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Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking Hardcover – Illustrated, April 25, 2017
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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, Rachael Ray Every Day, San Francisco Chronicle, Elle.com, Glamour, Eater, Newsday, The Seattle Times, Tampa Bay Times, Tasting Table, Publishers Weekly, and more!*
- Print length480 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSimon and Schuster
- Publication dateApril 25, 2017
- Dimensions1.46 x 7.71 x 9.33 inches
- ISBN-101476753830
- ISBN-13978-1476753836
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From the Publisher



Editorial Reviews
Review
“With 100 tempting recipes and vibrant illustrations by Wendy MacNaughton, this textbook offers insight, encouragement, and a new path to culinary mastery.” ― Real Simple
"Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is a refreshing break from [the] contemporary formula. Instantly recognizable as a reference book, Samin Nosrat's definitive technique-driven tome defies convention. This is partly because Nosrat's method of teaching via the book's four main pillars (salt, fat, acid, and heat) is a rarity...But what makes Nosrat's method so effective was her insistence that the book be illustrated. ― Saveur.com
"A cookbook that will make you a better cook...with helpful, charming illustrations from artist Wendy MacNaughton." ― Boston Globe
"An exhaustively researched treatise on the four pillars of successful cooking." ― New York Times Book Review
"All you need to master the kitchen are the four elements laid out in this Joyfully illustrated book's title. Nosrat, who's been called 'America's next great cooking teacher' by Alice Waters and taught Michael Pollan how to cook, is a more than trustworthy instructor." ― Tasting Table
"If there’s one cookbook that will make dad want to march into the kitchen and start cooking you amazing meals, it’s this one." ― Wired.com
"NPR once called Nosrat 'the next Julia Child.' Based on her first cookbook, we can see why. The Chez Panisse alum uses a simple philosophy: balancing salt, fat, acid and heat (temperature, not spice) to create a perfect finished product. But recipes aside, the illustrations alone are worth the price." ― PureWow
"If you're only going to buy one cookbook this year, let it be this so-much-more-than-a-recipe-book by Chez Panisse alum Samin Nosrat and illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton, guaranteed to turn even the most culinarily inept among us into kitchen proficient."
― Elle.com
About the Author
Wendy MacNaughton is a New York Times bestselling illustrator and graphic journalist whose books include Meanwhile in San Francisco (Chronicle), Pen & Ink (Bloomsbury). The Gutsy Girl (Bloomsbury), and The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Her work appears in publications like The New York Times, Lucky Peach, Bon Appétit, AFAR Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the back page columnist for The California Sunday Magazine.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Growing up, I thought salt belonged in a shaker at the table, and nowhere else. I never added it to food, or saw Maman add it to food. When my aunt Ziba, who had a well-documented taste for salt, sprinkled it onto her saffron rice at the table each night, my brothers and I giggled. We thought it was the strangest, funniest thing in the world. “What on earth,” I wondered, “can salt do for food?”
I associated salt with the beach, where I spent my childhood seasoned with it. There were the endless hours in the Pacific, swallowing mouthful after mouthful of ocean water when I misjudged the waves. Tidepooling at twilight, my friends and I often fell victim to the saltwater spray while we poked at anemones. And my brothers, chasing me on the sand with giant kelp, would tickle and taunt me with its salty, otherworldly tassels whenever they caught up to me.
Maman always kept our swimsuits in the back of our blue Volvo station wagon, because the beach was always where we wanted to be. She was deft with the umbrella and blankets, setting them up while she shooed the three of us into the sea.
We’d stay in the water until we were starving, scanning the beach for the sun-faded coral-and-white umbrella, the only landmark that would lead us back to Maman. Wiping saltwater from our eyes, we beelined to her.
Somehow, Maman always knew exactly what would taste best when we emerged: Persian cucumbers topped with sheep’s milk feta cheese rolled together in lavash bread. We chased the sandwiches with handfuls of ice-cold grapes or wedges of watermelon to quench our thirst.
