Reviews
Try somthing really new
"This unusual cookbook has a variety of recipes not often seen together. The author has managed to combine his background of Middle Eastern and South American into a unique blend of recipes. I found the introduction to be very personal and interesting. It leads the reader to understand his journey and quest to help us to experience new combinations of ingredients that would not be thought of otherwise. The skill levels range from simple (Labneh mashed potatoes) to more involved, and longer recipes (Pork Chops and tomatillo Nam Pla Prik. Both, by the way are delicious. My family most enjoyed the Macarona Bechamel and the Shish Tawook. I enjoyed the layout and advise on diverse subjects; from cooking eggs to choosing the best cut of meat. While this is not a ‘fast’ Wednesday night cookbook, it will challenge as well as educate and entertain. I would use this on weekends for the most part. Give this book a try for a really new look at food! Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— Alcooksagain (5/5)
Truly do-able -- even for busy families
"Ham El-Waylly put together a great collection of recipes that draw upon his own upbringing and dishes from his family’s culture that are, in fact, actually doable for home cooks with busy schedules. I can say this confidently because I was able to make these recipes at home while careers, school schedules, and the never-ending cycle of commutes to and from children’s activities. I was drawn to multiple recipes that utilized the food processor and items that we typically have in our home. First, I made the caramelized cauliflower puree. This is an ingredient that Ham states should get more love (like its healthy brethren kale and brussels sprouts) and I don’t disagree. The recipe was so simple to put together and was a really tasty side dish. Next, I made “lazy hummus. ” The recipe provides a way to make the dish using a whisk, but I opted to use my food processor because it was available. This was a great way to use pantry ingredients and made a great dip for the moment and a lunchbox staple for my work week. The techniques here are broken down nicely and Ham does an excellent job explaining how certain parts of the recipes draw on his family’s heritage (e. g. , putting an ice cube in dips to create more fluff). Finally, I made a shishito-pistachio dip. It was beyond simple and so flavorful. This will be a showstopper at parties or, as I did, eating straight from the bowl at my kitchen counter. The mix of nuts, spices, and the mild peppers was fresh and delicious. There are a ton of other recipes I flagged to make later, including some delicious-looking chocolate chip cookies, Costco-inspired blueberry muffins, cardamom pancakes, and kale pesto pasta. This is great book for folks who are balancing a lot and still want to cook delicious, interesting food at home. It will also work for folks who live a very chill life, don’t spend time on the sideline of soccer fields, and love to cook delicious, interesting food at home. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— Dad B. (5/5)
Having Fun with Recipes
"Hello, Home Cooking will make you laugh--a lot--and might make you shed a few tears as chef Ham El-Waylly tells you how to cook just about everything while delighting you with anecdotes about his life and how he journeyed from working in top New York City restaurants to slowly learning to cook dishes that serve fewer than ten people and are not drenched in butter. Waylly was among those who found life changed by the pandemic restaurant closings. He had never cooked at home, instead eating out or ordering in on his days off, and he finally turned to his late mother's tattered recipe book. It was bittersweet as he grieved the loss of his mother while learning to recreate the dishes of his childhood. One thing that helped him along this journey was a sense of humor that would rival the best stand-up comedians. Waylly doesn't just give readers a seemingly endless number of mostly easy-to-prepare recipes; he infuses each of them with bits about his life--to the extent that this book is also a memoir--and quips that make readers laugh while learning to cook everything from eggs to steaks and swordfish. Hello, Home Cooking is the ideal first cookbook, substituting humor for fear, while turning readers into accomplished home cooks. Those who already know their way around a stove will delight in Waylly's unique pairings. such as Boiled Potatoes with Green Cream and Tomatoes Dressed in Tomatoes, one of my particular favorites. Other offerings are more conventional: Toasted Thin Spaghetti, Black Beans, and Parm; Parisian Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage; and Roasted Eggplant with Chickpeas and Yogurt. Divided into sections running from breakfast (how to prepare every style of egg dish) through snacks to dinner entrees and desserts, the book contains photos of just about every recipe, sometimes with illustrated instructions, all with joke-laced comments. For Blueberry Muffins Inspired by Costco, Waylly lists one of the ingredients as "two teaspoons imitation (or real, if that's all you've got) vanilla extract. " But don't let the humor fool you. Waylly offers several pages explaining the various cuts of beef, lists "How to Salad" and provides "The Produce Chart. " A chapter on Rice, Grains and Pasta gives readers Mom's (Rain or Shine) Perfect Pot of Rice; Macarona Bechamel; and Rice with Caramelized Onions and Black Pepper. Dinner entrees include Crispy Pork Belly; Slow-Roasted Brisket; Crispy Fried Fish Tacos; and Cod with Soy and Sake. The drool-worthy dessert chapter includes Waylly's two favorites from his mother's cookbook,, Banana Nut Bread and Lemon Loaf Cake, along with Date Fudge; Spiced Applesauce Bundt" and the Egyptian "Basbousa Bars. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— Lioness (5/5)
Home Cooking, But Even Tastier!
"Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own. And my opinion is that this is a really good cookbook! The author, Ham El-Waylly, is a fine dining chef whose parents are Egyptian and Bolivian. He lived in Qatar and also New Jersey. His food perspective is truly global because of his background. The end result is recipes for food that feel familiar yet different and even tastier than the versions we may already know. Some stars of this book are the Date and Banana Smoothie (p. 56 - inspired by the Date Shake at Superiority Burger and comes awfully close!), the Blueberry Muffins Inspired by Costco (p. 58 - and shockingly close to Costco muffins!), the Masa Waffles (p. 39 - waffles but corn and somehow better than regular waffles, especially with fruit), Boiled Potatoes With Green Cream (p. 142) and the Chicken and Rice (p. 212 - would eat this once a week and I'm not even kidding). All the recipes are pretty approachable. Some spice-forward recipes have lots of ingredients, but those are mostly spices. None of the ingredients seem hard to source, although you could probably get some harder-to-find ingredients at an asian or Mexican grocery. Each recipe has a small blurb about how and why it is in the book, and it helps to understand why the author included the various dishes. There are also several pages at the front of the book on how to cook eggs. Eggs are easy and tricky all at once, and this is a helpful guide (and not one I've seen before). My only complaint is that the pages are glossy, which can be sort of hard to see. some of the print is sort of small, which can be hard to read if you're mid-dish and trying to cook and can't tell if an ingredient is 1/2 cup or 1/3 cup. But other than that, this is a good book, and we'd recommend!"
— Olive C. (5/5)
a restaurant chef learns home cooking
"Chef Ham El-Waylly grew up around food. His father is from Egypt and his mother from Bolivia, and he was raised in Qatar. He came to America on his own when he was 19 and became a restaurant chef. He spent years on the lines of busy, respected restaurants, but he never wanted to cook at home. And then Covid hit, and he realized he didn’t know how to cook at home. He could make soup for 100 or craft a tweezer-perfected plate that he cooked in a pound of butter, but two make a simple dinner for two? That he didn’t know how to do. But when the restaurants all shuttered and he was stuck at home, he decided to take the recipes his mother had left him and figure out how to cook the food of his childhood. And in revisiting the food he grew up with, he learned how to cook in a home kitchen. Hello, Home Cooking is his blend of professional kitchen expertise mixed with big flavors for home cooks. And this is packed with information. There are about 100 recipes, from breakfasts to snacks to veggies, meats, pasta, and desserts. And in one of the smartest moves I think I’ve ever seen in a cookbook, each chapter page lists not only the dishes in that chapter, but it has a photo of each dish, right there at the start of the chapter. You can see at a glance what all the desserts look like, to help you decide if you want to make the Spiced Applesauce Bundt, Kinda Ice Box Cake of Canned Peaches, Glossy Chocolate Chunk Cookies, or Labneh-Cherry Cheesecake. And then there are the pockets of deep information. With the breakfast chapter is a section on how to make eggs. But it’s how to make eggs 12 different ways, with instructions and photos of each type. There is a chart of vegetables from tender to hearty with instructions on how to cook them all. There is a chart on How to Salad. There is a recipe for Mom’s Perfect Pot of Rice. There is a Beef Chart, describing all the different cuts of beef and how to use them as well as instructions on how to buy and store fish. The recipes vary from Crispy Fried Fish Tacos and Chicken and Rice to a Brazilian Hot Dog Party or a Roasted Chicken Dinner. There is Ham and Cheese Lasagna, Chicken and (Mochi) Dumplings, or Spaetzle and Cheese. Veggie lovers can try the Broccoli and Chamomile Soup, Kale Pesto Pasta, Roasted Eggplant with Chickpeas and Yogurt, or Warm Button Mushrooms and Radishes. And for breakfast, there are Masa Waffles, Maple