Start Here

May 1, 2023

Cooking well requires the right techniques, and from "Temperature Management 101" to "Getting To Know Dough," El-Waylly's Start Here delivers the goods--not to mention 200-plus recipes. Prepub Alert.

Copyright 2023 Library Journal

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2023
Building on her own experiences as a culinary novice who questioned recipes rather than following them exactly, El-Waylly's new cookbook shares the whys and wherefores she has learned during her successful career in magazines, restaurants, and television so that curious cooks can understand processes and ingredients enough to be creative in their own kitchens. Organized by technique ("Temperature Management"; "Steam and Poach"), rather than by meal, ingredient, or type of food, the structure promises to teach home cooks useful approaches beyond just how to make specific dishes. Recipes cover the savory and the sweet, and at least one, her simplified version of bisteeya, the famous Moroccan pigeon pie in crispy filo dough, is both at once. Her most accessible dishes can be as simple as sardines and mayonnaise on toast or perfectly fried eggs. French, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and Persian cooking influence her recipes, and her Bengali American upbringing shows up in shortbread cleverly spiced with oniony nigella seeds. Those picking up this far-ranging cookbook and following El-Waylly's lead will never again need to endure drab and boring meals.

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Starred review from September 1, 2023

In this fantastically epic cookbook, El-Waylly, chef and host of The Big Brunch and Ancient Recipes with Sohla, aims to offer a "one-stop culinary school in a book" to hone culinary skills and intuition. She first sets readers up with core tools, pantry essentials, and things to know, like knife skills and how to measure ingredients. Offering several subcategories, like "Whip (and Fold) It Good," the book is broadly divided between culinary lessons and baking & pastry lessons, with equal emphasis on savory and pastry, because El-Waylly believes a good cook shouldn't be afraid of anything in the kitchen. She offers tips and tricks along with the explanations behind them in a playful and encouraging tone. With extensive use of spices and global food inspiration, these are full-flavor recipes that have lots of appeal. Recipes are clearly labeled from easy to advanced and if vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free. There are also many gorgeous and helpful photos throughout. VERDICT With the focus just as much on the techniques as the recipes, this cookbook will be invaluable for readers who are getting started cooking. The recipes will motivate them to get in the kitchen, but experienced cooks and bakers will relish the abundance of information and interesting recipes too.--Melissa DeWild

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 20, 2023
Chef and recipe developer El-Waylly offers a prodigious guide to ramping up one’s culinary skill in her impressive and thorough debut. She sets out to arm home cooks with both “foundational techniques and basic food science,” going a few steps beyond the “do this” mentality of many cookbooks to offer insight into why a particular approach is necessary or relevant to each dish. Each chapter focuses on an essential technique; some, such as learning to taste your food or cooking grains, beans, and pasta, may seem basic, but El-Waylly illuminates how these simple steps are actually vital to quality cooking. The recipes themselves are appetizing and low fuss, including cannellini beany melt (“it’s just like the tuna melt you know and love, but made with beans instead of tuna”), four-fat jammy egg tacos with nuts and avocado, and charred lemon risotto. El-Waylly also provides tips on maintaining kitchen utensils, from cutting boards to cast iron pans, sharpening knives, and approaching each night’s meal with a “game plan” to cut down on both time and clean up. As tasty and appealing as it is informative, this is the ideal handbook for those starting out in the kitchen. Agent: Katherine Cowles, Cowles Agency.