Yotam Ottolenghi's new recipes

Yotam Ottolenghi's multi-vegetable paella. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin

Yotam Ottolenghi's puy lentil galettes. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin

Caramelised garlic tart. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin

15 wonderful vegetarian recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi's new book, Plenty. I can hardly wait to try them.

I think this blog is great. It's the closest I'll get to the French Laundry experience. Eating at the restaurant is not really an option and the cookbook has not appeared (so far) at the Book Depot.

Via Grow a Brain

Rachel Ray Is Trying To Kill You

The inexplicably controversial Rachel Ray had a guest who demonstrated how to make omelets in a Ziploc bag. It seems this could cause cancer. Perhaps Rachel is trying to wreak revenge on her critics?

Via Reddit

First Remove Several Flagstones...

Today's Independent brings us the story of Willy Fowler a fellow who loved his Cumbrian fare and published a cookbook detailing his own culinary exploits. He died in 1977 but his cookbook, recently republished, has gained him new followers, including Jamie Oliver (of Naked Chef fame).

His recipes are down-to-earth. I like this one for lobster:

Cover the kitchen table with newspaper, go into the garden and remove several flagstones. Scrub them and have one for each place at dinner, along with a hammer. Cut the lobster down the centre and invite those dining to hammer their pieces. After dinner, roll up the newspaper and replace the flagstones.

First the Boar's Head

Vintage Christmas recipes.
Via Plep

When 2-1/2 pounds of practically raw beef won't do the trick

Yummm! Just like grandma used to make.

Craving Something Sweet?

This might suit, if you have a few days and a spare two hundred dollars or so to spend on a cake.

Take 18 eggs, one jar of wild sour cherries in heavy syrup, two pounds of highest-quality chocolate, one domestic vacuum cleaner, a wood-effect painting tool, an industrial spraying machine, one high-pressure, gas-powered whipping canister, a large cardboard box - and mix for 10 hours; Christopher Hirst grapples with Heston Blumenthal's Black Forest gateau.

I'm certainly intrigued by this extreme macho approach to baking and want to read Blumenthal's new cookbook In Search of Perfection. Though, if all the recipes are as complex as this one, I doubt that I'll be attempting to recreate them in my own kitchen stadium.