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Niki Segnit

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Lateral Cooking: Foreword by Yotam Ottolenghi Hardcover – 20 Sept. 2018

by Niki Segnit (Author), Yotam Ottolenghi (Foreword)

4.6 148 ratings

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'You could cook from it over a whole lifetime, and still be learning' Nigella Lawson

'A rigorous, nuts-and-bolts bible of a book' Jay Rayner, Observer

'Lateral Cooking...uncovers the very syntax of cookery' Yotam Ottolenghi

'Astonishing and totally addictive' Brian Eno

The groundbreaking book that reveals the principles underpinning all recipe creation, from the author of the bestselling The Flavour Thesaurus

Do you feel you that you follow recipes slavishly without understanding how they actually work? Would you like to feel freer to adapt, to experiment, to play with flavours?

Niki Segnit, author of the landmark book The Flavour Thesaurus, gives you the tools to do just that. Lateral Cooking is organised into 77 'starting-point' recipes, including plenty of tips for substituting ingredients and reducing the phenomenal variety of world cuisine down to its bare essentials - and then building it back up again.

So, under 'Bread', we learn that flatbreads, oatcakes, buckwheat noodles, chapattis and tortillas are all variations on one theme. A few simple tweaks and you can make soda bread, scones or cobbler. And so on, through breads and batters, broths, stews and dals, one dish leading to another.

Lateral Cooking is as inspirational and entertaining a read as it is a practical guide. Once you have the hang of each starting point, a wealth of new flavour combinations awaits, each related in Niki's signature combination of culinary science, history, chefs' wisdom and personal anecdote. You will realise that recipes that you had thought were outside of your experience are reassuringly similar to things you've made a dozen times before. It will give you the confidence to experiment with flavour, and the variations that follow are a springboard of inspiration to the contents of your fridge and kitchen cupboards. You will, in short, learn to cook 'by heart'- and that's where the fun really begins.

From the Publisher

One dish leads to another

The Flavour Thesaurus taught you what to cook, now Lateral Cooking will show you how to cook. Understanding how one dish leads to another will expand your culinary horizons and give you the confidence to cook more.

The backbone of Lateral Cooking is a set of basic formulae that, once you’re familiar with them, will prove almost infinitely adaptable, according to whatever is in your fridge, in season, on offer at the market, or you feel like making.

Flavours and variations

Alongside the basic formulae in Lateral Cooking, Niki offers a starter-pack of flavouring options for you to build on in your own kitchen. There are classic flavours and some more unusual, obscure, non-traditional and even counter-intuitive suggestions too.

Take, for example, the nuts continuum

Marzipan – Surprisingly simple to make and the basis for many nut recipes (Please note: image not in the book)

Nut-meal Cake - A few tweaks from marzipan and you can bake a deliciously moist cake (Please note: photo not in the book)

Frangipane – Add butter and tweak your method to get this famous tart filling (Please note: photo not in the book)

Nut Stew – A few alterations and you can make nut stew, such as Indian korma (Please note: photo not in the book)

Product description

Review

It is hard to convey just what a staggering achievement Lateral Cooking is. Segnit is truly a one-woman Larousse. Only the scope is so much wider and deeper: this book covers continents! . I can lose myself in it any time, from any page, and you could cook from it over a whole lifetime, and still be learning -- Nigella Lawson

The cookbooks that teach you the most are the rare ones, experimental or not, that are so well written that you find yourself reading them greedily on a perpetual loop. Lateral Cooking is one of them -- Bee Wilson ― Times Literary Supplement

A rigorous, nuts-and-bolts bible of a book, which works from the premise that there are base recipes from which all others can be built... It's elegantly designed and extremely broad -- Jay Rayner ― Observer

My most anticipated book of the year -- Helen Goh

Witty, playful and conversational -- Diana Henry ― Sunday Telegraph

This year's star book... It's a cracker: a hefty volume with a simple premise... Segnit has an appealing authorial voice: funny, friendly and authoritative -- Evening Standard

Segnit is a brilliantly clever cook who sometimes seems to have eaten every great dish in the world, but the real joy is her exuberant voice, which feels like listening to a witty friend ― Sunday Times

Book of the decade, if you ask me... Every cook should have it -- Elisabeth Luard

Knowledgeable and humorous, with a focus on flavour and technique, this cookbook is informative, useful and sure to become a kitchen bible to many -- Guardian ― ‘Best Books of 2018’

