Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I just read this cover to cover and felt compelled to write a review. This is really an essential book to everyone's library. I love to cook and have a beautiful collection of cookbooks, but this one is truly special. Samin is a lovely writer. She exudes warmth and humor in her stories and it flows in such a way that you forget you are reading a combo of a cookbook/science textbook. Samin breaks down the importance of salt, fat, acid and heat. It's not just recipes but what, why and how. She does not talk down to her readers. She is straightforward, enthusiastic and fun. I've always loved the "why" in cooking and baking (like the Cooks Illustrated approach and The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science) - but I love that she narrows it down to four basic elements. I personally like referring to recipes, especially for dishes I don't cook on a weekly basis. But this books and others, like Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking are important because they give you the tools to innovate and recipes become starting points. I wish I had this book 20 years ago when I started seriously cooking. It is like a breath of fresh air and incredibly inspiring. So grateful for this addition to my home library and can't wait to cook dinner tomorrow!