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One of the troubles with food is that people take themselves too seriously. This is why I'm very happy for people to change my recipes, alter them, replace one ingredient for another.
Yotam Ottolenghi
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Interpretation

What this quote means

People often become overly serious about food, but it's important to embrace flexibility and creativity in cooking.

In this quote, Yotam Ottolenghi expresses the idea that food should not be a source of stress or rigidity. Instead, he encourages individuals to feel free to modify recipes and ingredients as they see fit, promoting a more relaxed, personal approach to cooking where enjoyment and creativity take precedence over strict adherence to rules.

Themes

FoodRecipesCreativityCookingFlexibility

In practice

Example use cases

During a cooking class, you might say this quote to encourage participants to experiment with the recipes provided.

More from Yotam Ottolenghi

I'm a firm believer that the world should be your oyster when you're cooking. People should open themselves to other cuisines - there are a lot of hidden secrets all over the world.
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Food that's served at the table in a paper parcel always creates a remarkable culinary moment when opened, because the package is full of aromatic steam from the lightly cooked ingredients inside.
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