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hollielovesromance's review
5.0
This cookbook is now my bible. I have learned so much about how to better read recipes, various techniques, and how to trouble shoot when recipes go wrong. Sohla is a wealth of knowledge and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
natalieba's review
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
4.25
This would be a great starter cookbook to gift a new college grad or married couple. It provides solid foundational techniques in an approachable way. I learned some things, too, even as a fairly seasoned home-cook. Not all the recipes were to my liking (I liked probably half of the ones I tried), but would recommend this to anyone looking to improve their skills in the kitchen.
soph_sol's review
4.0
Sohla El-Waylly is a chef and I've loved following her youtube career on various channels for the last few years -- she has such presence, vibrancy, obvious skill and passion. She seems to enjoy deliberately giving herself higher bars to reach, greater challenges to figure out how to work through, and it's such fun to watch.
And this recipe book has a neat premise -- it's not just a collection of recipes, but is designed to lead you through developing various skills in the kitchen as you work your way through the book. I enjoy that this means the recipes are organised by technique instead of by what stage of the meal it's to be eaten at; a different way of organizing a cookbook than the standard, but I think it makes just as much sense this way!
Unfortunately a lot of the recipes turned out to be ones I have no interest in, whether featuring ingredients I don't enjoy eating, or ingredients I'm not willing to pay for, or having processes that require owning a stand mixer. As a result I can't go through the book as she intended. So I ended up just skimming through it and then putting it aside, though I did save a few recipes to try later.
I think that if you're a person with more interest than me in seafood and/or dairy, this could be a really good book for you! And from what I see I think it does a very good job of teaching various skills. But as it is, for me, I'll go back to just watching Sohla on youtube.
And this recipe book has a neat premise -- it's not just a collection of recipes, but is designed to lead you through developing various skills in the kitchen as you work your way through the book. I enjoy that this means the recipes are organised by technique instead of by what stage of the meal it's to be eaten at; a different way of organizing a cookbook than the standard, but I think it makes just as much sense this way!
Unfortunately a lot of the recipes turned out to be ones I have no interest in, whether featuring ingredients I don't enjoy eating, or ingredients I'm not willing to pay for, or having processes that require owning a stand mixer. As a result I can't go through the book as she intended. So I ended up just skimming through it and then putting it aside, though I did save a few recipes to try later.
I think that if you're a person with more interest than me in seafood and/or dairy, this could be a really good book for you! And from what I see I think it does a very good job of teaching various skills. But as it is, for me, I'll go back to just watching Sohla on youtube.
heatherd's review
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
3.5
This is an incredible cookbook with so many, MANY recipes. El-Waylly breaks down many important cooking techniques and really explains to the reader how to do things, pictures included, and then she includes a variety of recipes that demonstrate the specific technique she's teaching. For me, the book is fantastic but really overwhelming. It's very long, and there are almost too many recipes. This is the type of cookbook that I would need to make a project out of - I don't feel like I can randomly pick a recipe that sounds good and just try it. But, the picture are gorgeous, the writing is great, and the sheer volume and variety of recipes is incredible. I admire this cookbook a ton, I just think at this particular moment in my life, I'm not in the place to start cooking from it.
lizmart88's review
adventurous
informative
I can't rate a cookbook but I loved this! I am not a big cookbook reader, but I read this one cover to cover! As someone who was taught to cook by my mother, this is the closest book I've ever read that mimics how she taught me to cook starting with the fundamentals - how to taste, how to add, how to improvise. Very much enjoyed many of the recipes!
My only critique is that she can be very dismissive about dietary restrictions. She makes a disparaging comment about things that are gluten-free not being as good, even as she provides some gluten free options. That felt very dismissive and condescending to me. Many of us have dietary restrictions for medical reasons and I wish she had been more inclusive and understanding for those of who struggle with a variety of restrictions whether it's related to gluten or dairy or anything else. We already know how hard it is to modify recipes!
My only critique is that she can be very dismissive about dietary restrictions. She makes a disparaging comment about things that are gluten-free not being as good, even as she provides some gluten free options. That felt very dismissive and condescending to me. Many of us have dietary restrictions for medical reasons and I wish she had been more inclusive and understanding for those of who struggle with a variety of restrictions whether it's related to gluten or dairy or anything else. We already know how hard it is to modify recipes!
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0