Illustration by Wendy MacNaughton
Quite simply an essential book. Where do I start? From the title alone, this book sets out its stall, and captures the essence of what cooking is about. And yes, while this book teaches so much about the science of cooking, it also conveys its poetry. It is a wonderful, cosy, intimate read as well as an inspiringly instructional one. You will want to pore over it for hours. And while there are recipes, and I’ve chosen one for you, this book is really about giving you the tools to cook generally and widely for yourself. Samin Nosrat has created a masterpiece, and the accompanying illustrations by Wendy MacNaughton are both beautiful and brilliantly functional.
To try and give you a flavour of the book, here is one of the illustrations, and a recipe for Pasta Cacio e Pepe, but these two together can’t convey the generous sweep of the book itself.
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
Illustrations by Wendy McNaughton
Published by Canongate, 2017
Illustration by Wendy MacNaughton
