I received two Yotam Ottolenghi cookbooks for my birthday, and I have fallen in love with his cuisine ever since I first cooked one of his recipes. What I love about Ottolenghi’s cuisine is his mix of Middle Eastern flavors — something I can totally relate to, as we both come from an Israeli background. Featuring some of my favorite ingredients — such as tahini, za’atar, tomatoes, cumin and paprika — Ottolenghi’s recipes are always a hit in our home, impressing both Jon and I as well as our guests. So far I’ve tried several vegetable recipes and meat dishes as well as what Ottolenghi calls codcakes in tomato sauce, which, to my surprise, turned boring cod fillets into some of the most scrumptious fish patties I’ve ever tasted. But as you probably know by now, I love to tweak recipes and add my personal touch, and so I’ve reworked Ottolenghi’s codcakes and added a couple more of my favorite ingredients, such as za’atar — a Middle Eastern herb generally made out of thyme, oregano and sesame seeds.
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