If you've spent any time in the Bon Appétit universe, you probably already have a soft spot for Ham El-Waylly. The chef has a gift for making food feel genuinely fun without dumbing anything down - and now he's channeling that energy into his debut cookbook.
A cookbook that actually gets you
According to Bon Appétit, the book is packed with inventive snacks, solid weeknight recipes, and the kind of joyful essays that make you want to read a cookbook cover to cover rather than just mine it for dinner ideas. It's the rare culinary release that feels like it was written by someone who actually understands what it's like to cook for yourself on a Tuesday.
And yes, Bugles come up. El-Waylly has gone on record saying the cone-shaped corn snack deserves a lot more respect than it typically gets. Honestly? He's not wrong. There's something refreshing about a chef who can hold serious culinary knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for gas station snacks in the same hand without any irony.
Why this matters beyond the recipes
Debut cookbooks from chefs with a strong personality can go one of two ways - either they're a well-packaged extension of a brand, or they're something that actually adds to the conversation about how we cook and eat at home. From what Bon Appétit describes, El-Waylly's book leans firmly into the latter camp.
The emphasis on snacks is particularly worth noting. Snacking culture has exploded over the past few years, and yet most cookbooks still treat snacks as an afterthought - a few pages wedged between appetizers and mains. Giving snacks real creative attention feels like a reflection of how a lot of us actually eat now, especially those of us who graze through the evening rather than sitting down to a composed three-course situation.
The essays are the secret weapon
What might set this book apart is the writing alongside the recipes. Essays in cookbooks can feel like filler, but when they work, they reframe the whole experience of cooking - they give you a reason to care before you even turn on the stove. El-Waylly has always had a voice that balances warmth with genuine wit, and if the essays carry that same energy, this could be one of those books that lives on your counter rather than your shelf.
Whether you're a dedicated home cook or someone who survives mostly on enthusiastic snacking, there's something here worth paying attention to.
