Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Written by Samin Nosrat
Narrated by Samin Nosrat
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Transform how you prep, cook, and think about food with this visionary master class in cooking by Samin Nosrat that distills decades of professional experience into just four simple elements—from the woman declared “America’s next great cooking teacher” by Alice Waters.
Featuring more than 100 recipes from Samin and more than 150 illustrations from acclaimed illustrator Wendy MacNaughton!
In the tradition of The Joy of Cooking and How to Cook Everything comes Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, an ambitious new approach to cooking. 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.
Destined to be a classic, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat just might be the last cookbook you’ll ever need.
With a foreword by Michael Pollan.
*Named one of the Best Books of the Year by: NPR, BuzzFeed, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Rachel Ray Every Day, San Francisco Chronicle, Elle.com, Glamour, Eater, Newsday, The Seattle Times, Tampa Bay Times, Tasting Table, Publishers Weekly, and more!*
Editor's Note
Warm adventure…
For anyone who’s fallen for Samin Nosrat’s charming Netflix series “Salt Fat Acid Heat,” know that the source material is just as — if not more! — charming. Written with Nosrat’s signature warmth and approachability, it makes cooking less of a color-by-numbers and more of a flavor adventure.
Samin Nosrat
Samin Nosrat is a writer, teacher, and chef. Called “a go-to resource for matching the correct techniques with the best ingredients” by The New York Times, and “the next Julia Child” by NPR’s All Things Considered, she’s been cooking professionally since 2000, when she first stumbled into the kitchen at Chez Panisse restaurant. She lives, cooks, surfs, and gardens in Berkeley, California. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is her first book.
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Reviews for Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
423 ratings22 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Thank you Samin for keeping me company and bringing me joy on my daily commute through your book and your podcast !
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a delightful cookbook and I learned a lot. The hand drawings are adorable and refreshing. Pair this book with Samin's Netflix show and it will bring you a lot of joy.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I enjoyed this listen. It was a comforting night time listen. I felt like I was being given advice from my aunt at the kitchen island on a sunday afternoon. I found myself paying attention to each element the next time after reading. My cooking has already gotten more confident in tasting and experimenting.
I do think i would have enjoyed the physical book more as there were times when the visuals would of been helpful or to be able to get a better sense of it. Overall I enjoyed the show inspired by this a bit more as I felt more connected with the author. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It started off great, but it got way too technical far too much of the time. But there is great information to be mined from this book, as long as you can get through all of the technical terms, which may work for those needing all the simple basics of cooking.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5There is a lot of information here and each sentence is absolutely wonderful!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5As a chef I luv this book and I plan on buying the print copy for my library
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just know you're only getting part one of the book. Perhaps obviously, the recipes are in the book. But it's an engaging "read" nonetheless and I'm looking forward to playing with the concepts through the recipes
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5well written & understandable. good things to think about when cooking.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Everything in this book is so, so helpful! I definitely recommend it for anyone interested in improving their cooking skills.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A must have on culinary common sense and basic cooking chemistry. Do get the print edition as well for lovely recipes—and its prettiness. ^_^
Nosrat for president! <3 - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wonderful narration and incredibly helpful tips for every cook - from the most experienced to the most novice
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simple and straightforward. I love to cook, and this book is a great help. Love it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5so much pleasure to understand better this stuff about cooking.
Looks and feels a lot less alien to me and gives more courage facing the arena of cooking ;) - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So glad I chose this book! Made me understand cooking better. Highly recommended!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I was hoping to learn more about the chemistry of cooking, as the title implied. And as a vegan, much of the book is useless to me.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5More than a cookbook, this is a book on how to cook through an understanding of 4 basic elements--salt, acid, fat and heat. Not only is it packed with useful information, it is well illustrated and written in a style that is approachable by the average home cook. I would recommend this book to anybody who wants to move beyond following recipes and to discover the joy of cooking from knowledge of why things do the things they do. This would be a perfect gift for a talented cook with a sense of adventure.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Read some, skimmed some, passed it on to my kid. Useful for more serious cooks than me.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quite readable, with valuable information. It lacked the charm of some of McGee's writing, but the quirky illustrations with flecked with bits of wry humor, are an asset.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The most amazing cookbook ever. I learned I have been using the wrong salt my whole and life and just that one little thing has made my food more flavorful already. Can't wait to apply the rest!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Even though recipes of course aren’t available on the audiobook, it’s really fun listening to Samin read this. I checked the audiobook out of the library, but I will likely buy the physical book because I definitely want to refer back to it many times. She’s made cooking sound so amazingly fun, and I actually want to dig into my cookbooks again and make some stuff. Highly recommend this; also as a side note I don’t have Netflix so haven’t seen her show but am sure it’s fun just from listening to Samin here.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I enjoyed this one, but wished I'd read a hard copy instead of the audio version. I love that she shares her own mistakes as a young chef and works practical advice for improving your cooking in your own home. She also incorporates spice and cooking tips from cultures around the world. I wanted to take notes on some of her cooking tips. If you enjoy this, I'd highly recommend the author's Netflix series of the same name.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing cook book, with a very different perspective. It has shown me a whole new way of looking at foods and menus. Will be using it all the time.