Tag Archives: Tara Wigley

Shawarma Meatloaf with Caramelized Onions is Pure Ottolenghi Comfort

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Make meatloaf -- shawarma-style.
Make meatloaf — shawarma-style.

Beef meatloaf. Turkey meatloaf. Pork meatloaf. And combos of all three meats in one, baked either free-form or snuggled inside a loaf pan.

You’ve no doubt had all these iterations of meatloaf, and loved every one of them for their nostalgic taste.

But I bet you’ve never had a shawarma meatloaf, smothered in caramelized onions, soft herbs, and pomegranate arils, and baked into a pie-shape in a cast-iron skillet.

This winning dish could only come from the one and only Yotam Ottolenghi, the Israeli-born British chef and owner of numerous restaurants and delis in the United Kingdom.

The recipe is from his newest cookbook, “Ottolenghi Comfort” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy. It was written with his long-time recipe developer Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller, head of quality at Ottolenghi; and co-author Tara Wigley.

These are recipes definitely designed for an adept home-cook, less complex and lengthy than others he’s written, but no less enticing with plenty of global flavors.

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Cinnamon-Scented Sweet Tahini Rolls

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Beautifully golden rolls swirled with cinnamon sugar and tahini.
Beautifully golden rolls swirled with cinnamon sugar and tahini.

In the early days of shelter-in-place, I felt as if I was living through a “Seinfeld” episode.

Specifically, the one where Elaine is beside herself when she learns her favorite contraceptive sponge is being discontinued. Guarding her precious remaining supply tightly, she’d pick apart any new suitor to determine if they were indeed “sponge-worthy.”

I did the same — only with yeast. Because it was scarce at supermarkets and I had only three packets left, I found myself loathe to try any new recipes using yeast lest they turn out to be disappointing failures.

After all, I simply couldn’t afford to waste those few precious packets. So, I made only tried-and-true recipes that I knew were absolutely, without a doubt, yeast-worthy.

Until now. Three weeks ago, my husband miraculously scored yeast at Whole Foods. Hallelujah!

Now, restocked and raring to go, I couldn’t wait to try some new recipes that used yeast. The first one to catch my eye was “Sweet Tahini Rolls” from the new cookbook, “Falastin: A Cookbook” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy.

The book is by Sami Tamimi, executive chef and founding partner of the Ottolenghi restaurant group, and Tara Wigley, a long-time Ottolenghi recipe writer. They titled the cookbook, “Falastin,” after the Palestinian newspaper that brought diverse people together.

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