That snack, eaten while my curls dripped with seawater and salt crust formed on my skin, always tasted so good. Without a doubt, the pleasures of the beach added to the magic of the experience, but it wasn’t until many years later, working at Chez Panisse, that I understood why those bites had been so perfect from a culinary point of view.
While bussing tables during the first year I worked at Chez Panisse, the closest I usually got to the food was at tasters, when the cooks made each dish for the chef to critique before service. With a menu that changed daily, the chef needed tasters to ensure that his or her vision was realized. Everything had to be just right. The cooks would tinker and adjust until satisfied; then they’d hand over the dishes to the floor staff to taste. On the tiny back porch, a dozen of us would hover over the plates, passing them around until we’d all had a bite of everything. It was there that I first tasted crisp deep-fried quail, tender salmon grilled in a fig leaf, and buttermilk panna cotta with fragrant wild strawberries. Often, the powerful flavors would haunt me throughout my shift.
Once I developed culinary aspirations, Chris Lee, the chef who’d eventually take me under his wing, suggested that I pay less attention to what was happening on the porch during tasters, and more to what was happening in the kitchen. The language the chefs used, how they knew when something was right—these were clues about how to become a better cook. Most often, when a dish fell flat, the answer lay in adjusting the salt. Sometimes it was in the form of salt crystals, but other times it meant a grating of cheese, some pounded anchovies, a few olives, or a sprinkling of capers. I began to see that there is no better guide in the kitchen than thoughtful tasting, and that nothing is more important to taste thoughtfully for than salt.
One day the following year, as a young cook in the prep kitchen, I was tasked with cooking polenta. I’d tasted polenta only once before coming to Chez Panisse, and I wasn’t a fan. Precooked and wrapped in plastic like a roll of cookie dough, it was flavorless. But I’d promised myself that I would try everything at the restaurant at least once, and when I tasted polenta for the second time, I couldn’t believe that something so creamy and complex could share a name with that flavorless tube of astronaut food. Milled from an heirloom variety of corn, each bite of the polenta at Chez Panisse tasted of sweetness and earth. I couldn’t wait to cook some myself.
Once the chef, Cal Peternell, talked me through the steps of making the polenta, I began cooking. Consumed by the fear of scorching and ruining the entire humongous pot—a mistake I had seen other cooks make—I stirred maniacally.
After an hour and a half, I’d added in butter and Parmesan, just as Cal had instructed me. I brought him a spoonful of the creamy porridge to taste. At six foot four, Cal is a gentle giant with sandy-blond hair and the driest of wits. I looked expectantly up at him with equal parts respect and terror. He said, in his signature deadpan, “It needs more salt.” Dutifully, I returned to the pot and sprinkled in a few grains of salt, treating them with the preciousness I might afford, say, gold leaf. I thought it tasted pretty good, so I returned to Cal with a spoonful of my newly adjusted polenta.
Again, a moment’s consideration was all he needed to know the seasoning was off. But now—to save himself the trouble and time, I imagine—he marched me back to the pot and added not one but three enormous palmfuls of kosher salt.
The perfectionist in me was horrified. I had wanted so badly to do that polenta justice! The degree to which I’d been off was exponential. Three palmfuls!
Cal grabbed spoons and together we tasted. Some indescribable transformation had occurred. The corn was somehow sweeter, the butter richer. All of the flavors were more pronounced. I’d been certain Cal had ruined the pot and turned my polenta into a salt lick, but no matter how I tried, the word salty did not apply to what I tasted. All I felt was a satisfying zing! with each mouthful.
It was as if I’d been struck by lightning. It’d never occurred to me that salt was anything more than pepper’s sidekick. But now, having experienced the transformative power of salt for myself, I wanted to learn how to get that zing! every time I cooked. I thought about all of the foods I’d loved to eat growing up—and that bite of seaside cucumber and feta, in particular. I realized then why it had tasted so good. It was properly seasoned, with salt.