In a year that's been a bonanza for cookbooks, this is the one I'd put top of my list ― Independent

Want to graduate from a rigid recipe-follower to an instinctive, ingredient-led cook? Niki Segnit shows you how ― Waitrose Food

What makes this book really special, just like The Flavour Thesaurus, aside from Niki's impressive expertise, is her humour and personality. It's a joy to read -- Olive magazine

A textbook you'll turn to for all your culinary core techniques and queries ― Good Housekeeping

It's a book you'll buy not so much for the recipes, though there are plenty, but the insights it will give you on how the whole process of cooking works... a cracking read -- Fiona Beckett

One of the most exciting cookery books I've read this year ― Literary Review

Niki Segnit is back with a new cookbook to break the mould (again) ― Huffington Post

It is an absolute triumph, want to take a week off work to read it and cook as I go... cannot recommend enough! If you loved The Flavour Thesaurus, this is basically Christmas -- Rukmini Iyer

Lateral Cooking is a beautifully simple book that just makes sense. I'm hooked again -- Kenny Tutt

Niki Segnit's Lateral Cooking is a spectacularly good cookbook. If it were a novel, it'd be a shoo-in for the Booker -- Elisabeth Luard ― The Oldie

It's a clever idea... a fabulous read -- Harry Wallop ― The Times

Gorgeous, informative book -- Chef Valentina Harris

This should be alongside The Silver Spoon and Le Repertoire, that's where it's going on my shelf -- Mat Follas

A collection of ideas and inspiration - my kind of thinking -- Frances Quinn

Shows, more effectively than any other cookery writer to date, how one thing in the kitchen leads to another ― Times Literary Supplement

A cookbook full of open-ended recipes -- Yotam Ottolenghi

An enjoyable read -- Delicious magazine

This isn't a reference book, it's an engrossing read for foodies ― What’s Hot Blog

A cooking bible... a must-have in every kitchen, I'm blown away! ― Amy Treasure Blog

From the author of The Flavour Thesaurus comes this collection of recipes arranged on a continuum, meaning simple tweaks give you a whole new dish ― Domestic Sluttery

It's her humour, stories and thoughtful research that make this much more than simply a cookbook ― IndyEats (independent) – Cookery Books of 2018

It's fascinating and engrossing. It makes you want to cook more - and there can be no higher compliment ― Ms Marmite Lover Blog - Cookery books of 2018

A wonderfully simple idea... but It's her humour, stories and thoughtful research that make this much more than simply a cookbook ― Independent (App edition)

Book Description

The groundbreaking book that gives you the freedom to adapt what you have in the cupboard into flavourful recipes, from the author of the bestselling The Flavour Thesaurus

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1408856891
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Publishing (20 Sept. 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 612 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781408856895
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1408856895
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 17.7 x 4.4 x 26.8 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 151,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 298 in Food & Drink Encyclopaedias & Dictionaries

Customer reviews:
4.6 148 ratings

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Niki Segnit

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Customer reviews

148 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book instructive and enjoyable to read. They appreciate its intelligent writing style, witty humor, and well-structured page layout. The book provides an exploration of cooking techniques and how it works. Readers find the writing style clever and insightful, offering a genuine understanding of what they are doing and why.

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Information content Enjoyment Flavours Intelligence Writing style Humor

17 customers mention ‘Information content’17 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and instructive about cooking. They say it's an excellent reference and inspiration for aspiring cooks. The book covers food and cooking methods in depth, making it a must-have for any aspiring cook.

"...It's actually very beautifully written, funny, anecdotal and makes light of the techniques and constraints of recipes...." Read more

"...Part instruction manual, part anecdote, part historical explanations, part journey through the author's favourite cooking books..." Read more

"...It is more of a book to learn basic cooking recipes for stocks, soups, pastries and lots more...." Read more

"This is a truly magnificent book. Jam packed full of useful information, recipes, suggestions and more...." Read more

13 customers mention ‘Enjoyment’13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it interesting, magnificent, and a joy to read. The author weaves personal stories into her writing, making it informative and entertaining. While some readers mention it's a tough read, they say it's amazing without any pomposity or bossiness.

