drama in the mouth."
[7]
The Ottolenghi brand has since expanded to three more delis (in
Islington
,
Marylebone
and
Chelsea
), a formal restaurant in
Spitalfields
, a brasserie named NOPI in
Soho
, and a vegetable-centric restaurant named ROVI which opened in
Fitzrovia
in June 2018.
[14]
In 2006, Ottolenghi began writing a weekly column for
The Guardian
titled "The New Vegetarian," though he himself is not a
vegetarian
and has sometimes noted where a vegetable-centric recipe would pair well with a particular cut of meat. Influenced by the straightforward, culturally-grounded food writing of
Nigella Lawson
and
Claudia Roden
,
[15]
Ottolenghi's recipes rarely fit within traditional dietary or cultural categories.
[16]
He explained that his mission is "celebrating vegetables or pulses without making them taste like meat, or as complements to meat, but to be what they are. It does no favour to vegetarians, making vegetables second best."
[4]
His debut cookery book
Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
was published in 2008. Eight volumes have followed: the all-vegetable cookery books
Plenty
(2010),
Plenty More
(2014) and
Ottolenghi Flavour
(2020);
Jerusalem
(2012);
NOPI
(2015); the dessert cookery book
Sweet
(2017);
Ottolenghi Simple
(2018); and most recently a series of Ottolenghi Test Kitchen (OTK) books:
OTK: Shelf Love
(2021) and
OTK: Extra Good Things
(2022). Ottolenghi's bestselling cookery books have proven influential, with
The New York Times
noting that they are "widely knocked-off for their plain-spoken instructions, puffy covers, and photographs [that Ottolenghi] oversees himself, eschewing a food stylist".
[9]
In 2014, the
London Evening Standard
remarked that Ottolenghi had "radically rewritten the way Londoners cook and eat", and
Bon Appetit
wrote that he had "made the world love vegetables".
[17]
[18]
Ottolenghi has hosted three television specials:
Jerusalem on a Plate
(
BBC4
, 2011);
Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast
(
More4
, 2012); and
Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Island Feast
(More4, 2013). He served as a guest judge on the ninth (2017), eleventh (2019) and thirteenth (2021) seasons of the cooking
game show
Masterchef Australia
. He had declined numerous guest-judge offers in the past and agreed to appear on
Masterchef Australia
"because it's quite humane and positive. It's about the personal development of the contestants more than the competition."
[19]
Published works
[
edit
]
- Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
(2008) (with Sami Tamimi)
- Plenty
(2010)
- Jerusalem: A Cookbook
(2012) (with Sami Tamimi)
- Plenty More
(2014)
- NOPI
(2015) (with Ramael Scully & Tara Wigley)
- Sweet: Desserts from London's Ottolenghi
(2017) (with Helen Goh & Tara Wigley)
- Ottolenghi Simple
(2018) (with Tara Wigley & Esme Howarth)
- Ottolenghi Flavour
(2020) (with Ixta Belfrage & Tara Wigley)
- Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love
(2021) (with Noor Murad)
- Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Extra Good Things
(2022) (with Noor Murad)
Awards and recognition
[
edit
]
- 2010
Galaxy National Book Awards
"Food and Drink Book of the Year" for
Plenty
- 2010
Observer Food Monthly
'
s "Best Cookbooks Ever",
Plenty
ranked number 40
[20]
- 2011
Conde Nast Traveler
"Innovation and Design Awards", NOPI, winner of the Gourmet award
[21]
- 2011
Observer Food Monthly
'
s "Best Cookbook Award" winner for
Plenty
[22]
- 2012 Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, "Identity" category for the restaurant Nopi
[23]
- 2012
Guild of Food Writers
Awards, "
Kate Whiteman Award for Work on Food and Travel
" for
Jerusalem on a Plate
(BBC4)
- 2013
James Beard Award
"International Cookbook" for
Jerusalem
[24]
- 2013
Guild of Food Writers
Awards, "Cookery Book Award" for
Jerusalem
[25]
- 2013
Guild of Food Writers
Awards, "Evelyn Rose Award for Cookery Journalist" for journalism in
The Guardian
[26]
- 2013
Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
, the Dun Gifford Award winner for
Jerusalem
[27]
- 2013
International Association of Culinary Professionals
Awards, winner of the International award and the Best Cookbook award for
Jerusalem
[28]
- 2013
Fortnum and Mason
Food and Drink Awards, "Television Programme of the Year" for
Ottolenghi's Mediterranean Feast
(Keo Films)
[29]
- 2013
German Gastronomic Academy
Silver Medal for
Jerusalem
[
citation needed
]
- 2013
Observer Food Monthly
"Best Cookbook Award" for
Jerusalem
[30]
- 2014
Specsavers National Book Awards
"Food and Drink Book of the Year" for
Plenty More
[31]
- 2015 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from
Brandeis University
[32]
- 2016
James Beard Award
"Cooking from a Professional Point of View" for
NOPI, the Cookbook
[33]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Yotam Ottolenghi: why I'm coming out as a gay father"
.
the Guardian
. 3 August 2013
. Retrieved
19 August
2021
.
