Sohla El-Waylly facts for kids

Sohla El-Waylly is a talented American chef, author, and YouTube personality. She was born Nusrath Sohla Muzib. Sohla is known for creating amazing recipes and hosting cooking shows online. You can find her videos on the History channel and the New York Times Cooking YouTube channel. She also helps judge a cooking competition called "The Big Brunch."

In October 2023, Sohla released her very first cookbook. It's called Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook.

Before her current roles, Sohla worked as an editor at Bon Appétit magazine. She also appeared in their popular cooking videos on YouTube. Later, she made videos with Food52 and Andrew Rea on the Babish Culinary Universe YouTube channel.

Early Life and Learning

Sohla El-Waylly grew up in Los Angeles with her family. Her family owned a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store. This was her first experience in the food business. She later worked at Outback Steakhouse as well.

Sohla went to UC Irvine for college. She studied economics there. While studying, she also worked at a Cheesecake Factory restaurant.

In 2008, Sohla decided to follow her passion for cooking. She enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). This is a very famous school for chefs.

Starting Her Cooking Career

After finishing culinary school, Sohla worked in many top restaurants. She cooked in New York City at places like Atera. This restaurant has two Michelin stars, which means it's very highly rated. She also worked at Del Posto.

In 2016, Sohla and her husband opened their own diner. It was called Hail Mary and was located in Brooklyn. The restaurant received good reviews from people who visited. However, it was challenging to run their own business. Hail Mary closed after about a year. Sohla explained that it was hard to meet everyone's expectations.

Later, Sohla worked as a culinary editor for Serious Eats. In 2019, she joined Bon Appétit magazine. She became an assistant food editor there. She also appeared regularly in the magazine's popular YouTube cooking videos.

Becoming a Media Chef

In 2020, Sohla spoke up about important issues at Bon Appétit. She felt that employees of color were not treated fairly. She also believed they were paid less than other staff. Sohla bravely called for changes and better treatment for everyone.

Because of these issues, Sohla decided to leave Bon Appétit. She wanted to work where she had more creative freedom. She also wanted to make sure she was paid fairly for her work.

Soon after, Sohla started a new cooking show. It was called Stump Sohla and aired on Andrew Rea's Babish Culinary Universe YouTube channel. She also began writing a weekly column for Food52. It was called "Off-Script with Sohla."

Today, Sohla hosts "Ancient Recipes with Sohla" for the History TV network. She also hosts "Mystery Menu" on the New York Times Cooking YouTube channel. You can also see her as a judge on the HBO Max cooking competition show, The Big Brunch. She judges alongside Dan Levy and Will Guidara.

Her First Cookbook

On October 31, 2023, Sohla El-Waylly released her first cookbook. It is titled Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook. The book aims to help people become more confident in the kitchen.

Outside the Kitchen

Sohla El-Waylly lives in New York City. Her husband is also a chef named Hisham "Ham" El-Waylly. They met while they were both studying at the Culinary Institute of America. In September 2023, Sohla and Ham shared happy news. They announced the birth of their first child.