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Like many chefs,Sohla El-Wayllyunderstands the burdens and barriers of culinary school. A lofty price tag with lower-than-ideal returns, it’s a choice not feasible to many, so El-Waylly set out to make that knowledge more accessible with her inaugural cookbook,Start Here.El-Waylly distills takeaways from her time in cooking school, years-long tenure at restaurants, and her experience as a Bon Appétit staffer to bring home cooks the foundations they need to be more confident in the kitchen.
“Each chapter in this book explores a topic indispensable to any cook,” writes El-Waylly. And because she wants you to be adept at wielding a whisk just as well as a knife, El-Waylly divides this book into two big sections: culinary lessons and baking and pastry lessons. You’ll learn how to slice and dice vegetables with precision, cook a pot of rice many ways, and the science of emulsions and the pitfalls of undermixing a cake batter all in the same book. But it’s El-Waylly’s invitation to f*#% up in the kitchen that’s the most understated contribution of this book. She implores that “failing in the kitchen is an opportunity to zigzag, reassess, and think creatively to fix your failure into something delicious.”
For a brown girl like me, though, this cookbook is the mirror I wish I had as a student in culinary school. I spent hours perfecting mother sauces and folding French omelets with flawless trifolds, but rarely, if ever, saw my own cuisine (or any non-Eurocentric cuisine, for that matter) studied with the same rigor. But throughout El-Waylly’s cookbook, you’ll find expert breakdowns of techniques behind dishes both she and I grew up eating throughout our Bangladeshi upbringings, right next to recipes for risotto, focaccia, and pizza.
She explains how the high-heat cooking method is key to getting that perfectly browned surface on a frizzled desi omelet—a permanent breakfast staple in my childhood home. Cauliflower Khorma becomes a masterclass in braising, while mishti doi, Bengali jaggery-flavored yogurt, is the inspiration for a cheesecake-like dessert. With each recipe, technique overview, and the stories within, El-Waylly makes the unattainable achievable in more ways than one.
Who this book is for
For those looking to brush up on the basics and sharpen their chops in the kitchen, this is an excellent book to cook through. El-Waylly’s encyclopedic knowledge of culinary techniques and the diverse array of dishes in this book make learning how to cook more fun than ever.
What we can’t wait to cook
Nutty and Salty Gunpowder Spice:Gunpowder spice isn’t actually a spice but a dry chutney from South India. And keeping with the true spirit of chutneys, El-Waylly leaves tons of room to adjust her recipe to meet your sweet, spicy, or salty needs. You’re left with a jar of piquant powder, ready to dip vegetables into or sprinkle onto salads.
Bravas Potato Salad:We may be well into fall, but I can’t help dreaming of making this recipe for a summer barbecue next year. El-Waylly imparts the flavors of patatas bravas, the pimentón-laden crispy potatoes found at every eatery in Spain, into her version of America’s beloved cookout side. I should also add that there’s a generous topping of potato chips involved.
