Sohla El-Waylly

Quotes by Sohla El-Waylly

• Soon I was using the fish weight for everything. I crushed boiled Yukon golds for the ultimate crispy-crunchy smashed potatoes. I struck the delicate balance of charring vegetables while maintaining their crisp-tender texture.

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• Biryani is a layered rice dish spotted throughout the Middle East and South Asia in countless variations depending on the region.

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• Spanakopita is a traditional Greek savory pie wrapped in flaky layers of crisp phyllo and filled with spinach and salty feta.

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• Toum is a staple of Lebanese cuisine, and more than just another condiment. This garlic sauce is great for stirring into soups and pasta, marinating chicken, and tossing with roasted vegetables; it adds an energetic punch of garlic to anything without requiring the hassle of peeling and mincing.

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• 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.

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• Unlike chicken, duck breast has a hue and texture akin to that of red meat and is safe to consume medium-rare, so bring on the pink. Perfectly cooked duck breast will have moist and juicy meat, with a luscious and crunchy skin.

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• 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.

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• Koshari is a cozy pile of warm carbs - traditionally, cooked rice, lentils, macaroni, and chickpeas, all mixed together - smothered in perky tomato sauce and buried in fried shallots.

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• Once you know how to make koshari, youll never think twice about whether to save those last few scoops of rice or the half-cup tomato passata.

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• A food mill both pures and strains soft items, like boiled potatoes or tomatoes, in one shot. It has a simple construction, consisting of a bowl fitted with a hand crank that rotates a plate, which forces food through a perforated base.

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• 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.

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• Crispy-skinned fish is an elusive thing. As soon as your filet makes contact with a hot pan, it wants to curl up, which leads to uneven cooking and floppy skin.

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• My brand is to make things harder for myself. I carry too many things at once, I volunteer to make a 12-layer cake no one asked for, and I do all my mixing with a tiny spatula.

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• Regardless of whether you prefer your waffle light golden or dark brown, it should be crisp on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside.

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• Sunday morning, while the neighbors were whipping up pancake batter, I watched my mom effortlessly roll out smooth dough, smear it with her heady all-day ghee, and transform it into a flaky flatbread with countless crisp and chewy layers.

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• Scales aren't just for all the would-be pastry wizards out there, either. They're a necessary tool for any serious cook as well, especially for determining ratios or servings.

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• When you mix wheat flour and water together, the proteins in the flour combine to form a gluten network. This structure is what gives bread dough the strength and elasticity to capture all the bubbles and burbles produced by yeast in order to grow fluffy, chewy, and light when baked.

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• I think of raita as just a versatile yogurt sauce to serve alongside all kinds of dishes - not just the traditional fare. Whether on a burger, spooned into stew, or served with grilled fish, raita presents endless possibilities and opportunities for inspiration.

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