Start Here Review Part 4: Favorite Recipes
Out of all 200+ recipes in Start Here by Sohla El-Waylly, these are my top 16!
Chances are, most people won’t cook all 200+ recipes in Start Here, so I wanted to share my favorites! If you happen to buy the book, these are the recipes that you MUST try. These sixteen dishes alone are worth the price of the book, and you can get through sixteen, can’t you?!
Citrus & Saffron with Bitter Lettuces
I call this “the salad to cure your wintertime blues”. When you’re missing the bright abundance of summer produce, this is the salad for you. When you need something crisp and fresh amidst sleepy soup season, this is the dish that will wake up your palette. Radicchio, Belgian endive, and Cara Cara oranges are primarily in season December through March, just when we all need that extra hit of vitamin C. The dish itself is very simple while the flavors are complex. Bitter lettuces are made more tolerable with the sweetness of the Cara Cara oranges and a bit of honey, while the saffron adds an earthy depth. The hearty, cup-shaped lettuces provide the perfect, crunchy vehicle for the juicy orange slices. Need some self-care this winter? Take a few minutes to slow down, suprême some orange slices, and assemble this salad!
Classic French Omelet
Now that I know how to make a proper French omelet, I make them all the time! There is something so satisfying about flipping that perfectly smooth pocket of creamy, curdy eggs out of the pan that I just can’t stop. However, this dish is deceivingly difficult at first. It took me at least three tries and a trip to Crate & Barrel to get it right, but I was determined. Sohla noted that a high quality, small, non-stick skillet is vital to this recipe, and she was right. I didn’t own a non-stick skillet, and my first two attempts in cast iron were laughable. Ultimately, I purchased the ZWILLING Motion 8" Non-Stick Hard-Anodized Fry Pan, and it made all the difference. My third attempt at the Classic French Omelet recipe came out beautifully, and I’ve been able to make them successfully ever since!
Spaghetti with Zucchini, Pecorino, & Mint
This one is for my vegetable gardeners out there. As someone who loves growing my own produce, I can pretty much guarantee I will be making this dish at least once a year. Every summer, there comes a point when the quantity of squash and zucchini in our garden far exceeds our ability to eat it all, and this dish is the solution. It uses eight zucchini and transforms them in a way I didn’t know was possible. The bland, watery vegetable is cooked down until it becomes a creamy, cheesy sauce that coats the spaghetti noodles. The addition of mint makes this comforting bowl of pasta feel a bit more light and fresh, perfect for a summertime dinner. Admittedly, this recipe does take some patience and possibly too much time in front of the stove in the midst of summer heat, but I promise, it’s worth it!
Zhaleh’s Classic Saffron-Stained Tahdig
I could wax poetic about tahdig for an entire blog post, but I’ll try to keep this brief. The act of making tahdig feels like a ritual so special that I question whether I’m worthy of such a task. The sounds and smells make my mouth water in anticipation of enjoying the crunchy, fluffy, buttery plate of caramelized rice. Simmering subsides, and I begin to detect a toasty scent. Suspense builds as the time to reveal the final product gets closer. Will the bottom be crispy? Will it be burnt? Has the rice had enough time to steam and infuse with flavor? Finally, it’s time to flip the pot over onto a plate. The grand unveiling elicits a celebratory response of “oohs and ahs” over the bronzed crust atop a soft mound of bright yellow fading into pure white. The first spoonful scooped out of the mound creates a satisfying cliff carved out of the perfectly round structure. A mouthful of sweet, earthy saffron makes the build-up to this moment worth the wait. Tahdig is perhaps the most dramatic dish I’ve ever made.
Brothy Same-Day Slow-Roast Whole Chicken
Every person on this planet (that consumes meat) should make this recipe. It’s the perfect solution to the never-ending question of “What should I make for dinner tonight?” This dish is simple enough to make on a busy weeknight but also indulgent enough to prepare for a small gathering. Throw together a simple salad, heat up some crusty bread, pull a stick of butter out of the fridge, and grab some flaky salt. Dinner is served! To create the perfect bite, spread a thick layer of butter onto a slice of the hearty bread, top it with the jammy onions and a hunk of juicy chicken, sprinkle with flaky salt, and enjoy. Prepare to make this dish every month for the rest of your life because it’s just that good.
