The Olives Table

In 1989, Todd English and his wife Olivia opened the original Olives; since then the restaurant has moved to larger quarters, and Todd and his bold, inventive Mediterranean-inspired cooking have earned an international reputation. Voted one of the Top Ten Restaurants by Esquire magazine and the Best New Restaurant by Boston magazine, it has also been voted Favorite Restaurant in the Zagat Guide to Boston and Vicinity.

Todd's robust, intensely flavored food begs to be savored and shared with others. And since the complexity of English's cooking comes from the layering of tastes and textures—not exotic equipment or techniques—by following the careful, step-by-step instructions, even the timid cook can recreate the dishes that the patrons of English's hugely popular Boston restaurant enjoy at the Olives table.

Pull out the stops and begin a meal with Todd's signature Olives Tart, baked in a crisp crust and rich with olives and creamy goat cheese, pair Gingered Slow-Braised Lamb Shanks with Apple-Fennel Mashed Potatoes for your main course, and finish with Falling Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce. Or for a lighter repast, try Pan-Fried Cornmeal-and-Cumin-Rubbed Cornish Game Hens served with Arugula Salad with Tomato and Cucumber Juice; finish with Mango-Raspberry Granita. Plan a simple but deeply satisfying supper of Roasted Clams with Chicken, Tomatoes, Artichokes, and Bacon served with roasted new potatoes and end with Gingersnap Risotto Pudding. Whatever meal you decide to create from these recipes, you won't be disappointed.

Todd English is the chef-owner of Olives and the three branches of Figs, all award-winning restuarants located in Boston. English graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with honors and was named Best Chef in the Northeast by the James Beard Foundation in 1994. He has taught cooking classes in the U.S. and abroad and has been featured in Bon Appetit, The New York Times, Food & Wine, The Boston Globe and The Boston Phoenix. He lives with his family in Boston.

Sally Sampson is the author of Recipes from the Night Kitchen: A Practical Guide to Spectacular Soups, Stews, and Chilies; The Diet Workshop’s Recipes for Healthy Living; and Chic Simple Cooking. She writes for The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, and Boston magazine, among other publications. She lives with her family in Boston.