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" Pot barley takes longer to cook than pearl, but an overnight soak in water will speed things along. It's a robust grain that, if overcooked, won't collapse but will become more tender. "

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" Shimeji are those odd-looking clusters of small mushrooms you often find in so-called 'exotic' selections at the supermarket. They have an appealing firmness that is retained during light cooking. "

Yotam Ottolenghi

You

Cooking

Exotic

" Healthy is in the eye of the beholder. "

" Braising eggs in a flavoursome, aromatic sauce is all the rage. It is warming and comforting, ideal for the morning when you are not normally up for a great culinary challenge. "

Yotam Ottolenghi

Challenge

You

" Stereotypical vegetarian food looks gray and brown. "

" Eating ready-made meals is about being very passive, and actively cooking is something that nothing compares to. "

" Poaching white fish in moderately hot oil guarantees soft-textured flesh and allows you to prepare a sauce calmly, without the usual panic about overcooking the fish. "

" Nearly all edible seaweeds - or 'sea vegetables,' as they ought technically to be called - belong to one of three broad groups: green, red and brown algae. "

" Most pumpkin dishes involve scooping out the seeds, cutting off the skin, and chopping up the flesh before cooking. "

Yotam Ottolenghi

Pumpkin

Off

" The difference between brown and white rice is that the former is not milled. With the outer bran and germ intact, the rice is therefore chewier and nuttier. "

" Stuffed vine leaves tend to burn and/or stick when you cook them. To avoid this, use a heavy based pan lined with a few layers of second-rate leaves. "

" Verjuice may not be the easiest thing in the world to find, but you should be able to track some down in good delis and online. "

" Panko are the elite of the breadcrumb world because they stay so crunchy and light. "

" Chipotles, which are dried jalapeno peppers, give out a terrific smoky flavour - they're warm, earthy and usually not too spicy. "

" Plums are a good substitute for gooseberries. "

Yotam Ottolenghi

Good

Substitute

" Forget mung beans' reputation as healthy yet bland - used right, they soak up loads of flavour. "

" 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. "

" The kitchen is tough. It's one of the last bastions in civilized culture that sets out to crush the spirit. "

" I keep returning to the combination of artichoke, broad beans and lemon. The freshness of young beans and the lemon juice 'lifts' the artichoke and balances its hearty nature. "

" Chinese sausage, which is widely available from Asian grocers and online, is sweet, rich, and enticingly smoky. I add it to steamed rice with strips of omelette and a few baby veg stir-fried with soy. "

" If you can't taste an ingredient, you have to ask yourself why it is there. "

" 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. "

" Dinner parties are still highly popular, and I believe they always will be. "

" Normally, when congee is served, the different condiments and garnishes are placed in little bowls on the side so diners can make their own personal creations. "

" Most of my recipes start life in the domestic kitchen, and even those that start out in the restaurant kitchen have to go through the domestic kitchen. "

Yotam Ottolenghi

Kitchen

Life

" 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. "

" I love dishes that feature the various shades of a single colour, making you stop to check what's in there. "

" Pomegranate molasses is ubiquitous in Arabic cooking: it's sweet, sour and adds depth. "

" Gooseberries aren't just for creamy desserts and pies. "

Yotam Ottolenghi

Desserts

Just

" I now understand how varied the world of cultivated rice is; that rice can play the lead or be a sidekick; that brown rice is as valuable as white; and that short-grain rice is the bee's knees. "