Glazed Basturma Bacon, Date and Banana Smoothie, or Blueberry Muffins Inspired by Costco. Throughout the cookbook are photos. Besides the pictures at the start of each chapter, there are photos with just about every recipe, and sometimes extra photos to show how to do something, like how to make the gnocchi in the Parisian Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage. And there is information throughout, so you have the wisdom of a professional chef to help you along each step, from choosing a knife to reading a recipe to kneading dough. I love how El-Waylly encourages readers to start where they are and make their own way in the kitchen. The recipes don’t come with times for the overall prep, because he doesn’t presume to know how long it takes you to chop the vegetables or gather the ingredients. He encourages readers to start where they are and make mistakes. He calls mistakes the most significant part of cooking because of what they teach us in the kitchen. Hello, Home Cooking offers a fresh perspective on cooking for the family, and I think that people who are tired of being told to cook the same old way will find that this is new and refreshing. It’s smart, sensible, and personal. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of Hello, Home Cooking, with many thanks, but the opinions are my own."
— Wordsandbooksandthings (5/5)
Try somthing really new
"This unusual cookbook has a variety of recipes not often seen together. The author has managed to combine his background of Middle Eastern and South American into a unique blend of recipes. I found the introduction to be very personal and interesting. It leads the reader to understand his journey and quest to help us to experience new combinations of ingredients that would not be thought of otherwise. The skill levels range from simple (Labneh mashed potatoes) to more involved, and longer recipes (Pork Chops and tomatillo Nam Pla Prik. Both, by the way are delicious. My family most enjoyed the Macarona Bechamel and the Shish Tawook. I enjoyed the layout and advise on diverse subjects; from cooking eggs to choosing the best cut of meat. While this is not a 'fast'Wednesday night cookbook, it will challenge as well as educate and entertain. I would use this on weekends for the most part. Give this book a try for a really new look at food! Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own."
— Alcooksagain (5/5)
Home Cooking, But Even Tastier!
"Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own. And my opinion is that this is a really good cookbook! The author, Ham El-Waylly, is a fine dining chef whose parents are Egyptian and Bolivian. He lived in Qatar and also New Jersey. His food perspective is truly global because of his background. The end result is recipes for food that feel familiar yet different and even tastier than the versions we may already know. Some stars of this book are the Date and Banana Smoothie (p. 56 - inspired by the Date Shake at Superiority Burger and comes awfully close!), the Blueberry Muffins Inspired by Costco (p. 58 - and shockingly close to Costco muffins!), the Masa Waffles (p. 39 - waffles but corn and somehow better than regular waffles, especially with fruit), Boiled Potatoes With Green Cream (p. 142) and the Chicken and Rice (p. 212 - would eat this once a week and I'm not even kidding). All the recipes are pretty approachable. Some spice-forward recipes have lots of ingredients, but those are mostly spices. None of the ingredients seem hard to source, although you could probably get some harder-to-find ingredients at an asian or Mexican grocery. Each recipe has a small blurb about how and why it is in the book, and it helps to understand why the author included the various dishes. There are also several pages at the front of the book on how to cook eggs. Eggs are easy and tricky all at once, and this is a helpful guide (and not one I've seen before). My only complaint is that the pages are glossy, which can be sort of hard to see. some of the print is sort of small, which can be hard to read if you're mid-dish and trying to cook and can't tell if an ingredient is 1/2 cup or 1/3 cup. But other than that, this is a good book, and we'd recommend!"
