Born and raised in Israel, Yotam Ottolenghi built a name for himself as a restaurateur in London, where he opened the first Ottolenghi delicatessen. His emphasis on the role of food as a connector and community builder came through in his cookbooks, the first of which, Ottolenghi, published in 2008, became an instant bestseller. He followed up with vegetarian recipes in Plenty and Plenty More, and the BBC has credited him as “the driving force” behind rising interest in vegetarian and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Now a food columnist for The Guardian and The New York Times, which has also dubbed him “the philosopher chef,” Yotam has launched a portfolio of acclaimed restaurants and delis. He’s been honored with more than a dozen culinary awards, including two James Beard Awards for his cookbooks.

In this online class, you’ll learn about:

• Layering flavors, textures, and colors
• Food as a visual experience
• Making vegetables delicious
• Creating platters with multiple dishes
• Middle Eastern cooking techniques
• Mezze spreads: including hummus, pea spread, and muhammara
• Middle Eastern brunch foods: from labneh to green herb shakshuka
• Making roasted eggplant salad and grilled carrots with labneh and dukkah
• Making roasted cauliflower with harissa chili oil
• Magnificent centerpiece dishes: salmon and prawns in spicy tomato sauce and celebration rice
• Making homemade condiments to keep on hand, including harissa, lemon paste, quick shatta, and confit garlic oil