Cooks Without Borders to host Tara Wigley — Ottolenghi and Tamimi's co-author — for a special live video event

Tara Wigley is co-author of ‘Falastin,’ ‘Ottolenghi Simple’ and other cookbooks. / Photo by Jenny Zarins

By Leslie Brenner

If you are a fan of Yotam Ottlenghi and his books (is there anyone who isn’t?), you’ll want to join Cooks Without Borders when we host Tara Wigley for a special Live Video Q & A on Thursday, Feb. 25. The one-hour event will begin at noon CST (10 a.m. PST / 11 a.m. MST / 1 p.m. EST). For participants in Britain, where Wigley lives, it begins at 6 p.m. GMT.

Wigley has collaborated with Ottolenghi since 2010, when she assisted him, working out of his flat in Notting Hill, London, on his cooking column for The Guardian. She has since become an important part of the Ottolenghi family, having worked on many of the cookbooks it has produced, including Plenty More, Nopi and Sweet — and co-authored several with the chef, including Flavor (the most recent) and Ottolenghi Simple — which is probably our favorite of them all.

[Read our review of Ottolenghi Simple.]

Wigley also co-authored, with chef Sami Tamimi (Ottolenghi’s business partner), Falastin — another Cooks Without Borders all-time favorite. You can see her in this video preparing a dish we absolutely adore — Chicken Musakhan — and other Palestinian treats with Tamimi.

[Read our review of Falastin.]

Wigley’s involvement with the Ottolenghi-sphere began when she was just out of Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland, having left behind a career in publishing. After a brief stint working at Nopi, she was trying to figure out her life when she got an out-of-the-blue phone call from chef Ottolenghi, who was her “complete hero” — and she thought it was her husband playing a practical joke on her. She tells about it, including how things played out in this wonderful video.

About the Live Q & A with Wigley

Cooks Without Borders Premium Members will have exclusive access to participate in the live event on the 25th, which I’ll be hosting. If you’re not yet a Premium Member, don’t worry — you can try out Premium Membership for one month for free! Or take advantage of our special Charter Annual Membership opportunity.

YES! I’d like a Free Trial Premium Membership. SIGN ME UP!

I have so many questions I’m excited to ask Wigley, and I’m sure you do, too! Hope to see you there.

Live Q & A with Tara Wigley, Thursday, Feb. 25, noon CST (10 a.m. PST, 11 a.m. MST, 1 p.m. EST, 6 p.m. GMT). Sign up from the premium members’ home page.

You're invited to a virtual book party to celebrate Mely Martínez's 'The Mexican Home Kitchen'

Mely Martínez with epazote she grew in her garden in Frisco, Texas. Her debut cookbook, ‘The Mexican Home Kitchen’ was published Sept. 15, 2020. | Photo by David Castañeda

We are excited to announce that Cooks Without Borders and The Dallas Morning News will be co-hosting a virtual book party to celebrate the publication of The Mexican Home Kitchen, Mely Martínez’s debut cookbook.

Mely is the blogger behind Mexico in My Kitchen; we reviewed her book last week.

The party will be Thursday, Sept. 24 from 5 to 6 p.m. Central Time, as part of The Dallas Morning News DMN Download series. Please join Mely, Dallas Morning News Food Editor Erin Booke and me to talk about Mexican cooking and Mely’s book. We’ll leave plenty of time for a Q&A, so be sure to bring your questions!

RSVP here for a link.

Just before the event, be sure to make Mely’s Fresh Salsa Rosa and mix her favorite cocktail, a Tequila Sunrise, so we can party in style together and raise a glass to the author. Oh, and there will be prizes! We’ll be giving away two copies of the cookbook signed by Mely, as well as a molcajete and a cazuela from Ancient Cookware.

This traditional molcajete will be one of the giveways, care of Ancient Cookware, during the virtual book party for Mely Martínez and her new cookbook, ‘The Mexican Home Kitchen.’

Hope you had a fantastic Mexican Independence Day, and we look forward to hanging with you on the 24th!