Start Here: A James Beard Award Winner: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook: A Cookbook
About this product
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AND IACP BOOK AWARD WINNER • Change the way you think about cooking! In this epic guide to better eating, the chef, recipe developer, and video producer Sohla El-Waylly reimagines what a cookbook can be, teaching home cooks of all skill levels how cooking really works.
“The new Joy of Cooking.” — The New York Times
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, NPR, Epicurious, The Boston Globe
“The book I wish someone had handed me when I began my own journey as a cook.”—from the Foreword by Samin Nosrat, New York Times bestselling author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat "A book to return to again and again and again.” —Yotam Ottolenghi, New York Times bestselling author of Plenty and Ottolenghi Simple
A practical, information-packed, and transformative guide to becoming a better cook and conquering the kitchen, Start Here is a must-have master class in leveling up your cooking.
Across a dozen technique-themed chapters—from “Temperature Management 101” and “Break it Down & Get Saucy” to “Go to Brown Town,” “All About Butter,” and “Getting to Know Dough”—Sohla El-Waylly explains the hows and whys of cooking, introducing the fundamental skills that you need to become a more intuitive, inventive cook.
A one-stop resource, regardless of what you’re hungry for, Start Here gives equal weight to savory and sweet dishes, with more than two hundred mouthwatering recipes, including:
Crispy-Skinned Salmon with Radishes & Nuoc Cham
Charred Lemon Risotto
Chilled Green Tahini Soba
Lemon, Pecorino & Potato Pizza
Fruity-Doodle Cookies
Masa & Buttermilk Tres Leches
Packed with practical advice and scientific background, and an almost endless assortment of recipe variations, along with tips, guidance, and how-tos, Start Here is culinary school—without the student loans. Read more
Editor's Take
Amazon reviewers and Goodreads readers describe Start Here as a practical, information-packed cookbook that is especially useful for less experienced cooks, with many praising its clear explanations, visuals, and technique-building approach. Some readers say not every recipe is a hit for them, but many still recommend it for improving kitchen skills.
On StoryGraph, one reviewer said they liked about half the recipes they tried but would still recommend the book to anyone wanting to improve in the kitchen. On Reddit, a user discussing recipes from the book shared a ranked list of dishes they cooked, suggesting the book is actively being used as a hands-on learning resource. Review blogs and cookbook review sites generally frame it as a comprehensive, entry-level guide that aims to make cooks more intuitive and confident.
Across the reviews found, the strongest recurring positives are:
- Clear instruction and technique teaching
- Helpful for beginners and intermediate cooks
- Good design and readable layout
- Strong author voice and personal storytelling
Common caveats are:
- Some recipes may be less appealing depending on taste
- A few readers feel the book is best used as a learning tool rather than a pure recipe collection
For YouTube, a real review video was found about this exact cookbook, and it appears to be a genuine discussion of the book rather than a generic mention.
Price History
Specifications
| Publisher | Knopf |
| Publication date | October 31, 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Print length | 656 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0593320468 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0593320464 |
| Item Weight | 2.31 pounds |
| Dimensions | 8.96 x 1.54 x 11.27 inches |
| Best Sellers Rank | #41,815 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #123 in Cooking Encyclopedias #150 in Cooking, Food & Wine Reference (Books) #178 in Dessert Baking (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (421) |