- ^
Slater, Robert (31 January 2013).
"Cooking Up a Storm in London"
.
The Jerusalem Post
. Retrieved
19 October
2017
.
- ^
Ottolenghi, Yotam (7 March 2017).
"The Bright Magic of Citrus in the Baking Pan"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
19 October
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
Kramer, Jane (3 December 2012).
"The Philosopher Chef"
.
The New Yorker
. Retrieved
19 October
2017
.
- ^
ANU Museum of the Jewish People
.
"OTTOLENGHI Origin of surname"
.
dbs.anumuseum.org.il
. Retrieved
12 February
2024
.
- ^
Inamine, Elyse (17 October 2017).
"Yotam Ottolenghi Melds Food and Art at the Met"
.
Food & Wine
. Archived from
the original
on 20 October 2017
. Retrieved
19 October
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
Mishan, Ligaya (26 April 2011).
"A Chef Who Is Vegetarian in Fame if Not in Fact,"
The New York Times
. Retrieved on 19 October 2017.
- ^
a
b
Mann, Britt (18 June 2017).
"The ever-growing empire of MasterChef Australia judge Yotam Ottolenghi,"
Stuff.co.nz
(Australia). Retrieved on 19 October 2017.
- ^
a
b
Jacobs, Alexandra (1 October 2015).
"A Morning With the Star Chef Yotam Ottolenghi"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
19 October
2017
.
- ^
Ottolenghi, Yotam (3 August 2013).
"Why I'm coming out as a gay father"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
19 October
2017
.
- ^
Feeding Frenzy
- ^
Jacques, Adam (5 October 2013).
"How we met: Sami Tamimi & Yotam Ottolenghi,"
The Independent
. Retrieved on 19 October 2017.
- ^
Mesure, Susie (13 September 2014).
"Yotam Ottolenghi Interview,"
The Independent
. Retrieved on 19 October 2017.
- ^
Coghlan, Adam (27 April 2018).
"Yotam Ottolenghi Is Opening a Brand-New Restaurant,"
Eater London
. Retrieved on 13 May 2018.
- ^
Ottolenghi, Yotam (19 November 2015).
"The best cookbooks of all time,"
Penguin.co.uk. Retrieved on 19 October 2017.
- ^
Sifton, Sam (16 May 2016).
"Revel in the Bounty of Spring, With a Feast From Yotam Ottolenghi,"
The New York Times
. Retrieved on 19 October 2017.
- ^
Sexton, David (9 October 2014).
"How Yotam Ottolenghi rescued the modern dinner party,"
London Evening Standard
. Retrieved on 19 October 2017.
- ^
Muhlke, Christine (4 August 2014).
"What Yotam Ottolenghi Cooks at Home (Yes, There Is Eggplant),"
Bon Appetit
. Retrieved on 20 October 2017.
- ^
Enker, Debi (1 June 2017).
"Yotam Ottolenghi doesn't like cooking competitions, so why is he on MasterChef?,"
The Sydney Morning Herald
. Retrieved on 19 October 2017.
- ^
Observer Food Monthly
(15 August 2010)
- ^
"Innovation & Design Awards 2011: the winners"
.
Cntraveller.com
. Retrieved
4 August
2017
.
- ^
Observer Food Monthly Awards 2011 Best Cookbook: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi | Life and style
.
The Guardian
, (18 September 2015). Retrieved on 2015-09-23.
- ^
Restaurant and Bar Design Awards ? Entry 2011/12
. Web.archive.org (11 January 2013). Retrieved on 2015-09-23.
- ^
2013 JBF Award Winners
, The James Beard Foundation. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^
The Guild of Food Writers ? the professional association of food writers and broadcasters in the UK
Archived
29 December 2016 at the
Wayback Machine
. Gfw.co.uk. Retrieved on 23 September 2015.
- ^
"Guild of Food Writers Awards 2013 - The Winners"
. The Good Web Guide
. Retrieved
4 August
2017
.
- ^
(in Spanish)
Gourmand Awards Winners 2013 Cookbook
. Cookbookfair.com. Retrieved on 23 September 2015.
- ^
IACP35 Award Winners 2013
Archived
23 April 2013 at the
Wayback Machine
. iacp.com
- ^
Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards 2015
. Fortnumandmasonawards.com. Retrieved on 23 September 2015.
- ^
Guardian News & Media press release: Observer Food Monthly Awards announces winners for 2013 | GNM press office
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved on 23 September 2015.
- ^
"Mary Berry wins outstanding achievement book award"
.
BBC News
. 27 November 2014
. Retrieved
14 March
2015
.
- ^
"Honorary Degree Recipients - Commencement 2015 - Brandeis University"
.
Brandeis.edu
. Retrieved
4 August
2017
.
- ^
"The 2016 Beard Award Winners!"
.
Jamesbeard.org
. Retrieved
4 August
2017
.
External links
[
edit
]
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International
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National
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Other
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