Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking is an upcoming book written by Samin Nosrat and illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton — with a foreword by Michael Pollan, famed author of In Defense of Food and The Omnivore's Dilemma — that aims to teach and inspire a new generation of cooks about the fundamentals of cooking, along with what actually makes food taste great:

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. […]

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.

The book will include 100 essential recipes (along with dozens of variations) so you can put its lessons to practice, and Wendy MacNaughton's fun illustrations throughout are a treat for the eyes.

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat will release on April 25th, 2017. Pre-order the book in one of these formats:

• Hardcover ($24)
• Kindle ($17)
• iBooks ($17)

To get a taste (heh) of Samin Nosrat's food writing, check out her New York Times article on what she calls “the new mother sauces”, which I featured in a Quality Linkage column last August.