The Elements of Good Cooking

Salt Fat Acid Heat was published in 2017 and immediately hit the New York Times best seller list. It was named “Food Book of the Year” by The Times London and in 2018, the James Beard General Cookbook of the Year. It also was named one of the ten “Best Cookbooks of the Century So Far” in the New Yorker.

So, of course, I bought it. Back in 2017. And I’ve used it ever since. Samin Nosrat has taken the sometimes daunting task of cooking, and boiled it down to only 4 elements: salt; fat; acid and heat. She promises that if you can master these 4 principles, you’ll be able to cook anything - and it will be delicious. I wanted to see if that was true.

The author (i.e., Samin) recommends that you first read the book from beginning to end. Then go back and revisit the concepts that are relevant to you. So that’s what I did. And I have to say . . . I’ve NEVER read a cookbook through from beginning to end. Ever. But it was worth it. Not only does this cookbook explain in detail the 4 elements of salt, fat, acid and heat, it contains lessons, kitchen experiments, recipes and fabulous stories that highlight the author’s culinary journey - and what she learned along the way.

And frankly, when cooking vegetables and greens from the garden, or tossing together the perfect salad, I think we can agree that it’s all about flavor. Have you ever wondered why that restaurant salad tastes so much better than a homemade one? Or why your roasted or sautéed veggies are missing that zing?

Read on, girlfriend!

Salt

Salt is the first of the 4 elements espoused by the author as essential to good cooking. Salt enhances flavor. But this doesn’t mean using more salt - it means using salt better and smarter. Salt added during the cooking process does so much more to improve the flavor of food than any amount of salt added afterwards.

Salt comes in all different types, shapes and sizes. There’s table salt, kosher salt and sea salt. There’s also many ways to properly add salt. This cookbook will take you from a science lesson on how salt works, through layering and balancing salt, to mastering basic salting guidelines.

Salt is where the zing comes from! And it happens to be my favorite of the 4 elements.

Fat

Fat is the 2nd element of good cooking. According to the author, fat has 3 distinct roles - it can act as a main ingredient, a cooking medium or a seasoning. Understanding and identifying the primary role fat will play is key to determining which fat to choose for a particular dish.

Just as she did with salt, the author takes the reader through the various sources of fat, explains how each different fat source will have a different flavor and illustrates how fat actually works as a food enhancer. There’s even a flavor map to help you choose which fat to use based on your cuisine of choice.

Acid

The 3rd element of good cooking is acid. What is acid? Acid is lemons and limes, vinegar and wine. Anything that is sour or fermented or tangy is acid. Just as salt is a flavor enhancer, acid is a flavor balancer.

Since acids come from a variety of different sources, their flavors and concentrations will definitely be different. Tomatoes from a garden harvest this week may taste vastly different from tomatoes harvested next week. So how do you know how much acid a particular dish needs? You taste it!

Because acids can trigger chemical reactions, adding acids to foods not only affects the flavor of those foods, but also can affect the color and texture of the foods. The author provides a very understandable science lesson as to how acid works, and leads the reader through using acid, balancing sweetness with acid and how to ensure acid balance in a meal.

Heat

Heat is the 4th and final element of good cooking. According to the author, “Heat is the element of transformation.” Heat has no flavor and cannot be touched. Yet heat is what causes our food to change from raw to cooked.

As you might expect, the cookbook’s chapters on heat make up the largest of the sections discussing the 4 elements. While it also begins with a science lesson explaining how heat works, the author includes comprehensive discussions on how heat reacts with water, fat, carbohydrates and proteins, as well as how browning, temperature and smoke affect flavor. Various cooking methods and techniques are analyzed and explained, and the author makes suggestions based on the foods being cooked.

Let’s Cook

Part 2 of Salt Fat Acid Heat covers recipes and recommendations, and includes choosing tools, choosing ingredients, basic how-tos and recipes. The author’s hands-on guidance is reflected in every recipe and on every page. Recipes cover salads and dressings, sauces, vegetables, stocks and soups, beans, grains and pasta, fish, meat, doughs and sweets, and 13 ways of looking at a chicken.

So here’s the bottom line - Samin Nosrat and her cookbook Salt Fat Acid Heat did exactly as she promised. When (not if) you can master the 4 principles - salt, fat, acid and heat - you’ll be able to cook anything and it will be delicious. It’s true. I’m a much better cook as a result of following the guidance and passion laid out in this cookbook. And the recipes are some of my everyday go-to’s.

Cheers to you, Samin! And thank you!

Watch on Netflix

As an added bonus, Samin Nosrat has her own culinary documentary film series called Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix. You can travel the world with her in this 4-part series which highlights each of the 4 elements of good cooking through travel: salt in Japan; fat in Italy; acid in Mexico and heat in Berkeley, California (her hometown).

After watching this film series, I now use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (in the red box) and only purchase olive oil made from 100% California olives with a recent production date in November. And after viewing the segment on salt set in Japan, I would like to try Moshio (the earliest known Japanese sea salt) made from Hondawara seaweed.

Is there something you’d like to try?

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