Born in Jerusalem in 1968, Yotam Ottolenghi studied comparative literature at Tel Aviv University before training at Le Cordon Bleu in London. In 2002, he opened the Ottolenghi deli in Notting Hill with Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi; they now run nine delis and restaurants, including Nopi and Rovi. Ottolenghi has written 10 bestselling and award-winning cookery books, including Jerusalem and Plenty. He lives in London with his husband, Karl Allen, and their two children. His latest cookbook, Comfort, co-written with Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley (Ebury Press, £30), is out now.
1. Novel
Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan
This is the kind of book that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Set in a post-Brexit, post-lockdown London, it’s a tragicomic tale of Campbell Flynn, an academic whose life is spiralling in the most fascinating ways. O’Hagan captures London in all its messy, multicultural glory, making it a must for anyone who lives here. My favourite character is probably Flynn’s sister, Moira, who’s a politician: there’s something stoic and open-eyed about her, but also very kind. It’s not a label you could attach to many of the characters in the book.
2. Play
Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Phoenix theatre, London WC2
My son Max, who’s 11, is obsessed with the Netflix series, and over time he’s managed to get me hooked as well. I’m not a huge fan of mystery and science fiction, but I like the period aspects because it takes me back to my childhood in the 70s and 80s. In the afternoons, my friends and I would spend many hours creating a world that was completely separate from the adults’ world, centred on games, adventure and the outdoors. This stage prequel promises to be as imaginative and mysterious as the original series, but mostly I’m excited to share the experience with Max.
3. TV
Ethos (Netflix)
Ethos was my first dip into Turkish television. It paints a vivid picture of Istanbul, connecting people from all walks of life through shared struggles, whether it’s the challenges faced by a housekeeper or the inner turmoil of a modern therapist. It focuses on one particular woman – she’s a traditional Muslim but is exposed to modern Istanbul, which has a very secular side to it, and she is torn between those two worlds. The cinematography is striking, the characters deeply human, and it offers a slice of Turkish society that feels both specific and completely relatable.
4. Food
Bouchon Racine, London EC1
If I could eat at only one restaurant for the rest of my life, it might just be Bouchon Racine. This place is a masterclass in classical French cooking, focused on Lyonnaise cuisine. It couldn’t be clearer in what it stands for: there’s steak tartare, celeriac remoulade with ham, and their crème caramel is something I’ve been singing about all summer. These are such icons of French cooking, and it’s always delicious. The chef, Henry Harris, hasn’t had a restaurant that he cooks in regularly for a few years, and it’s so nice to have him back on the London food scene.
5. App
NYT Games
Lately, I’ve found myself getting lost in the world of word puzzles – those daily mental workouts that somehow feel like a good way to spend time on my phone. I use it to ease my way into the day without stress: I wake up around six o’clock and have the luxury of that extra half-hour in bed. I start with Wordle, then I move on to Connections and, if I have time, I also do Strands, the new one. I’ve got a few friends that I share my daily results with, so that becomes a way to communicate first thing in the morning.
6. Art
Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum: It Will End in Tears, Barbican, London EC2, until 5 January
I love the Barbican because it always does a great job at bringing in things that are maybe challenging or unfamiliar to me. Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum lives in the Netherlands but is originally from Botswana. She is building an imagined world in which to display her paintings at the Curve, based on her formative experiences in the liminal spaces between borders. I’ve looked at her artwork online and there’s something about her images that is realistic but also fantastic. I’m really intrigued to go and see her work – she feels like a very deep artist with a lot of layers to peel.
7. Activity
Glamping in Norfolk
We took the kids glamping near Sedgeford during the May bank holiday, with a few families with children of similar age to mine. Let’s just say that camping is not my first port of call normally, and the weather was really not very hospitable. But it was so nice to be with a group of people, chatting into the night, allowing the kids to run outdoors all day. We hiked around the area and cooked outside whenever we could keep the fire going long enough, when it wasn’t raining. There’s something about a British mini-break that’s equal parts chaotic and charming.
