NOPI: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi

NOPI: The Cookbook Reviews

• 
  Mir

  Oh, fine, if you insist, I will read another Ottolenghi cookbook.
  
  
  
  
  Roast beef sirloin with cucumber kimchi and fresh plum
  
  
  
  
  http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandsty...
• 
  Juli Anna

  This is definitely a restaurant cookbook, and many of the recipes are impractical for the home cook. That said, this is probably the most approachable restaurant cookbook I've seen, with plenty of involved, yet doable recipes. The book is beautiful, strikingly modern (for a cookbook), with truly excellent photographs and design. The recipes combine ingredients from all over the world in refreshing ways; it was inspiring to leaf through this book and learn about ingredients like black garlic, dried mulberries, and shrimp paste. A great read for an adventurous home cook.
• 
  Denise

  Nopi is for the serious chef, not cook. So happy to have Ardent in Milwaukee and The Immigrant Room in Kohler on the calendar as this cookbook has me drooling. Unfortunately, I don't have the talent to attempt one single recipe.
• 
  Sasha

  This book intimidated all of us from its place high up on the bookshelf for over two years. Out of the blue, I decided to take the plunge into this British, what is it, fusion? Keep in mind: I don't cook anything more involved than a couple of toasted freezer waffles on at least 300 days out of any given year.
  
  Naturally, I started with what seemed like the simplest dish out of the non-salads in this cookbook - the manouri zucchini fritters. Those went quite well, despite me throwing in five times the prescribed amount of cardamom. Following that experience, the feeling of preparing supposedly Michelin-level dishes and actually getting them right pulled me in. I have to say, despite the palpable complexity of most of these creations, the instructions in this book are crystal clear, which I think is the main reason behind their accessibility to the semi-experienced amateur cook who wants to eat out but doesn't have the means for it.
  
  It did take me two full days (not nonstop prep work, but a series of lengthy cook times for multiple components) to cook one dish, which falls in the authors' imaginary 'epic' category. I won't reveal which dish this was, so as not to spoil your experience of this book.
  
  Most recipes here ask for some extravagant ingredients, which intimidated me at first. It felt like every recipe asked for a different type of sugar - how was that even possible?! But the obscure ingredients did repeat. I got most of them at a local strip mall Asian market at prices lower than I could've found in a mainstream supermarket or even online.
  
  I mentioned accidentally quintupling the spices in a dish without suffering consequences, but I have found that the salt amounts cited in these recipes often overshoot the saltiness I like. This isn't such a fun discovery after investing many hours into a meal. It does feel good to get any of these dishes down. Impressing those around you with your cooking will go without saying.
• 
  Jade

  As an Asian living in Europe constantly balancing (and struggling) to find exotic tropical ingredients to make dishes that taste like home, this cookbook is really something interesting to read -- as the two chefs marry traditionally Asian (kaffir lime, pandan, coconut) ingredients with Western ones (blood orange, burrata) and turn out surprising combinations. Obviously, it is one thing to read a cookbook and to actually make the dishes... So I tried one out the other day (for SCIENCE, and posterity) at a dinner party without testing it first (cooking faux pas) and it was a hit! Phew.
  
  Since these are recipes crafted in a restaurant kitchen by people with already decades of experience under their belt, you definitely need finesse, stamina and expertise (not to mention hunting for those rare ingredients) required to cook most of the dishes. There is a reason these books ended up as coffee table books instead of actually being used (sad!)! But with a bit of creativity, the recipes can provide a lot of interesting ideas and insights about how to make a spectacular dish even at home.
  
  Who goes to restaurants anymore, except for picking up new ideas for home cooking pro-chef-style? Exactly.
• 
  Yasmeen

  If you own any of Ottolenghi's cookbooks, I must tell you that this isn't as simple and straightforward (to be fair, his other cookbooks are very accessible to everyone).
  Sure, Nopi contains involved recipes that take time and have multiple steps; but with a result that's worth it. And honestly, it's not like there are difficult or complicated techniques like you'd find in Michelin-star restaurant cookbooks.
  
  Oh, and the cookbook is extremely beautiful. Definitely the prettiest I've seen. Gold, and black. Wow.
  