— Olive C. (5/5)
a restaurant chef learns home cooking
"Chef Ham El-Waylly grew up around food. His father is from Egypt and his mother from Bolivia, and he was raised in Qatar. He came to America on his own when he was 19 and became a restaurant chef. He spent years on the lines of busy, respected restaurants, but he never wanted to cook at home. And then Covid hit, and he realized he didn't know how to cook at home. He could make soup for 100 or craft a tweezer-perfected plate that he cooked in a pound of butter, but two make a simple dinner for two? That he didn't know how to do. But when the restaurants all shuttered and he was stuck at home, he decided to take the recipes his mother had left him and figure out how to cook the food of his childhood. And in revisiting the food he grew up with, he learned how to cook in a home kitchen. Hello, Home Cooking is his blend of professional kitchen expertise mixed with big flavors for home cooks. And this is packed with information. There are about 100 recipes, from breakfasts to snacks to veggies, meats, pasta, and desserts. And in one of the smartest moves I think I've ever seen in a cookbook, each chapter page lists not only the dishes in that chapter, but it has a photo of each dish, right there at the start of the chapter. You can see at a glance what all the desserts look like, to help you decide if you want to make the Spiced Applesauce Bundt, Kinda Ice Box Cake of Canned Peaches, Glossy Chocolate Chunk Cookies, or Labneh-Cherry Cheesecake. And then there are the pockets of deep information. With the breakfast chapter is a section on how to make eggs. But it's how to make eggs 12 different ways, with instructions and photos of each type. There is a chart of vegetables from tender to hearty with instructions on how to cook them all. There is a chart on How to Salad. There is a recipe for Mom's Perfect Pot of Rice. There is a Beef Chart, describing all the different cuts of beef and how to use them as well as instructions on how to buy and store fish. The recipes vary from Crispy Fried Fish Tacos and Chicken and Rice to a Brazilian Hot Dog Party or a Roasted Chicken Dinner. There is Ham and Cheese Lasagna, Chicken and (Mochi) Dumplings, or Spaetzle and Cheese. Veggie lovers can try the Broccoli and Chamomile Soup, Kale Pesto Pasta, Roasted Eggplant with Chickpeas and Yogurt, or Warm Button Mushrooms and Radishes. And for breakfast, there are Masa Waffles, Maple Glazed Basturma Bacon, Date and Banana Smoothie, or Blueberry Muffins Inspired by Costco. Throughout the cookbook are photos. Besides the pictures at the start of each chapter, there are photos with just about every recipe, and sometimes extra photos to show how to do something, like how to make the gnocchi in the Parisian Gnocchi with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage. And there is information throughout, so you have the wisdom of a professional chef to help you along each step, from choosing a knife to reading a recipe to kneading dough. I love how El-Waylly encourages readers to start where they are and make their own way in the kitchen. The recipes don't come with times for the overall prep, because he doesn't presume to know how long it takes you to chop the vegetables or gather the ingredients. He encourages readers to start where they are and make mistakes. He calls mistakes the most significant part of cooking because of what they teach us in the kitchen. Hello, Home Cooking offers a fresh perspective on cooking for the family, and I think that people who are tired of being told to cook the same old way will find that this is new and refreshing. It's smart, sensible, and personal. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of Hello, Home Cooking, with many thanks, but the opinions are my own."
— Wordsandbooksandthings (5/5)
