Bryn

Our Place

3qt Saute Pan

Always Pan Pro

The main feature of this pan is its titanium oxide coating — which does in fact make it pretty nonstick, but it's applied so poorly that I can't recommend it.

Definitely interesting materials science, but genuinely one of the lowest-production quality pans I've ever tested.

Chrome

Sohla El-Waylly

Ammu

Ethiopia

Africana

Chicken and Charcoal

The Outdoor Kitchen

Charred

Mi Cocina

Persiana

Bavel

Cook This Book

Diasporican

Foodheim

Home Style Cookery 

In Bibi's Kitchen

An Invitation to Indian Cooking

Mezcla

Mission Vegan

Momofuku

Motherland

Night + Market

Ottolenghi Simple

A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches

Win Son Presents: A Taiwanese American Cookbook

The Family Meal

The Food of Sichuan

The Modern Larder

The Woks of Life

The Tucci Cookbook

Turkey and the Wolf

Xi'an Famous Foods

A Good Bake

All Under Heaven

Veg-Table

Start Here

This is a hefty book with lots of pictures, bold text, and super nerdy, science-y know-how. On top of that, it's split evenly between savory and desserts so you'll learn a lot of basic techniques in both worlds. 

But the real question is, "would a beginner benefit from this book?" Personally, I think that as a first-time cook, you’d basically need to cook through the book sequentially, repeating recipes often, to feel like you really understand what’s happening. 

That being said, I do think if you’re an elementary home cook today: meaning you already know what could happen if you leave milk heating on a stove unattended, but want a college level cooking 101 course to up your game and cook with the big dogs, then Start Here is a great book to add to your shelf.

This book takes more work to use than a lot of cookbooks. But that's because learning something is harder than just getting *a* meal to the table.

Sohla admirably goes out of her way to really teach home cooks as much as could reasonably be packed into a single volume (TWICE the size of a typical cookbook) about the WHY of cooking and not just the HOW of a meal.

My only concern is if the sometimes underwhelming flavors will put off home cooks who just invested way more time than would be typical for many books to get a meal out.

Acids

Aprons

Chef's Knives

Chili Oils

Cookbooks

Cooking Utensils

Cutting Boards

Dutch Ovens

Food Storage

Graters

Hand Blenders

Instant Noodles

Instant Thermometers

Kitchen Scales

Knife Sharpening

Knife Storage

Leave-in Thermometers

Oils

Peelers

Plating Utensils

Presses

Saucepans

Saute Pans

Serving Bowls

Sheet Pans

Skillets

Soy Sauces

Spice Grinders

Stockpots

Vinegars

Wearables

Hedley & Bennett

Essential Apron

Crossback Apron

Supply Apron

Neon Chef Apron

Lowboy Apron

Luxe Chef Apron

Utility Apron

Beelzebib

I bought this to support sad_papi and I don't regret that at all. I think the print is pretty cool and feels on-brand, but the apron it's printed on still feels too mediocre for the price point.

Also, I'm decidedly not a crossback apron — I just think they're way more annoying to put on than the classic neckstrap style...

I'm not coordinated or patient enough to wear this apron.

The fabric is stiff and the criss-cross neck strap gets twisted and disorganized too easily.

If you want to see my rendition of "Fat Guy in a Little Coat," just hand me a f'ing crossback apron. It's damn near impossible to keep the strings neat and organized and I honestly do not see the point in this style. Love the fabric, love the pockets. Loathe the style. 

It looks cool though.

Cult Flav

I love the colors and the design.  There are plenty of pockets and in all the in the right places.  The long strings around the waist are much appreciated. I bought one of each.  The best part - they're made here in the USA.  I try to buy products made in the US - I don't recall seeing this detail when ordering (I may have missed it), so I was pleasantly surprised - made the higher price completely worth it.  

Pink

Black

Tilit

This fabric is so soft and cozy. If it were 2" longer and a little more visually interesting, this'd be my go-to in a second.

Also, the best hand pocket design in the industry — just wish there were two of them...

I love the slanted hand pocket with smaller buddy pocket above, and a slanted chest pocket to boot! I just wish it had two slanted hand pockets.

The fabric is soft and gets softer the more you wash it. The neck fabric is equally soft and comfortable.

I love the length of this little apron, but I'm a shorty.

Yotam Ottolenghi

Amazon

Bookshop.org

If you cook daily, already have (or are willing to get) classic Middle Eastern ingredients like barberries, preserved lemon, rose harissa, sumac, urfa chile flakes, and za’atar. If you know the basics of cooking fish, chicken and steak, and have a little time to prep; then this is an excellent book to have on your shelf.

Let me explain…

I met another Sarah at a barbecue. Honestly, if you were born between 1985 and 1990 there’s a good chance you could throw a stick and hit a Sarah K, Sarah H, Sarah M, or — god forbid — a Sara.

Sorry to all Sara’s without the “H” out there. It’s nothing personal and I’m sure you’re a delightful human being, but your parents were monsters for leaving that last letter out and you can’t convince me otherwise.

Anyway, I met another Sarah and started talking about this project and she suggested Yotam Ottolenghi’s work. I’d had “Simple” on my shelf for years and never opened it because it always looked too gimmicky to be any good, but I took her recommendation and 14 dishes later, here we are.

These dishes aren’t super complex, the recipes are mega easy to follow and with a little bit of time and the correct ingredients you’ll be eating like royalty and loving all of these meals. (unless you’re feeding a kid who exclusively eats buttered noodles or you’re an adult who hates flavor, then you should just get a rice cooker and call it a day).

If you’re brand new to cooking, this book might be challenging, but who doesn’t like a good challenge? Just do a little research on properly cooking your chicken, fish, and steak and you should be well on your way. Even a mediocre chicken still tastes awesome, so just go for it already and even if it’s a little dry or overcooked, congratulations! You’re a master chef now, who can do anything and you should ride that high by cooking more things.

Great cookbook that really can’t go wrong for most people who enjoy cooking. Considering a lot of the dishes don’t take too many ingredients or too much understanding and time to prepare (plus the outcomes are often beautiful and delicious), it can be a great book to reach out to when you want to “get healthy” or simply just want to impress your friends when they visit! :P 

Cult Flav's 2023 Honorable Mentions

Crocs x Pleasures

Ultimate Rubber Gloves

Black Classic Clog

Crocs had a little resurgence a couple years ago and they decided to make some models with a lil more drip. They're too expensive for Crocs, but I still love them. 

I mean... they glow in the dark.

Demeyere

I've quickly become a big fan of shallow frying in this saute pan. The wide cooking surface and high sides makes me feel more confident working with hot oil than any fry pan I've ever used, and I use less oil than I would frying with a dutch oven or stock pot.

The handles with wide heat spreader keeps my hand comfortable under high heat, and the added helper handle prevents my wrist from feeling discomfort while moving from stovetop to table.

It's easy to use, lightweight, dishwasher and induction friendly.

Material

The Forever Peeler

It's rare to see a peeler that is actually a nice object and that's really what it's all about for me.

I love that they ship a spare blade with it too, but it's really just a nice object to use.

...until you peel off your finger tip.

illy

Shokupan (aka Japanese Milk Bread)

Shokupan (aka Japanese Milk Bread)

yield

time

ingredients

steps

Make tangzhong

in this step...

Dry mix

in this step...

Hydrate

in this step...

Add butter

in this step...

Proof #1

Shape

Proof #2

Bake