For those who proposed adding preserved lemons, here’s a link to Ottolenghi’s other watermelon and feta recipe but this time with Mala ATA olives and preserved lemons added. https://ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/watermelon-and-feta-salad-with-marinated-olives-and-preserved-lemon#

Snowy day with no school, my daughter asked me to bake something. I’m trying to take a break from eating sweets, so I went with this because I don’t care for powdered donuts. Threw it together in about 10-15 minutes. Forgot the parchment paper but that wasn’t a problem, it released easily. I showed my daughter the suggested toppings, and she went for the maple coffee glaze, which is excellent. I had a small piece. This cake really does taste like powdered donuts (it’s the nutmeg, and for me it’s too much, but I figured that going in). I love this book.

Omg this was so good!! The flavours work beautifully together, not difficult at all and the oven does most of the work. Could easily substitute chuck or even beef cheeks if you don’t want to deal with bones.

It looked so good in the book, but was highly underwhelming. The ratatouille was ok, but no herbs at all! Also, the filo should have been oiled at least a little bit. But it was mainly the almonds on top of the (tasteless) ricotta that gave a marzipan flavour and simply did not belong there. It could become a good dish, if you season well and replace the ricotta with e.g. some goat cheese. We ended up adding parmesan for flavour.

lovely salad. when figs are in season i make this salad often. the only thing i need to be careful of is not burning the livers whilst making sure they are cooked through. however some charcoal bits on the sides makes them very tasty

I used this waffle recipe (not the jam) and they came out very well. Delicious with bacon and maple syrup!

The cupboard was bare, but I had frozen peas and the other ingredients to make this. It’s really tasty and a great recipe to have in my back pocket when I haven’t been shopping.

love this. adding pearl couscous and harissa to caponata is genius. great recipe to make when you have a vegan guest amongst meat eating people. you can serve this with crusty bread to the vegan and the meat eating friends can have it as a side dish. makes enough to feed ten armies. for an everyday meal i halve the recipe and my husband and i still eat this for a few days as a side dish. in the past, i’ve omitted almonds or harissa because i didn’t have them and it’s still delicious. the only faff is the amount of chopping and frying, but all is forgiven because it’s yummy. meat loving hubby says “it’s just ok, not a big fan” but he eats it like a starved animal every time i serve it.

Really enjoyed this one. I didn’t have a shallot on hand so used a green onion. Would love to make the sauce as written because I think it would be even better. A great way to showcase a really great piece of fish.

wonderful. perfect the way it is. smelled amazing when it was in the slow cooker. no need to brown the chuck steak. fast to prepare, easy to make and tasty. had it with white corn tortillas, pico de gallo, coriander, jalapeño hot sauce, cheese and sour cream. licked my fingers and the plate.

This was my first time eating cooked cucumbers. It was okay but I didn't love it. This seemed to need some acid (?) My son loved them.

Beans, tomatoes, bacon and paprika. How could you go wrong with this quick and delicious dish? It was easy and good with crusty bread.

Such a simple preparation that was so so good. Quick, easy, served as a side to sea bass and loved it.

I'd made this recipe before from the website. This time I used 100 g whole wheat flour and the bread still turned out really well - a nice tall loaf, perfect for sandwiches.

Easy to make and quite good. Like TrishaCP and darcie_b I also cooked the onions and chicken a bit longer. Oddly, the coconut milk got thinner as it cooked rather than thicker. I added cooked cauliflower florets at the end, which also tasted great in the sauce; next time I may add something green like baby spinach. The recipe doesn't call for lime, but the photo shows one, so I squeezed one into the sauce at the end and liked the extra flavor.

...looks at the magic elements that make a plate of food truly come into its own: acid, texture and contrast ...

My verdict is that these were excellent snacks- they were incredibly simple to make, and they reminded me of rice krispie treats. They’re definitely adult-friendly as well...

My verdict is that these were excellent snacks- they were incredibly simple to make, and they reminded me of rice krispie treats. They’re definitely adult-friendly as well...

It’s sort of like the advent calendar of cookbooks. Except that I can see myself making a lot of things throughout the year.

This is a brilliant recipe that results in a gloriously lemony tart. It also uses orange zest and juice, which rounds out the flavour and adds extra complexity.

I really like this apple cake recipe, and it’s a great way to use up a bunch of apples in your fruit bowl...All in all, it’s one of my favourite recipes in La Vita E Dolce.

Although I like all of it, my favourite part are the hazelnuts, which make the cake almost like a Ferrero Rocher.

I used a tin of cherries. The cake turned out to be scrumptious, but next time I’d try frozen cherries instead. I think those would work better.

Once you’re past the caramel hurdle, it’s plain sailing. And the resulting apricot upside-down cake is a pure delight.

I’ve had the best time making delicious Italian desserts from La Vita E Dolce. Every cake has been scrumptious... All in all, La Vita E Dolce is a gorgeous cookbook with brilliant dessert recipes.

...a nice balance between sweet and savoury, and showcases the main ingredient really nicely. I also like the little bits of white chocolate that give this cake a little creaminess too.

The finished black sesame ice cream is delicious and very moreish.

...a delicious and wholesome bowl, perfect for a weeknight dinner.

...even though the recipe is simple, the finished dish is everything but. It’s got great complexity...

...super easy, and the burgers come together really quickly...in about half an hour you’ll have a deliciously charred and sticky teriyaki chicken burger.