Braised Eggplant with Parm Vibes
A dish as delectable as this one should not be so easy to make. It defies logic. I actually like this version better than a traditional eggplant parmesan! Slices of eggplant are sautéed until slightly charred and then cooked in a simple tomato sauce. Cheese is scattered on top and melted under the broiler. The final dish has all of the same flavors as eggplant parmesan without the mess of breading and frying, and as a result, the eggplant takes on a much more satisfying, creamy texture. If you miss the breading, you could probably top the dish with breadcrumbs before broiling it, but I think serving it over a bowl of creamy polenta checks the carb box enough for me! This is a warming, hearty dish, perfect for a wintertime dinner.
Classic Curry Chicken Salad
We may have OD’d on this one y’all. When I first made this dish, Ryan was not enthused. He’s not a big fan of chicken salad, but when he tasted this one, he completely changed his mind. The Classic Curry Chicken Salad is bursting with flavor and texture in ways that make it addictively satisfying. Slivered almonds along with crisp chunks of apple and celery prevent this dish from taking on the mushy texture of a standard chicken salad. The robust curry powder, sweet golden raisins, fresh cilantro, and bright lemon juice create a balanced, flavorful dish that I could snack on all day. It’s so good that I started doubling or tripling the recipe, which is ultimately how we overindulged in this particular meal. Just writing about it is reawakening my craving for it though!
Broiler Turkey Meatballs
Any time I need to feed a crowd, this will be my go-to recipe. A giant bowl of juicy meatballs bathed in savory puttanesca sauce is sure to please the masses. The best part is that this recipe is freezer-friendly, making it a great meal train option as well. When feeding just Ryan and myself, we freeze the leftovers and look forward to eating them on a night when we don’t feel like cooking. All of these options make the time commitment for this dish totally worthwhile. After preparing the meatball mixture, it has to rest for a minimum of six hours, in order to achieve the best flavor and texture. Forming the meatballs is also time-consuming, but they cook up quickly under the broiler! Luckily, the sauce doesn’t require much prep at all. Just dump the cherry tomatoes in a large Dutch oven, along with the rest of the ingredients, and cook it down until the tomatoes burst and flavors meld. This dinner is so delicious, you can’t help but be excited about the leftovers too!
A Very Banana-y Banana Bread
I’ve made a lot of banana breads. I’ve made so many variations that I’ve lost count: a basic version with walnuts or chocolate chips, a healthy version with maple syrup or honey, a pumpkin one, a zucchini one, and variations on those variations. Sohlae’s recipe for banana bread is the only one I’ve made that truly celebrates the flavor of bananas. It helps that this recipe uses four bananas, which is definitely the most I’ve ever used in a single loaf. However, it’s also her techniques that make this loaf special. First, the bananas are mashed together with the eggs, so the enzymes within the eggs can help break down some of the starches within the bananas. Then the butter is browned to create a nutty, caramelized flavor that enhances the banana versus overpowering it. After the butter has cooled, the creaming method is used to create a light, fluffy batter. Finally, Sohlae warns not to add any mix-ins to this loaf because the batter is so light that they would just sink to the bottom. This is banana bread in its purest form, and it is perfect just the way it is!
Cherry Pumpernickel Pie
This dessert brings the drama! Bright red sour cherries oozing out of a rich, black pie crust - it’s everything I want in a pie that I never knew was possible. The Pumpernickel Rough Puff Pastry (p. 333) makes this pie really special. A combination of rye flour, black cocoa powder, and blackstrap molasses adds a unique flavor to an otherwise traditional pie. While this pie can be made with sweet cherries, I think the vibrant, tart cherries are a must. It’s worth every minute of sitting at the dining table, pitting the fresh cherries one by one, for this jammy filling bursting with tangy, sweet flavor. Since sour cherry season is fleeting, I can guarantee, I’ll be making cherry pie for Fourth of July every year!
Vanilla Pavlova with Cocoa & Citrus
Can I make pavlova my whole personality? This specific pavlova definitely has my heart, and I want to make it over and over again. It has a classic vanilla pavlova base with a crisp exterior and pillowy interior. Since pavlova is so sweet, the toppings need to cut through the sugar, and that’s where the cocoa whipped cream and citrus fruit shine. A rich, dark chocolate whipped cream adds a subtle bitterness. An assortment of Cara Cara and blood oranges on top add delightful color and work well for the quintessential chocolate and orange flavor combination. This recipe is a show-stopper! Assemble it right on the dining table and finish it off with chocolate shavings for a perfect ending to any dinner party.
