Sohla El-Waylly

“Queso, homemade or not, is my cheese of choice. It stays saucy even at room temperature, which means I can eat at my typical snails pace and still get good nacho vibes.”

“Toum is essentially a mayonnaise, but it's stabilized with garlic instead of egg. Just like mayo, toum is an emulsion of oil into water, made possible with the help of a third-party emulsifier.”

“At home Im usually cooking for two, and sizzle platters let me make the most of my limited oven space. Because I can roast multiple things at once on several small platters rather than all together on one big baking sheet, each item can go in and out of the oven just when it needs to.”

“I find the easiest way to peel ginger is to start with a vegetable peeler to remove the majority of the skin. I then switch to a spoon, which is good for scraping away any remaining skin trapped within the grooves and nooks of the knob.”

“We know more people who have gone to the ER for an immersion-blender injury than just about any other, and we've seen almost every kitchen mishap imaginable.”

“A good kitchen scale is an absolute must-have for every kitchen. Although nothing can substitute for skilled intuition - add a dash of this and a handful of that, cook until golden brown and delicious - there are times when the precision a scale can provide is vital.”

“Ultimately, mayonnaise and aioli are brothers from the same mother. Both are emulsions of oil and water, which just means that the two incompatible liquids are brought together with the help of a third party stabilizer to create something thicker, creamier, and richer than before.”

“A white chef can be an expert in French food and then turn around and go to Thailand for a week and come back and be an expert in Thai cuisine.”

“A great immersion blender - also known as a hand blender or stick blender - can complement a well-equipped kitchen, offering a convenient alternative to dragging out larger appliances for many basic kitchen tasks.”

“Unlike tongs, these tweezer tongs are slim and compact, fitting into any tool crock, drawer, or even apron pocket if youre all about that quick draw. Theres no fussy locking mechanism to slow you down while cooking, no weird nooks or pockets for food or hot water to get caught in.”

“Even though there's always a place in my heart for frozen Eggos, nothing beats the taste of homemade waffles, and making your own lets you skip the busy brunch rush.”

“Giving nuts and seeds a few minutes in the oven deepens their flavors and improves their texture - and it provides more even cooking than the stovetop.”

“Whole watermelons will keep in the fridge for about a week with no negative consequences for the texture or flavor, while cut pieces are best eaten within three days. When serving watermelon as part of a buffet or outdoors, always keep the cut pieces on ice for a cold and refreshing treat.”

“Dashi is the building block for some of the most delicious foods. The deeply flavored broth is made by steeping kombu, a type of dried kelp, and katsuobushi, a dried and aged tuna.”

“Fried chicken is a special-occasion, celebratory dish in our home, so I really like to splurge. For a dish thats fully dependent on just three everyday ingredientschicken, flour, and oilit could be tempting to go buy it all at your local supermarket, but carefully sourcing each ingredient is an essential step to getting the best fried chicken.”

“I like it when you walk in a restaurant and all the walk-ins are down and everything is rotten. That gives me jolts of excitement.”

“Although the plantain is a staple ingredient in cuisines around the world, its not as popular in America as the banana just yet. However, with its limitless versatility, the plantain should make its way into your cooking repertoire if it hasnt already.”

“Instant dashi is to dashi what a bouillon cube is to chicken broth. While dashi is subtle and subdued, instant dashi is a cartoon drawing with all the features enhanced and hyper-expressive.”

“The time I learned the most in restaurants was when I was alone in a basement, figuring it out on my own.”

“While my husband and I were still just dating, we courted over Popeyes fried chicken. What better way to really get to know someone than by getting elbows-deep in biscuit crumbs and chicken grease?”