How Samin Nosrat Is Helping Us Take Our (Cooking) Training Wheels Off

Our Cookbook Club has been making its way through Samin Nosrat's Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat since the beginning of September. We want to master the elements of good cooking with her, so we're making our way through her four lessons, one element at a time. Last week we covered fat and this week we're moving on to acid.

Read on to take in this week's lessons on acid, learn about how we've applied the fat lessons, and refresh your memory on the recipes Samin has challenged the group to make.

Earlier this year we held a Kitchen Confidence Camp and worked through the four essential elements of cooking found in Nosrat's book, along with writer Caroline Lange. This week, we're revisiting the lessons on acid, so you can participate in the Club even if you don't have a copy of the book just yet.

Last week's lessons were on fat, and we were all busy grabbing our bottles of olive oil, for cooking and baking.

Dana Michelle Hayes excitedly shares:

So far I love Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. I feel I am in cooking school and about to take my training wheels off. [This is the] first time I’ve shopped for really quality olive oil and knew what I was doing.

We've already learned the lesson to use more salt, and Betsy Jakowich Hinson makes a good case for more olive oil:

The Cherry Tomato Confit was an appetizer that turned into a meal for us. I served the confit on baguette [slices] spread with whole milk ricotta. The olive oil oozed all over the place making each bite delectable. I sprinkled fleur de sel at the very end before serving. I will do these again and again!

Christine Charron reminds us that we should be using olive oil in sweets, too:

Nekisia's Olive Oil and Sea Salt Granola is the first thing I've made this month. I love granola, I make it all the time, I have tried a ton of different recipes, so I get excited when I find one that's a little different, and the saltiness and high seed-and-nut to oat ratio makes this one a standout. The olive oil gives it a deep rich flavor and cooking low and slow results in big crunchy chunks that are so satisfying to bite into.

Spend any time at all in our Facebook group and you’ll quickly pick up that it’s fun to see all of the different dishes everyone makes. It's fun to feel like we're cooking together, too—that’s where recipe challenges come in.

We have 3 recipe challenges this month, straight from Nosrat herself, that can be made separately or all as a part of one meal:

• Avocado Salad Matrix (page 217)
• Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken (page 340)
• Almond and Cardamom Tea Cake (page 414)

It is, of course, optional to participate, but if you're interested in joining the recipe challenge, please wait to post your photos and reviews until Sunday, September 17. On that day, share them on the Club’s Facebook page and Instagram (using our hashtag #f52cookbookclub).

Psst: Didn’t know about our Cookbook Club? Head here to get up to speed on how to participate.