Cardamom Pistachio Cake with Mango Whipped Cream
I think the title of this recipe says it all. Cardamom, pistachio, and mango?! Chef’s kiss. The cake itself is made by blending the pistachios with the dry ingredients and folding them into a whipped egg mixture. The result is a nutty, rich sponge with the lovely addition of cardamom lending some complexity and a lightly floral note. Mango whipped cream adds a sweet, tropical flavor to the cake, and if that wasn’t enough, the whole thing is topped with fresh, juicy slices of mango and more chopped pistachio for crunch. The flavors of this cake work in unison to create something not too sweet and really unique!
Burnt Basque Cheesecake with Ripe Stone Fruit
Heavenly. You may think you’ve had good cheesecake before, but unless it was a Basque cheesecake, you’re wrong. This style of cheesecake is so much lighter and creamier than a classic version. It’s also incredibly easy to make! There is no crust to fool with, no water bath to bake it in, and the ingredients are basic kitchen staples. Don’t skip the almond extract though. As Sohlae says, “A dash of almond extract along with vanilla doesn’t make it taste like almond, but rather gives it that ‘Why does this taste so good?’ scent.” I can’t wait to make this again next summer during peak stone fruit season. Juicy, ripe peach slices perfectly complement the caramelized exterior and silky interior. This is the best cheesecake I’ve ever had, and I made it myself at home!
Lemon, Pecorino, & Potato Pizza
This recipe is actually a variation on the Crusty No-Knead Focaccia (p. 495), so we’re already off to a great start. Then you add lemon, garlic, potato, and cheese, and it’s no wonder why this dish is such a crowd-pleaser! The potato is sliced super thin and arranged on top of the dimpled dough. Once baked, the bottom crust of the focaccia is golden brown and crunchy while the potatoes on top stay mostly soft but browned and crisped in spots. The final step is to shower the loaf with pecorino cheese and top with freshly ground pepper, and by that point, my mouth is watering. I will look for any excuse to make this one again, but it definitely has to be for an event that takes place outside of my own home. Otherwise, I’m not sure I can resist eating the whole thing myself.
Perfectly Puffy Pitas
I was absolutely giddy when I made pita bread WITH a pocket! It felt like a magic trick! Once you’ve made fresh pita, you never want to go back to the stale, crumbly store-bought kind. Homemade pita is so much softer and chewier, and it just tastes less processed. There is definitely a bit of technique involved in getting it right though! Pita is made with a very wet dough, and instead of adding flour, which would dry out the dough, you have to use oil to keep it from sticking to your hands and countertop. Once the dough has been portioned and proofed, it’s important to roll it to the right thickness. Too thin or too thick and the pita won’t develop a pocket when baking. Finally, the pitas have to be baked in a 500-degree oven on a cast iron skillet or baking stone. In order to minimize heat loss in the oven, the pita must be placed on the stone quickly, without burning yourself. Then the magic happens! Watching through the oven door, the pita will start to balloon, and it’s ready when it's barely golden around the edges, which only takes a few minutes. Make extra! You’ll definitely want to keep these on hand, and they’re freezer-friendly for a month.
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cake
This cake holds a special place in my heart. It was the 200th recipe I made from the book, the last of all of the cakes, and I made it in celebration of my 33rd birthday! Reflecting on all of the cakes I baked from the book, I could see how much I’d improved when making this cake. Not only was I more confident during the process, but my decorating skills had come a long way. I realized that baking and decorating cakes had almost become second nature to me, and that felt like a huge win! The cake layers in this recipe are vanilla bean cakes, which provides the perfect canvas for the chocolate peanut butter buttercream. The addition of creamy peanut butter made this buttercream so silky and delicious, I could’ve eaten it by the spoonful. I decorated the cake with buttercream squiggles, and a dahlia that I had dried from my garden, which felt even more special. This was the perfect recipe to celebrate number 200, and my challenge nearing its end!
After cooking and baking my way through this entire book, and then writing about the journey in these four blog posts, it’s pretty safe to say I know Start Here like the back of my hand. While these are my top sixteen recipes, there are so many more that are worth trying! I’m always happy to provide a recommendation, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to know more.
Let me know in the comments - do you need a recipe recommendation? Which of these recipes sounded the best to you?!