Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Ratings55
Average rating4.6
15
Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Ratings55
Average rating4.6
A visionary new master class in cooking that distills decades of professional experience into just four simple elements, from the woman declared “America’s next great cooking teacher” by Alice Waters.
In the tradition of The Joy of Cooking and How to Cook Everything comes Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, an ambitious new approach to cooking by a major new culinary voice. Chef and writer Samin Nosrat has taught everyone from professional chefs to middle school kids to author Michael Pollan to cook using her revolutionary, yet simple, philosophy. Master the use of just four elements—Salt, which enhances flavor; Fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; Acid, which balances flavor; and Heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food—and anything you cook will be delicious. By explaining the hows and whys of good cooking, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will teach and inspire a new generation of cooks how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients, anywhere, at any time.
Echoing Samin’s own journey from culinary novice to award-winning chef, Salt, Fat Acid, Heat immediately bridges the gap between home and professional kitchens. With charming narrative, illustrated walkthroughs, and a lighthearted approach to kitchen science, Samin demystifies the four elements of good cooking for everyone. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes—and dozens of variations—to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs.
Featuring 150 illustrations and infographics that reveal an atlas to the world of flavor by renowned illustrator Wendy MacNaughton, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will be your compass in the kitchen. Destined to be a classic, it just might be the last cookbook you’ll ever need.
With a foreword by Michael Pollan.A visionary new master class in cooking that distills decades of professional experience into just four simple elements, from the woman declared “America’s next great cooking teacher” by Alice Waters.
In the tradition of The Joy of Cooking and How to Cook Everything comes Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, an ambitious new approach to cooking by a major new culinary voice. Chef and writer Samin Nosrat has taught everyone from professional chefs to middle school kids to author Michael Pollan to cook using her revolutionary, yet simple, philosophy. Master the use of just four elements—Salt, which enhances flavor; Fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; Acid, which balances flavor; and Heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food—and anything you cook will be delicious. By explaining the hows and whys of good cooking, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will teach and inspire a new generation of cooks how to confidently make better decisions in the kitchen and cook delicious meals with any ingredients, anywhere, at any time.
Echoing Samin’s own journey from culinary novice to award-winning chef, Salt, Fat Acid, Heat immediately bridges the gap between home and professional kitchens. With charming narrative, illustrated walkthroughs, and a lighthearted approach to kitchen science, Samin demystifies the four elements of good cooking for everyone. Refer to the canon of 100 essential recipes—and dozens of variations—to put the lessons into practice and make bright, balanced vinaigrettes, perfectly caramelized roast vegetables, tender braised meats, and light, flaky pastry doughs.
Featuring 150 illustrations and infographics that reveal an atlas to the world of flavor by renowned illustrator Wendy MacNaughton, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will be your compass in the kitchen. Destined to be a classic, it just might be the last cookbook you’ll ever need.
With a foreword by Michael Pollan.
source: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat/Samin-Nosrat/9781476753850
Reviews with the most likes.
While I'm a very experienced cook, I'm not one of those people who's into cookbooks. However, I am into learning and improving on everything I know, and Samin will definitely make you a better cook. The first half of the book is a crash course into why good food tastes good. It's approachable, enjoyable, and as a designer I was familiar with Wendy MacNaughton's fantastic illustrations, so that was a big plus. Samin's reasoning for using illustrations, vs the ubiquitous mouth-watering food photos, is so you don't get a preconceived idea of what “perfect” looks like. I think that really captures the spirit of why she wrote this book.
There are illustrated pull out charts with regional ingredient groupings and such. If you've ever wanted to learn how to cook without memorizing a recipe, this (cook)book is definitely where you should start.
The second half consists of actual recipes, which I'm sure will be great once I get around to trying them. Several of the techniques are already in my repertoire so I can vouch — everyone should learn how to dry brine and spatchcock poultry, stat.
Charming! Not a whole lot of new material for anyone who's been cooking a while, but enough to read (not skim) the whole way through... and worth doing so for the sense of joy that infuses the book. Nosrat is a storyteller, an ebullient one; all of her lessons are illustrated via memorable tales of her experiences and mishaps and successes. She uses humor judiciously: as a seasoning, if you will. Every page is filled with delight.
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