Product details
- Publisher : Simon and Schuster; 4th Edition (April 25, 2017)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 480 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1476753830
- ISBN-13 : 978-1476753836
- Item Weight : 2.85 pounds
- Dimensions : 1.46 x 7.71 x 9.33 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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About the authors
Wendy MacNaughton is a New York Times bestselling illustrator and graphic journalist whose books include Meanwhile in San Francisco (Chronicle) Knives & Ink (Bloomsbury). The Gutsy Girl (Bloomsbury), and Lost Cat (Bloomsbury). Her work appears in publications like The New York Times, Lucky Peach, Bon Appétit, AFAR Magazine, and elsewhere. She is the back page columnist for The California Sunday Magazine, and the co-founder of Women Who Draw.
SAMIN NOSRAT is a chef, teacher, and author of the best-selling, James Beard award-winning Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. She has been 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." Samin is an EAT columnist for The New York Times Magazine and can be found eating, cooking, and laughing in the "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" documentary series on Netflix.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this cooking book informative and easy to understand, with helpful illustrations and practical tips. They appreciate the recipes that help expand flavor combinations, and one customer notes how the author explains the science behind cooking in a fun way. The book receives positive feedback for its value, with customers considering it well worth the purchase, and many find it entertaining and a great gift choice. They particularly enjoy the sections on salt, including useful charts about different types of salt.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book very informative, providing lots of good explanations and teaching the basics of cooking in just a few pages.
"...She simplifies complex concepts with clear, engaging explanations, stunning illustrations, and a warmth that makes you feel like she’s guiding you..." Read more
"...Lots of really good explanations in a very accessible format. Some helpful illustrations and charts...." Read more
"...It's the perfect balance of knowledge, tips, passion, stories, anecdotes. Fun but also meaningful and impactful a very rare mix indeed...." Read more
"...It’s made me think about what and how I cook every meal. Highly recommend." Read more
Customers love the recipes in this cookbook, describing them as delicious with great basic cooking concepts that help expand flavor combinations.
"...This book isn’t just a collection of recipes. It’s an essential culinary guide that breaks cooking down into its four foundational elements, making..." Read more
"...The Fresh Ginger and Molasses cake is exceptional if you are a ginger fan - worth trying!..." Read more
"...It's "I love food and cooking great food and here are the secrets I used to understand the how and why to create great food so can you...." Read more
"...The author really explains the main nuances of flavor and tells you how to balance those elements to achieve a better outcome...." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and understand, with clear explanations of cooking principles, making it a must-read for all cooks.
"...She simplifies complex concepts with clear, engaging explanations, stunning illustrations, and a warmth that makes you feel like she’s guiding you..." Read more
"...Lots of really good explanations in a very accessible format. Some helpful illustrations and charts...." Read more
"...It’s a must read for anyone who cooks and actually cares about how their food tastes...." Read more
"...I’m just lazy. Was very informative off the bat. Was easy to apply and taste test the concepts of the first two chapters." Read more
Customers appreciate the illustrations in the book, particularly Wendy's artwork, with one customer noting the use of watercolor instead of glossy photographs, and another highlighting the visual presentation of cooking elements.
"...simplifies complex concepts with clear, engaging explanations, stunning illustrations, and a warmth that makes you feel like she’s guiding you..." Read more
"...Some helpful illustrations and charts. I'm a long-time home cook and baker, I've owned this book about 5 years, and I'm still finding gems to try." Read more
"...This beautifully written and visually stunning book goes beyond traditional recipes to explore the fundamental elements that make food delicious:..." Read more
"...It is destined to become a classic. It is beautifully written, beautifully illustrated and a fun read. I learned so much...." Read more
Customers find the cookbook humorous and entertaining, enjoying the recipes and having fun in the kitchen, with one customer noting its fantastic sense of wit.
