Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking

by Samin Nosrat

Hardcover, 2017

Status

Available

Call number

641.5 NOR

Genres

Collections

Your library, Cookbooks

Publication

Simon and Schuster (2017), Edition: 4th, 480 pages

Description

Whether you've never picked up a knife or you're an accomplished chef, there are only four basic factors that determine how good your food will taste. Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat are the four cardinal directions of cooking, and they will guide you as you choose which ingredients to use and how to cook them, and they will tell you why last minute adjustments will ensure that food tastes exactly as it should. This book will change the way you think about cooking and eating, and help you find your bearings in any kitchen, with any ingredients, while cooking any meal. --

User reviews

LibraryThing member bookwormteri

The 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!

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LibraryThing member MarthaJeanne

This is really good. Not only is there a lot of good information, but it is well presented and interesting to read.

The original is American, and I have the British edition with metric measurements. The translation is fairly good compared to some I've seen, although I won't buy a second package of

marzipan if I find a 1/4 kilo package, just because the recipe calls for 255g. However there are a few places where whoever changed things didn't pay enough attention to the context, and some rather peculiar things resulted.

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LibraryThing member herschelian

Amazing 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.

LibraryThing member bookworm12

I 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.

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LibraryThing member spinsterrevival

Even 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.

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LibraryThing member quondame

Quite 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.

LibraryThing member KittyCunningham

Read some, skimmed some, passed it on to my kid. Useful for more serious cooks than me.

LibraryThing member klaidlaw

More 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.

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LibraryThing member susanbooks

I 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.

LibraryThing member bangerlm

This 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.

LibraryThing member rottweilersmile

pretty great introduction for those afraid of cooking or new to it. i love the philosophy of having drawings rather than photos so that people can worry less about making sure their food looks exactly like the photo (I'm guilty of this myself), and the lessons and tips are great. the recipes are

too bland, though i wonder if that's on purpose to encourage more experimentation or something

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LibraryThing member Daumari

Really, really liked this to the point of buying my own copy after the library one was due, though I have yet to put it in practice yet (as typical with my reading of cookbooks... though she does point out that recipes can sometimes restrict you too much) However, I do think about the elements when

eating, so there's that? Samin Nosrat really gets into the *why* of how different cooking methods and elements influence flavor, taste, texture, etc. and offers ways to balance and adjust as you go along. Easy to follow along, and Wendy MacNaughton's watercolor illustrations really brighten up the book as you go. Will absolutely refer to this in the future

I have yet to watch the companion Netflix series (I believe the book came first) so I'm curious about how it's presented in video format.

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