Sohla El-Waylly Went To Culinary School To “Prove Everyone Wrong” «

Sohla El-Waylly: Oh, you know what’s hilarious? 

Dan Pashman: What?

Sohla El-Waylly: So the whole last few weeks of my pregnancy was like, really rough. So the whole time I just watched Top Chef. It’s my comfort television. And the entire labor we watched Top Chef.

Dan Pashman: [LAUGHS] 

Sohla El-Waylly: Every time a nurse would come in, they’d be like, is that Top Chef?

[LAUGHING] 

Sohla El-Waylly: We rewatched all 20 seasons. 

Dan Pashman: Oh my god.

Sohla El-Waylly: [LAUGHS] I know! That sounds … 

Dan Pashman: Did you have it on 24/7? That’s im …

Sohla El-Waylly: Well, the labor was, like, 19 hours, so it was on 19 hours. [LAUGHS] 

Dan Pashman: Oh my God. 

Sohla El-Waylly: Yeah. When it was time to push, they were like, should we turn off Top Chef? 

Dan Pashman: Right. 

[LAUGHING]

Dan Pashman: You’re like, wait, I just wanna see who wins this challenge! 

MUSIC

Dan Pashman: This is The Sporkful, it’s not for foodies, it’s for eaters. I’m Dan Pashman. Each week on our show we obsess about food to learn more about people. Today, I’m talking with chef, recipe developer, and Youtube star Sohla El-Waylly. Sohla has a new cookbook out this week called Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook. It’s highly anticipated, because Sohla’s got a reputation as a complete food nerd with a deep knowledge of flavor and technique, and a passion for showing you that you too can do it. The book is a tome, over 650 pages, jam packed with photos and explanations, all presented with Sohla’s trademark enthusiasm.

Dan Pashman: We’ve had Sohla on the show here a couple of times over the years but I’ve never had a chance to really dig into her back story, to understand where her passion for cooking and helping others to cook, comes from.

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Dan Pashman: It started when Sohla was growing up in California’s San Fernando Valley, in a first generation Bangladeshi-American family. I asked Sohla to read an excerpt from the introduction to her…