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" Speaking as someone who didn't go through the U.K. school system, with all the culinary baggage that entails, I am inordinately fond of custard in any shape or form. "

Yotam Ottolenghi

Shape

System

School

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Yotam Ottolenghi

Lighten

Both

" After all these years of cooking and writing recipes, I am still amazed every time I notice how even the minutest of variation in technique can make a spectacular difference. "

" Urfa chillies are a Turkish variety that are mild on heat but big on aroma. They're sweet, smoky, a lovely dark red, and go with just about anything. "

Yotam Ottolenghi

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Dark

" Breakfast is always the best time for something juicy, sweet and fresh - it just feels like the right way to open the day. There's no right way, though, when it comes to choosing the fruit. "

" Buckwheat, like Marmite and durian, is a seriously divisive foodstuff, so it needs a seriously capable defence team if it's ever going to make it on to most people's dinner tables. "

Yotam Ottolenghi

People

Dinner

" Most fish require a short cooking time, but cephalopods are the exception to this fishy rule. As with some cuts of larger land beasts, the longer they're cooked, the more tender they get. "

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" 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. "

" The difference between a bland tomato and great one is immense, much like the difference between a standard, sliced white bread and a crusty, aromatic sourdough. "

" When it comes to the battle of the molluscs, cephalopods win tentacles down. "

" Dried porcini add a substantial, deep flavour to otherwise more neutral vegetables. I use them in risottos, mashed roots and winter soups. "

Yotam Ottolenghi

Winter

Roots

" 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. "