It was pillows of giant, puffy meringues, some of them palest pink and others cloud white, piled high on tall cake stands, that became one of the first images instantly identifiable with the Ottolenghi cafe/delis in London.
That was even before co-owner Yotam Ottolenghi became so famous as a food writer, author and TV presenter that he joined Delia, Nigella and Darina in the single-name recognition stakes.
So, for his sixth book (after Nopi with chef Ramael Scully, Ottolenghi and Jerusalem with business partner Sami Tamimi and Plenty and Plenty More in his sole name), Ottolenghi is exploring the wonderful world of desserts and baking.
His co-author this time is Helen Goh, a psychologist and product developer and longtime Ottolenghi collaborator, and their book, Sweet, is out this autumn.
You can join the pair at the Pavilion Theatre in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, on Tuesday, September 12th at 8pm, for "An evening with Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh". Tickets, €15, are now on sale here.
The book will have more than 110 recipes and has been photographed by New York food image specialists Peden + Munk. It will be published on September 14th by Ebury Press.
Advance publicity for Sweet says it will bring “the Ottolenghi hallmarks of fresh, evocative ingredients, exotic spices and complex flavourings – including fig, rose petal, saffron, aniseed, orange blossom, pistachio and cardamom – to indulgent cakes, biscuits, tarts, puddings, cheesecakes and ice cream”.
“This is the book my customers tell me they have been waiting for. It’s full of the recipes which have kept things sweet over the years at Ottolenghi as well as a large batch of treats freshly baked just for this book.
"Helen and I have been tasting, making, baking and discussing the finer (and sweeter) things in life for the past decade. The act of baking is always an act of sharing and we, in turn, are super excited to be sharing our recipes out. We are hoping the party is going to be large," Ottolenghi told The Bookseller.
