So excited for this! I actually love cookbooks that have anecdotes and essays- they're my favorite part of the books, and I love hearing more about what inspired the author to create. I like the 'why' behind it all! But I struggle with cookbooks that bury recipes IN the essays. Those I have a hard time following- I like cleanly laid-out steps, and some photos of the process don't hurt. I also enjoy cookbooks that have some recipes that challenge me, but if every recipe requires me to source a different ingredient from the internet or a specialty store, I usually pass. I like books I can pull off the shelf and find something in to make right away with what I have on hand.
Interesting recipes that actually work, and aren’t going to take an entire day/weekend. Pictures are nice. I never read the personal anecdotes -- I’m here to cook, not to chat!
For folks interested in a similar book about the "science behind cooking", but with a focus on Indian cuisine, I recommend checking out "Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking " by Krish Ashok (https://www.penguin.co.in/book/masala-lab/)
Thank you for this, Roxanne! I'm going to order Start Here today! Had never heard of Sohla; watched a video & it was love at first sight! I will make certain she and her work is known to the Sitting Room, an archival library of works by women. https://sittingroomlibrary.org/ Somewhere circulating is an excellent essay put out by Sitting Room founder that asks Are Cookbooks Litereature? The answer is YES. Thank you again!
First, thank you for recommending this cookbook; I read it through initially because the science and approach is entertaining and helpful. In a cookbook or a recipe website, I look for process pictures that show textures as the ingredients are being added and combined, as well as an indication of the length of time each step takes and how things will look as they progress (and whether it will look different at an early stage or if I've taken a step too long/far).
I look for books with large enough print, in a font I can easily read. Clear instructions are a must. I prefer images that show what the food looks like - for me they are more helpful than overly styled photo shoots.
In a good cookbook, I look for a marriage between insight and clarity. I appreciate the blurbs about the why of the recipe or a certain cooking process. And I like to see clear steps with photos, especially of the texture during a specific stage of the recipe. I am not familiar with this author and keen to learn more about her approach.
I love to cook (bake for a living) and in the past couple of years have really gotten into collecting cookbooks. I was already a huge fan of Sohla, pre ordered the book and have made a couple recipes to great success. In a cookbook, I like when recipes give you substitution options and when they repeat the amounts of ingredients in the instructions so I’m not constantly looking back and forth. I also really appreciate recipes in grams or pounds, working in volume or each can just be the worst.
I'm a big Sohla fan and got a copy of her book for Christmas! (I made her pomegranate and black pepper chicken wings for the holiday and they were fan-freaking-tastic) This is the collaboration I never knew I needed :) very excited for this book club!
I'm looking forward to reading this, as I love to cook! I usually look for precision in cookbooks, at least to show that a recipe's been thoroughly tested. Of course there's room for error, but I've had some books that had too large of time ranges for cooking, too vague of instructions for measurements, and were wildly inaccurate with the cooking time actually needed. Ina Garten's cookbooks and Claire Saffitz's "Dessert Person" match my style.
Thanks for this rec! How do we register for the Zoom? I didn't see an email in the newsletter email either.
So excited!
So excited for this! I actually love cookbooks that have anecdotes and essays- they're my favorite part of the books, and I love hearing more about what inspired the author to create. I like the 'why' behind it all! But I struggle with cookbooks that bury recipes IN the essays. Those I have a hard time following- I like cleanly laid-out steps, and some photos of the process don't hurt. I also enjoy cookbooks that have some recipes that challenge me, but if every recipe requires me to source a different ingredient from the internet or a specialty store, I usually pass. I like books I can pull off the shelf and find something in to make right away with what I have on hand.
Interesting recipes that actually work, and aren’t going to take an entire day/weekend. Pictures are nice. I never read the personal anecdotes -- I’m here to cook, not to chat!
For folks interested in a similar book about the "science behind cooking", but with a focus on Indian cuisine, I recommend checking out "Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking " by Krish Ashok (https://www.penguin.co.in/book/masala-lab/)
Thank you for this, Roxanne! I'm going to order Start Here today! Had never heard of Sohla; watched a video & it was love at first sight! I will make certain she and her work is known to the Sitting Room, an archival library of works by women. https://sittingroomlibrary.org/ Somewhere circulating is an excellent essay put out by Sitting Room founder that asks Are Cookbooks Litereature? The answer is YES. Thank you again!
inspiration and ingredients that are not impossible to find
First, thank you for recommending this cookbook; I read it through initially because the science and approach is entertaining and helpful. In a cookbook or a recipe website, I look for process pictures that show textures as the ingredients are being added and combined, as well as an indication of the length of time each step takes and how things will look as they progress (and whether it will look different at an early stage or if I've taken a step too long/far).
I look for books with large enough print, in a font I can easily read. Clear instructions are a must. I prefer images that show what the food looks like - for me they are more helpful than overly styled photo shoots.
In a good cookbook, I look for a marriage between insight and clarity. I appreciate the blurbs about the why of the recipe or a certain cooking process. And I like to see clear steps with photos, especially of the texture during a specific stage of the recipe. I am not familiar with this author and keen to learn more about her approach.
I love to cook (bake for a living) and in the past couple of years have really gotten into collecting cookbooks. I was already a huge fan of Sohla, pre ordered the book and have made a couple recipes to great success. In a cookbook, I like when recipes give you substitution options and when they repeat the amounts of ingredients in the instructions so I’m not constantly looking back and forth. I also really appreciate recipes in grams or pounds, working in volume or each can just be the worst.
I look for a pantry list and also seasonality.
I'm a big Sohla fan and got a copy of her book for Christmas! (I made her pomegranate and black pepper chicken wings for the holiday and they were fan-freaking-tastic) This is the collaboration I never knew I needed :) very excited for this book club!
I'm looking forward to reading this, as I love to cook! I usually look for precision in cookbooks, at least to show that a recipe's been thoroughly tested. Of course there's room for error, but I've had some books that had too large of time ranges for cooking, too vague of instructions for measurements, and were wildly inaccurate with the cooking time actually needed. Ina Garten's cookbooks and Claire Saffitz's "Dessert Person" match my style.