23 Sohla El-Waylly Recipes That Put the Fun in Fundamentals

Sohla El-Waylly is everywhere—conjuring up wildly creative recipes on Instagram, excavating ancient dishes for the History Channel, and talking and tasting all things brunch with Dan Levy on The Big Brunch. It isn’t just superior culinary talent that shot her towards omnipresence; her whimsical approachability and penchant for making the abstruse accessible had much to do with it.

These traits shine bright in her latest, dare I say, most exciting endeavor, Start Here, a nearly 600-page cookbook more fun than but equally as informative as any culinary school textbook you’ll encounter. Instead of a grumpy instructor helicoptering you toward perfection, you’ll have El-Waylly’s charismatic stories, technical breakdowns, and inventive recipes to help you become a better cook. You’ll learn everything from braising to baking and even how to make your own sprinkles (yes! sprinkles!).

And there’s no fear of failing in Sohlaland. According to El-Waylly, messing up and learning from your mistakes is half the fun, and to show it, she’ll even tell you about her journey of recovery from chronic undermixing. To celebrate Start Here, we’ve gathered a list of some standout recipes that capture the fun of home cooking—recipes that are full of El-Waylly’s trademark charisma, candor, and ingenuity.