• 
  Anato

  Strikes a fine balance between being a coffee table book and an actually useable cookbook. Comes with fair warning that complex restaurant recipes lie within, but without any snootiness. The writing and instructions make these recipes reasonably accessible, with suggested simplifications as well, but do bear in mind that this book isn't for a beginner.
• 
  Suse

  Gerichte und Cocktails aus dem NOPI-Restaurant nachkochen: Das ist eine helle Freude für einen Ottolenghi-Fan!
  Dieses Buch ist so schön: Elfenbeinfarbener Einband, Goldprägung und Goldbändchen. Seufz.
• 
  Ruth Feathers

  Recipes not for the faint of heart or budget-conscious.
• 
  Sarah

  Though this is not my favorite Ottolenghi book, I find it as inspiring and exciting as the others. I am so pleased that my sister gave me a copy for Christmas-- I can't wait to try some recipes!
• 
  Jos M

  Honestly, an excellent cookbook (if a little dated at this point as some of the ingredients which were less commonly used then are now pretty mainstream and easy (ier?) to purchase than they once were) but most of it is pretty labour intensive - and in some cases too equipment heavy - for my limited abilities. I dare say I won't be making my own labneh and smoking it in tea for a light starter...although I am sure it would be delicious.
• 
  Sharon

  Everywhere I go I see stacks of this amazing cookbook and no wonder, what a pleasure this is!! I ordered eight cookbooks this fall and this one is truly a winner and I really hope to visit the restaurant in London one day after hearing stories from a friend this fall. Good articles and details of each recipe and the ingredients. His books provide so much detail they are all like novels! While providing good recipes and invaluable tips.
• 
  D

  gorgeous production values (the gilt-tipped pages are everything). intriguing-looking recipes. but this collection is a little more varsity -- long ingredient lists and a bit more technical skill required, many steps. still gorgeous, but a little more for the semi-professional and more aspirational for the average home cook. still a gorgeous book -- i just don't think i'll get as much use out of it as i do my other ottolenghi cookbooks.
• 
  Diane

  For advanced/adventurous cooks
• 
  Iris

  advanced techniques. i only grabbed "sticky sesame rice" and "french toast with orange yogurt." the book serves as nopi's business card, embodying the adage of ordering only what u can't make at home (all of it).
• 
  Carol

  I enjoyed this book, I read cookbooks like novels. I have more than a few bookmarked. Some very interesting recipes, delicious looking pictures.
• 
  Linda

  Lovely to read but many of the recipes are still too difficult for me to even contemplate making. The food in the restaurant itself is highly recommended.
• 
  Jillian

  Lots of fun recipes in here and quite delicious. Definitely more involved than his previous cookbooks and quite the time sink, but thus far it's been worth the effort.
• 
  Oana

  I would like to give this 10 stars. Everything I've made has been awesome.
• 
  Vuk Trifkovic

  Very Ottolenghi. Wonderful volume, great photography and slightly more chef-ey version of his stuff.
• 
  Ambur Taft

  Beautiful cookbook, as is any cookbook Yotam Ottolenghi puts out in my eyes. Amazing recipes and mouth watering photos to go along with them.
• 
  The Jewish Book Council

  
  Review by Maron L. Waxman for the Jewish Book Council.
• 
  Beverly

  Don't need this.
• 
  Karen Cockerill

  This book was recommended in our cookbook club and has been a hit with the girls that are already great cooks and natural entertainers.
  
  I’m a newbie to cooking, recipe dependent and very much a lazy cook which is why I was rather surprised that I enjoyed this book. Okay, full truth - it’s never going to be my favourite cookbook. I do however see value in it being a book I grab for festive occasions and entertaining.
  
  If you accept the fact that nothing in the book is a quick cookup - most recipes require a little more effort, possible a new technique or simply time for the food to marinate - then you’ll approach the book with a better attitude and/or give yourself the time to meet the challenge.
  
  The greatest lesson I learnt from this book is that the preparation work - done prior to entertaining - helps you on the day so that you have the time to do your decor and/or spend time with your guests rather than being stuck in the kitchen for hours on end.
  
  I suspect that this book will grow in favour as I build confidence in my cooking and entertaining journey
  
• 
  Meg

  I have to get this book. Seriously. One of my friends gave me a recipe from it: the chicken pastilla. Yes the one with a tiny bit of chocolate in the sauce.
  It took lots of work and running around looking for ingredients (I love this sort of thing) and it was completely amazing. Naturally I want more.
• 
  Val Robson

  Another lovely book from Ottolenghi. However, I find the recipes have a huge number of ingredients and the methods are quite lengthy. This feel more like a book for those who would like to be chef and not for the home cook. My least favourite of the Ottolenghi cookbooks.