Lateral Cooking: Foreword by Yotam Ottolenghi

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Segnit] shows, more effectively than any other cookery writer to date, how one thing in the kitchen leads to another . . . In the end, the cookbooks that teach you the most are the rare ones, experimental or not, that are so well written that you find yourself reading them greedily on a perpetual loop. Lateral Cooking is one of them.”— Times Literary Supplement Season a dish lightly as you go. If you’re making a curry, for example, add a pinch of salt along with the spices once the onions have browned, then again when the dish is close to being finished. What you’re doing is building up layers of seasoning and flavour. If you season right at the end of the dish, you’re more likely to over-season it (which I’m sadly finding to be true, cooking saltless meals for two adults and a nine-month-old baby). Knowledgeable and humorous, with a focus on flavour and technique, this cookbook is informative, useful and sure to become a kitchen bible to many (Guardian ‘Best Books of 2018’)

A groundbreaking handbook—the "method" companion to its critically acclaimed predecessor, The Flavor Thesaurus— with a foreword by Yotam Ottolenghi. Segnit’s book is about highlighting such links, but it is about other things, too: repeating recipes until they are drilled into your head; being unafraid to make mistakes; recognising that there is no “correct” way; accepting that each dish allows a certain amount of leeway; getting a sense for how things look and feel. This latter point becomes apparent when we move onto pizza dough while our flatbreads rest. Instead of relying on scales or measuring cups, Segnit encourages me to knead away while adding flour or water until the dough feels soft and silky. When it feels perfect, we put it aside to prove. Cook with wine or sherry that you want to drink. Don’t be tempted to buy a much cheaper bottle just for cooking, as the flavour will affect the finished dish. If in doubt, use a splash (or more) of the wine or sherry you might drink with the finished meal. And definitely don’t use a wine that’s corked – the bad taste will come through in your food. Whisk your mince My pizza dough is done but still needs time to prove, so I part ways with my tutor and head home to cook it later on. When I do, it proves to be another triumph. I top them with chilli and chorizo for the adults, and broccoli and sweetcorn for my two-year-old daughter and her dinner date (I have never seen them both hoover up veg so willingly). But I would be lying if I said that, while I was making them, I didn’t think about maybe baking a loaf with the dough instead. Or perhaps adding a bit more oil to make focaccia? Or how about folding it around a rolled out slab of butter and having a go at croissants? Or I could cut them into rings and … The groundbreaking book that reveals the principles underpinning all recipe creation, from the author of the bestselling The Flavour Thesaurus

Reviews

It is an absolute triumph, want to take a week off work to read it and cook as I go... cannot recommend enough! If you loved The Flavour Thesaurus, this is basically Christmas -- Rukmini Iyer leads to another . . . In the end, the cookbooks that teach you the most are the rare ones, experimental or not, that are so well written that you find yourself reading them greedily on a perpetual loop. Lateral Cooking is one of them." -- Times Literary Supplement Don’t follow the recipe to the last detail. Obviously, follow the instructions and techniques, but in terms of portions and ingredients I think it’s all about experiencing and trying. If you don’t like cumin seeds, just leave them out. If the dish turns out a bit bland, add more salt. I’m not saying you don’t need recipes, they’re really useful for home cooking, especially pastry, but don’t be scared to add things according to your taste. Cooking should be intuitive and fun. Forgive yourself

A rigorous, nuts-and-bolts bible of a book, which works from the premise that there are base recipes from which all others can be built... It's elegantly designed and extremely broad -- Jay Rayner * Observer *

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This should be alongside The Silver Spoon and Le Repertoire, that's where it's going on my shelf -- Mat Follas If you think a dish has enough salt but still doesn’t taste right, add fresh lemon or lime juice. It enhances the flavour immensely and will round off the flavours. It’s usually a good idea to add lemon right at the end, especially if cooking on the stovetop on a high heat. Shows, more effectively than any other cookery writer to date, how one thing in the kitchen leads to another * Times Literary Supplement *