"I loved The Flavour Thesaurus and I love this. It's magisterial but without any pomposity or bossiness...." Read more

"...this cookbook may not be for everyone, but its definitely a really interesting book if you're into reading cookbooks and increasing your repertoire..." Read more

"This is a fascinating book. It is not your traditional cooking book...." Read more

"...So much to read and learn. I have just one criticism - it is very heavy! Might have been better divided into two volumes...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Flavours’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's ideas for embellishments and adaptations useful. They describe it as a worthy follow-up to The Flavour Thesaurus and the most eccentric cookery book they have ever read.

"I loved The Flavour Thesaurus and I love this. It's magisterial but without any pomposity or bossiness...." Read more

"A worthy follow-up to The Flavour Thesaurus, Niki's new book feels like it should sit in a category all on its own...." Read more

"...Basic recipes followed by all sorts of ideas for embellishments, flavourings, adaptations...." Read more

"...The flavour thesaurus was fantastic because it was a reference book only...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Intelligence’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's intelligence and insights. They find it insightful, helpful for cooking with a deeper understanding of what you're doing and why. The writing is described as brilliant, witty, and informative. It provides useful information, recipes, suggestions, and is practical.

"...really interesting book if you're into reading cookbooks and increasing your repertoire (which I am!)..." Read more

"...it is like a window into Niki's brain and being able to see how she thinks about cooking...." Read more

"...Jam packed full of useful information, recipes, suggestions and more...." Read more

"...It offers a way of cooking with real understanding of what you are doing and why...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Writing style’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's writing style. They find it well-written, structured, and indexed. The page layout is simple yet effective, and the physical format is fantastic. Readers also mention the foreword writer's reputation and the fascinating structure of the book.

"...It's actually very beautifully written, funny, anecdotal and makes light of the techniques and constraints of recipes...." Read more

"...I bought this with my sister in mind, but it's got a fascinating structure which really helps you build up the skills towards more complex dishes...." Read more

"...The physical format of the book is fantastic too, it's unusually narrow and has unexpected touches like the contents being printed on the outside of..." Read more

"Segnit is a great writer. Very witty and enjoyable as anyone who's read the flavour thesaurus will know...." Read more

6 customers mention ‘Humor’6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find the writing witty and enjoyable.

"...It's actually very beautifully written, funny, anecdotal and makes light of the techniques and constraints of recipes...." Read more

"Segnit is a great writer. Very witty and enjoyable as anyone who's read the flavour thesaurus will know...." Read more

"...It is also very funny...." Read more

"informative , humorous well structured and well indexed. I have owned a copy for a couple of years and have just bought 5 as gifts...." Read more

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Ms M. F. Sullivan
Opens your eyes, broadens your horizons.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2019
Verified Purchase

I loved The Flavour Thesaurus and I love this. It's magisterial but without any pomposity or bossiness. It's actually very beautifully written, funny, anecdotal and makes light of the techniques and constraints of recipes. I thought I knew how to cook and all about food - but i didn't know as much as Niki Segnit, who is also the mistress of structure. Really enjoyable and inspiring!!!

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3 people found this helpful

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Kitty
As advertised, an intriguing cookbook
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 August 2023
Verified Purchase
With zero images I think this cookbook may not be for everyone, but its definitely a really interesting book if you're into reading cookbooks and increasing your repertoire (which I am!) I bought this with my sister in mind, but it's got a fascinating structure which really helps you build up the skills towards more complex dishes. Very cool 🤩

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One person found this helpful

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Pineapple21
Eccentric and practical
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 October 2018
Verified Purchase
A worthy follow-up to The Flavour Thesaurus, Niki's new book feels like it should sit in a category all on its own. Part instruction manual, part anecdote, part historical explanations, part journey through the author's favourite cooking books (the bibliography is extensive!)... it is like a window into Niki's brain and being able to see how she thinks about cooking.
I've been reading this book before bed each night, so haven't put anything into practise yet, but it's already opened my mind so much about cooking techniques. The basis of the book is "one dish leads to another" -- so that by mastering a handful of techniques, it becomes infinitely adaptable and you can become as creative as you like, restricted only by the time you have in the kitchen or what you have in the fridge & cupboard.
Some people cook by instinct, others like being bound within the confines of a recipe... I am somewhere between the two so it's wonderful to have something that explores that space.
The physical format of the book is fantastic too, it's unusually narrow and has unexpected touches like the contents being printed on the outside of the spine. The page layout is simple but effective -- it's obvious a lot of thought has gone into how all the information should be shown for the benefit of the reader.
This book would make a lovely gift for any foodie, for any occasion.

