Mediterranean Chef Yotam Ottolenghi Gives Us Plenty More to Salivate Over

Now, I know what you're thinking. Quinoa cakes aren't "Mediterranean," but the chef says he considers his cuisine a "mix," or fusion, if that word didn't have such a terrible connotation. He explains, "It takes its cue from the Middle East, but it extends wider. Mediterranean meets Italy meets California."

French quiche is also a strange departure from "what is Ottolenghi" and "what people expect." The chef says "it can be limiting" sometimes, to produce the same style of dishes. However, as he has shifted his attention away from his restaurants and more toward his test kitchen, he can "involve other people in the process" as he innovates and creates new recipes . . . and explores other cuisines. In a year or two, the chef hopes to publish a Nopi cookbook focused on Asian and Pacific Rim flavors.

Pickled vegetables may be trending right now, but that doesn't mean Ottolenghi intentionally served this dish to be on trend. He, in fact, takes a strong stance against fads, "I don't like trends that come and go," he says. "A few years ago in the UK, there were a lot of Peruvian restaurants and ceviche. Why? People always ask me about trends, and I think we should slow down and just enjoy what we have. It's not necessary to seek out the next big thing. It gets out of control."

A Mediterranean take on peas and carrots, this dish is just one example of Ottolenghi showing the world "how versatile vegetables are." In the Western world, Ottolenghi says the biggest problem he sees is that "people overcook vegetables" and boil them to death. His books aim to show all the amazing methods of cooking veggies so they don't become the "afterthought" of a meal.

Ottolenghi is known for creating complex, layered dishes like this aubergine (aka eggplant), topped with some sort of tahini- or yogurt-based dressing, fried garlic, and fresh herbs. But what does the chef eat when he comes home from a day in the test kitchen? "You don't really want to hear this . . . I'm so immersed in my own food that [when I come home] the last thing I want to do is eat a charred vegetable," he says. "I fast. I eat pasta with a little olive oil or ramen noodles from a bag with the flavor packet."

Ottolenghi tries to be "diplomatic" about his Middle Eastern food. Though he grew up Jewish in Israel, he doesn't strictly "define himself" or his cooking. His cuisine celebrates and unites many cultural foods, as exemplified in this lamb shawarma, an Arabic meat preparation. However open Ottolenghi is, he is a purist about one thing: hummus. The chickpeas must be boiled to the right consistency — not canned. They must be blended with tahini — not with yogurt and not with olive oil. And the hummus must be served at blood temperature. "Once you've had the best version of something, you can't have the second best," he reasons.