Tag Archives: kebab recipe

Fire Up the Grill for Jamie Oliver’s Shrimp Skewers & Ajoblanco Sauce

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All scratch-made, and ready in about half an hour.
All scratch-made, and ready in about half an hour.

Just like with fashion, when it comes to cooking, less often makes for a bigger impact.

I’ve long been a fan of Jamie Oliver for his attitude that cooking shouldn’t be a big deal. Over the years, he’s shown that a handful or so of ingredients plus a modest amount of time is all that’s required to put together a truly winning dish.

Now, he’s turned that same philosophy on the backyard grill with his newest cookbook, “Grill: Easy Grilling, Big Flavor” (Appetite), of which I received a review copy

The British chef offers up 90 recipes that won’t tax the budget, dexterity or comprehension of any home cook.These are simple — some might even consider basic — recipes that are sure to get the summer backyard festivities going.

Fire up the grill for everything from “Grilled Fish Tacos & Stone Fruit Salsa,” “Charred Squash & Tahini Chickpea Salad,” and “Arrabiata Chicken Drumsticks” to “Fruity Pork Chops & Grilled Potatoes” and “Shrimp Toast Burgers.”

Like the rest of the recipes in this book, “Shrimp Skewers & Ajoblanco Sauce” doesn’t require any heavy lifting.

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Way More Than A Grain of Salt

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Salt in the form of fish sauce adds umami to these easy kebabs.
Salt in the form of fish sauce adds umami to these easy kebabs.

Anyone who knows me knows that I gravitate to the sweet.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy and appreciate the salty.

After all, salt is one of the most essential ingredients in cooking. It boosts flavor and balances tastes. It can add moisture; and leech out excess liquid to firm up textures. It can also preserve and ferment.

For a real appreciation of all the forms that salt take and what they can do just pick up a copy of “The Miracle of Salt” (Artisan, 2022).

This comprehensive book is by Naomi Duguid, a writer, photographer and world traveler who has made a career out of immersing herself completely in the traditions and cultures of various foodstuffs in her award-winning cookbooks.

This fascinating book looks at how salt is harvested around the world, from Japan to Ethiopia to Gujarat in India. You’ll learn how to use salt in new ways, such as to make your own “Red Miso” from scratch and “Quick Salted Egg Yolks” that can be grated over pasta like bottarga.

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Sizzling Turkish Lamb and Eggplant Kebabs

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Lamb meatballs interspersed with big chunks of eggplant turn delightfully smoky on the grill.
Lamb meatballs interspersed with big chunks of eggplant turn delightfully smoky on the grill.

Husband-and-wife chefs Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer like to play with fire.

And the after-effects are sure to make your mouth-water.

After honing their craft at Yotam Ottolenghi’s acclaimed London restaurants, the couple opened the popular Israeli-influenced cafe, Honey & Co. in London, in 2012. That was followed in short succession by Honey & Smoke, and the Honey & Spice deli.

Their first cookbook, “Honey & Co: At Home: Middle Eastern Recipes From Our Kitchen” (Pavilion) was named “Cookbook of the Year” in 2015 by The Sunday Times in the United Kingdom.

Now comes their follow-up, “Honey & Co: Chasing Smoke: Cooking Over Fire Around the Levant” (Pavilion), of which I received a review copy.

As the title implies, this book is all about grilling, smoking and imparting coveted char in dishes. Join Packer and Srulovich as they take you on a journey to discover the most delicious live-fire-cooking through Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Turkey, and Greece. Photographs of market stalls, desert landscapes, seashores, and all manner of blazing grills transport you to these evocative places. So much so, that you’ll swear you can feel the heat and smell the smoke right off the pages.

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