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27 people found this helpful

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GJS
Lots of information you haven’t read before!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 October 2019
Verified Purchase
This book was recommended to me with much enthusiasm. To my shame, it put me to sleep and I’m waiting for a foodie person to give it to - maybe a food geek who will appreciate it much more than I do.
It’s like an academic cook book - I don’t want to think that hard about cooking!

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4 people found this helpful

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Joe Cooper
Unique recipe book that can expand your basics
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2021
Verified Purchase
This is a fascinating book.
It is not your traditional cooking book.
It is more of a book to learn basic cooking recipes for stocks, soups, pastries and lots more.
The way the book is structured is it will teach you a basic way of cooking something for example pastry then with that basic recipe it expands it to other variants of that recipe so a Cornish pasty.
It is really good if you want to expand your knowledge of cooking and learn some basics that can be applied later down the like. I have made pastry’s , cakes, stocks and brioche from this book. If your a keen cook and want to expand your knowledge this is the book for you.

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2 people found this helpful

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Dinah U
Brilliant
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2019
Verified Purchase
This is a truly magnificent book. Jam packed full of useful information, recipes, suggestions and more. I read the bread chapter using Amazon's look inside feature and I would have happily bought the book for that alone. Basic recipes followed by all sorts of ideas for embellishments, flavourings, adaptations. One thing can lead you on to another and before you know it you are nowhere near where you started. So much to read and learn. I have just one criticism - it is very heavy! Might have been better divided into two volumes. But that's just a personal preference and apart from that I can't fault it. It wasn't cheap, I normally don't spend more than £10 on a book and this was £22, however it is worth every penny.

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5 people found this helpful

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Chattahoochee Tern
Riffing on food
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 September 2018
Verified Purchase
I was intrigued to discover what this book was about. Well, each chapter represents a food 'continuum' with variations on a theme. In the bread chapter for example, the principles behind making flatbreads are explained first. Then we move through the principles of crackers, scones, soda bread, cobbler to yeast-risen bread in different forms and onwards.

The idea is to build confidence and understanding, and to give starting points to work from and adapt according to what you want to make, have to hand and so on.

The book is highly readable in the author's inimitable style (e.g. a piece on bread included the application of eyeliner and a trip to the pub). It has me bursting to get into the kitchen to let rip.

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ANTONIO GALLARDO
Incumplimiento
Reviewed in Mexico on 10 March 2020
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NO he recibido el libro!

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G. Gormley
Beautiful and helpful
Reviewed in the United States on 20 January 2019
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I got this book for multiple people for Christmas and they all loved it. A great cookbook for beginners, and a new fresh take for those who already have shelves of cookbooks and have been cooking for years.

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MD
So generic, yet so specific!
Reviewed in India on 30 June 2019
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Every enthusiastic home cook's dream!!

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Jonathan O'Connor
Funniest cookbook ever written
Reviewed in Germany on 6 June 2019
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Every few pages, Niki Segnit makes a remark, or tells a story that has me laughing out loud. But it's also filled with culinary wisdom.

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Cecile Goldenberg
Not a book for professionals, but enjoyable
Reviewed in Australia on 15 December 2024
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Only browsed so far, but on first impression it's mostly a book for home cooks, but might give a professional some thoughts about playing around with food.

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Lateral Cooking: Foreword by Yotam Ottolenghi Hardcover – 20 Sept. 2018

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One dish leads to another

Flavours and variations

Take, for example, the nuts continuum

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Book Description

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Niki Segnit

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The book must have tumbled down, or summersaulted all the way to my house to look this tired!

Top reviews from United Kingdom

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5.0 out of 5 stars Opens your eyes, broadens your horizons.

5.0 out of 5 stars As advertised, an intriguing cookbook

5.0 out of 5 stars Eccentric and practical

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of information you haven’t read before!

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique recipe book that can expand your basics

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant

5.0 out of 5 stars Riffing on food

Top reviews from other countries

1.0 out of 5 stars Incumplimiento

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars So generic, yet so specific!

5.0 out of 5 stars Funniest cookbook ever written

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a book for professionals, but enjoyable

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Opens your eyes, broadens your horizons.

As advertised, an intriguing cookbook

Eccentric and practical

Lots of information you haven’t read before!

Unique recipe book that can expand your basics

Brilliant

Riffing on food

Incumplimiento

Beautiful and helpful

So generic, yet so specific!

Funniest cookbook ever written

Not a book for professionals, but enjoyable