For Egyptian Bolivian chef Ham El-Waylly, home cooking is about classics with a twist--and a sense of fun. His first book, Hello, Home Cooking, draws on memories (and a tattered notebook) of his Bolivian mother's meals, along with tricks and techniques learned from years working in New York City restaurants. The result is a playful, vibrant collection of recipes mixing flavors from all over the world: Kofta Meatballs with Ritz Crackers; Date Fudge ("tastes like freakin' cookie dough"); Eggplant and Tofu Ragú; Thai Nam Pla Prik with tomatillos.
El-Waylly's chatty, practical headnotes provide both cooking tips and anecdotes about each recipe's inspiration, taking readers to Bolivia, Egypt, his childhood in Doha, and his adult years in the U.S. Novice home chefs especially will appreciate El-Waylly's "How to Salad" formula and entire chapter on egg cookery, but all readers will relish the singular spice blend of influences, flavors, and let's-try-it experimentation that characterizes his cooking. Hello, Home Cooking gives a little zing (plus a generous dollop of humor) to the age-old question of what's for dinner. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams