Sohla El-Waylly returned to YouTube after the Bon Appétit reckoning in an appearance on Binging with Babish
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Palmer Haasch
Jul 31, 2020, 00:35 IST
Sohla El-Waylly appeared to temper chocolate and make some fun creations on Binging with Babish.Binging with Babish/YouTube
Sohla El-Waylly returned to video in an appearance on the YouTube channel Binging with Babish, run by Andrew Rea, after Bon Appétit's reckoning with pay disparities and a "toxic" work environment in June.
As part of the "Basics with Babish" show, El-Waylly instructed Rea on tempering chocolate, a skill she was called upon to perform in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen.
People rallied behind El-Waylly after she said on Instagram that she was not compensated for video appearances while her white coworkers were.
"I am terrified of tempering chocolate, I think most people are," Rea says in the video. "But you are very very good at it."
"Nothing to be scared of, totally easy," El-Waylly replies. "We're gonna crush it."
Bon Appétit experienced a major reckoning in early June after a photo of then-editor in chief Adam Rapoport seemingly dressed in a racist costume resurfaced on social media, sparking a dialogue about the way that Bon Appétit compensates its BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) employees. That conversation was largely spearheaded by assistant editor Sohla El-Waylly, who said on Instagram that white people were compensated for video appearances while people of color were not, saying that she had been "pushed in front of video as a display of diversity."
El-Waylly's posts brought about an outpouring of social media support for the chef. Many in particular praised her culinary skill: one compilation of people in the Test Kitchen asking her for help with ingredient pronunciation, cooking technique, and of course, tempering chocolate, went viral.
In a July 19 Instagram post, El-Waylly wrote, "BA is moving forward, slowly making the changes to become more equitable and inclusive. What's to become of video is still unknown, but at least in the meantime over on the site and in the magazine you'll find my ice cream pie, @seechaey's summer vegetable grain bowl, and @sarahjampel's blueberry buckle. We're still here for you at bA making content we hope you will love."
El-Waylly is still listed on the publication's masthead, and she still has the publication tagged on her social media profiles.
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When reached for comment about the video El-Waylly told Insider, "I don't have much to say about it. It was just a fun time and you know I love tempering chocolate. I can't say no to man who'll get me 6 kilos of Valrhona, you know?"
Rachel Premack contributed reporting to this article.
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