Watch the first episode of former Bon Appétit star Sohla El-Waylly's new YouTube show
- Sohla El-Waylly is launching a new show on the Babish Culinary Universe YouTube channel called "Stump Sohla."
- In the show, El-Waylly is presented with a dish, and spins a wheel to determine a specific challenge or style.
- El-Waylly, among other chefs of color, left Bon Appétit video in August following failed contract negotiations that she said would have left her paid less than her white peers.
- Watch the first episode of "Stump Sohla," in which El-Waylly cooks mac & cheese in an 18th-century style.
Sohla El-Waylly, the beloved internet-famous chef and restaurateur, now has her own show: "Stump Sohla," a series on the Binging With Babish YouTube channel, now the Babish Culinary Universe.
The show, presented in a game-show format, tests El-Waylly's culinary skills by presenting her with a meal to create in a particular style. However, she'll need to spin a wheel to determine a specific challenge, like cooking one-handed or purchasing all ingredients at a convenience store.
In the first episode of the show, which premiered on Thursday, El-Waylly made mac & cheese but with a historical twist — she had to make the dish in an 18th century style, as determined by the wheel. In it, she cooks over an open flame, makes pasta out of stone-ground flour, and uses "a lot of cheese." The result, of course, looks delicious.
El-Waylly, along with fellow chefs of color Priya Krishna and Rick Martinez, left Bon Appétit video in August following failed contract negotiations that they said would still leave them paid less than their white peers. Following allegations of a toxic work environment and a resurfaced photo of former editor in chief Adam Rapoprt in brownface, the publication and its popular video arm have been undergoing a reckoning.
Prior to Rapoport's departure from Bon Appétit, El-Waylly called for his resignation and said on Instagram that she had been "pushed in front of video as a display of diversity." She said that she had not been compensated for video appearances and that her starting offer at Bon Appétit was $50,000 despite 15 years of culinary experience. El-Waylly told Business Insider that she was offered a contract that would add $20,000 to her base pay following her posts, an offer that left her "insulted and appalled" given that other BA stars allegedly earned much more in per-episode fees.
El-Waylly told Deadline that she was "excited for my new show, not only do I get to spin a giant wheel (what!) but no matter where it lands I know we're gonna have a good time! The wheel's got some wild things going on, and I can't wait to try it all — cook one-handed, light stuff on fire, and even try to beat the Babish himself!"
The Babish Culniary Universe YouTube channel has nearly 7.9 million subscribers, which as Eater noted is nearly 2 million more than the Bon Appétit YouTube channel, which has nearly 6 million.
Per Deadline, new episodes of "Stump Sohla" will typically be released on Saturdays, and it currently has a 10-episode order.
- Read more:
- Bon Appétit's editor in chief just resigned — but staffers of color say there's a 'toxic' culture of microaggressions and exclusion that runs far deeper than one man
- Sohla El-Waylly returned to YouTube after the Bon Appétit reckoning in an appearance on Binging with Babish
- 3 of Bon Appétit's Test Kitchen stars of color are departing the video channel after failed contract negotiations
- The internet is rallying behind Bon Appétit's Sohla El-Waylly after she accused the publication of pay inequity