"...Fun but also meaningful and impactful a very rare mix indeed. This easily a top ten cookbook ever in my mind...." Read more
"...It is beautifully written, beautifully illustrated and a fun read. I learned so much...." Read more
"...If you enjoy cooking, this is an entertaining educational excursion...." Read more
"...I love the recipes that are full page visuals. There is lots of humor throughout. Make no mistake though, this is a cooking book, NOT a cookbook...." Read more
Customers find the book well worth the purchase, describing it as cost-effective and a great product that's worth every minute spent reading it.
"...Ginger and Molasses cake is exceptional if you are a ginger fan - worth trying!..." Read more
"Worth a read." Read more
"...The chapter on salt alone is worth the price of the book...." Read more
"...This book is worth every penny and suitable for home cooks of any experience level." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's detailed coverage of salt, including useful charts of different types and information about its effects on vegetables and herbs.
"...Key Takeaways That Changed My Cooking Forever ✅ Salt Enhances Everything – This book deepened my appreciation for how different salts..." Read more
"...section: What is salt, salt and flavor, how salt works, cooking foods in salted water, using salt, how to salt, layering salt, balancing salt, and..." Read more
"...It's got an entire page of types of salt, another page of salty foods to add to your plate to create balance, and that's literally just the chapter..." Read more
"Particularly appreciated emphasis and tips on salt. One of better books about cooking we have bought recently" Read more
Customers find the cookbook makes a great gift, with one mentioning it's perfect for inspiring others.
"...Makes a perfect gift." Read more
"...new/different/better ways to cook, I would say that this is a great gift to give, or keep for yourself 🙂..." Read more
"Wonderful gift for any aspiring chefs in your life. A lot of good cooking concepts and science explained with some wonderful recipes" Read more
"...She uses this book as a reference constantly. Excellent gift for an aspiring cook!" Read more
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2025Amazon Review: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat is a Game-Changer for Every Home Cook and Chef
As a professional chef and food science educator, I’ve read countless cookbooks, but very few have fundamentally reshaped my approach to cooking like Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. This book isn’t just a collection of recipes. It’s an essential culinary guide that breaks cooking down into its four foundational elements, making it easy for anyone to cook intuitively.
Why This Book is Revolutionary
Nosrat doesn’t just tell you how to cook—she teaches you why things work in the kitchen. She simplifies complex concepts with clear, engaging explanations, stunning illustrations, and a warmth that makes you feel like she’s guiding you personally.
I’ve always believed that understanding the “why” behind cooking techniques is what separates a great cook from an average one, and this book delivers that knowledge in a way that’s both accessible and profoundly educational.
Key Takeaways That Changed My Cooking Forever
✅ Salt Enhances Everything – This book deepened my appreciation for how different salts (kosher, flaky, fine) impact flavor and texture.
✅ Fat is Flavor – From olive oil to butter, Nosrat explains how fats carry flavor and influence mouthfeel.
✅ Acid Balances Dishes – One of my biggest takeaways was how acid (vinegars, citrus, fermented foods) brings food to life.
✅ Heat is the Final Key – Understanding the science of heat helped me refine my roasting, searing, and braising techniques.
Perfect for Beginners and Experts Alike
Whether you’re a home cook just starting out or a seasoned chef looking to refine your skills, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat belongs in your kitchen. The techniques in this book have helped me train culinary students, teach home cooks, and even improve my own plating and recipe development.
Final Thoughts: A Must-Have Culinary Guide
This book has changed the way I cook and teach food science, making it one of my most recommended reads. If you’ve ever struggled with seasoning, balancing flavors, or perfecting textures, this book will give you the confidence and knowledge to cook instinctively.
⭐ 5 out of 5 stars! Essential for anyone who loves food.
- Chef Rebecca Raffle
- Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2025It's worth buying this book just for the various wonderful fresh salsas. The Fresh Ginger and Molasses cake is exceptional if you are a ginger fan - worth trying!
