Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nostrat
Reviewed By: Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist
Genre: Nonfiction (Cooking)
Suggested Age: Adults
What is This Book About? Chef Samin Nostrat simplifies advanced cooking techniques for home cooks by breaking them down to four aspects: salt, fat, acid, and heat. If a person can master flavor, texture, and temperature, they will be able to cook anything. Samin balances the book with illustrations, charts, personal experiences, and recipes in this narrative blend. This book was the basis for the Netflix series of the same name where Samin visits locales around the world, as well as adds her own Persian family influences.
My Review: This book is more than a cookbook. I picked up new strategies I can apply to my own cooking as well as few new recipes to try. Samin offers good tips such as salting techniques for meat and the benefit of letting some ingredients come to room temperature before cooking. While the book is not completely full of recipes, she also includes a few delicious ones. We tried her buttermilk roast chicken and a tart dough recipe she got from a fellow chef. I wouldn’t tag her strategies or recipes as “quick and easy” or for “busy weeknights.” I appreciate her love for slower, more thoughtful methods even though they are not always realistic if you are not a chef. Not everyone has time to prepare homemade tart dough or pasta from scratch, but this book provides a good start for home cooks who want to experiment and step up their game. I listened to the audiobook version, which Samin narrates well. I enjoyed her appreciation for good food and her anecdotes throughout.
Three Words that Describe this Book: Delicious, thorough, detailed
Give This a Try if You Like… Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perleman
Rating: 4/5