Lots of really good explanations in a very accessible format. Some helpful illustrations and charts. I'm a long-time home cook and baker, I've owned this book about 5 years, and I'm still finding gems to try.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2024I bought long time ago but never got around to reading or listening to it until a few weeks ago. I am just stunned how amazing the book I am in Love with this book. It's the perfect balance of knowledge, tips, passion, stories, anecdotes. Fun but also meaningful and impactful a very rare mix indeed. This easily a top ten cookbook ever in my mind. It's a pleasure to read and listen to. Samin is like a great college professor not the ones that read from the Textbook but ones you engage you and share their joy of what they love and full or stories and anecdotes. They spark you to think for yourself and they actually have more knowledge that any dry text book could ever have.
Reading/listening to this book is like spending a long weekend with really good friend who has ADHD but is a master chef with world class cooking experience. They just dump all their knowledge and love of cooking over the weekend cooking dishes with you. At times it can be overwhelming with all the knowledge and hot tidbits she provides, But Samin is so warm , humble unpretentious her tone is so calming you just go with the flow. But I am going to have to go back and listen and read the book multiple times and take notes be able to absorb the immense knowledge she has so generously shared with us. Thank you
She really want's you to understand the concepts and empower you to make better food with the knowledge the is sharing. It's not about I am an amazing Chef so copy me. It's "I love food and cooking great food and here are the secrets I used to understand the how and why to create great food so can you.
I look forward to watching the Neflix series.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2025There’s a very good reason why this book has such great reviews. It’s a must read for anyone who cooks and actually cares about how their food tastes. The author really explains the main nuances of flavor and tells you how to balance those elements to achieve a better outcome. She doesn’t ever say “just do it this way” without giving you a logical, scientific reason for doing so. It’s made me think about what and how I cook every meal. Highly recommend.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2025I read the first chapters and haven’t picked the book back up. Nothing in the author or the substance. I’m just lazy. Was very informative off the bat. Was easy to apply and taste test the concepts of the first two chapters.
Top reviews from other countries
- Gölseb LegumenthReviewed in Australia on December 25, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
High quality printing and great info, I’ve only gotten halfway through and am thoroughly enjoying it, there are some errors through the book but they’re rare and pretty easy to understand.
- VanLuzReviewed in the United Kingdom on April 20, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars A piece of art
This is definitely a 5-star book for me.
The way everything is written and explained in the book is simply outstanding. The book takes a very scientific approach to cooking and breaks down the elements of good cooking into four simple categories - Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat. She then goes on to explain each element in detail and how they work together to create the perfect dish.
What I particularly loved about the book was the way the author uses stories, anecdotes, and personal experiences to illustrate some points. The book is filled with beautiful illustrations, diagrams, and photographs that make it easy to follow along and understand the concepts she is explaining.
Another great thing about the book is that it is not just a recipe book. It's more like a cooking guide that teaches you the principles of good cooking.
In conclusion, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves cooking or wants to improve their cooking skills. It's a beautifully written and illustrated book that will inspire you to become a better cook and to have more fun in the kitchen.
-
RicardReviewed in Spain on December 21, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Esencial
Consumo muchos libros de cocina y recetas y desde Cocinar de Michael Pollan no me había encontrado uno que me hiciera replantearme la cocina como Salt, Fat... Planteamiento muy original y acertado de ver la cocina, con fundamentos científicos pero sobretodo mucha observación y GUSTO.
-
jamileReviewed in Brazil on April 14, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Delícia de livro
Maravilhoso... um presente de livro... o papel poderia ser couchê mas acho que o valor sairia mais alto.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in India on March 3, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful read and gift! Great quality!
Right from the cover and illustrations to the passionate elaboration of each topic covered in this book, both my husband and I loved it.
He is an aspiring chef and this was a wonderful gift for him.
Amazon CustomerWonderful read and gift! Great quality!
Reviewed in India on March 3, 2025
He is an aspiring chef and this was a wonderful gift for him.
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