Chef and cookbook author Samin Nosrat spoke last week in Iowa City. (Photo courtesy of Samin Nosrat)
By Haley Scarpino
I have written about Samin Nosrat a few times for dsm Dish. I’ve called her first book, “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat,” one of my most loved and trusted cookbooks. I also mentioned her famous Buttermilk-Brined Roast Chicken in a recent story about Thanksgiving recipes to try. So it’s no surprise: I trekked over to Iowa City last week to hear her talk about her newest book, “Good Things.”
Her first book is about learning to cook intuitively, without recipes. In contrast, her new book has 125 recipes, and she’s the first to acknowledge the irony. During her talk at Hancher Auditorium, she explained that “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” is a foundational guide to the elements of cooking, while “Good Things” is a personal collection of beloved, practical recipes meant for sharing.
Nosrat describes herself as a champion of the home cook and sees the two books as complementary: “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” is for the head, teaching you how to cook, while “Good Things” is for the heart, teaching the value of cooking for connection and meaning.
The beauty of having a recipe written down is that you can share it — share it with friends, family, the whole internet. Nosrat talked about how, after the massive success of her first book and Netflix show, she felt overwhelmed and depression crept in. Her way of coping was to “shrink her aperture” and surround herself with a small group of friends, family and her immediate community.
Nosrat then shared stories about entertaining and missing the party because she was hosting it. My favorite line of the night: “It doesn’t always have to be the most and the best.”
I’ll confess, I’ve been known to go for the most and the best, especially when entertaining. I can run myself ragged before friends or family come over for a meal, when I try to consider every detail and pull it all off without a hitch.
But that’s not why we share meals. Whether it’s a takeout pizza or a bowl of store-bought popcorn, the details of the food matter far less than the time we share with the people we love. This philosophy carries through every page of the new book.
Nosrat filled “Good Things” with practical, charming guides to her favorite ingredients, kitchen tools and cooking methods. The produce section includes delightful lists and matrices about when and how to boil, sauté and roast vegetables. She takes it a step further by showing how to incorporate herbs, citrus, cheeses and sauces, turning any fruit or vegetable into a complete dish. It leaves me feeling like I could tackle any CSA box or aimless farmers market haul.
There are so many recipes in “Good Things” I can’t wait to try, but here a few simple classics that are just my style:
My dream meal from “Good Things”
Fava’s Caesar
I’m so excited to try Nosrat’s Caesar dressing. Like the rest of the world, I can never get enough Caesar salad — it’s the perfect umami blend of cheese, garlic, lemon and anchovies. What’s especially intriguing about her version is how she uses aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) to create the dressing’s creamy texture.
Simple Chicken Thighs
While I’m famously (and controversially) not a fan of chicken thighs, this recipe is still my top pick from “Good Things.” It’s a reminder that recipes are guides, not rules. You should always cook with ingredients you love. I’m sure Nosrat would approve. A simple, straightforward grilled lemon chicken made with marinated cutlets. Perfect alongside Fava’s Caesar.
Pane Criminale
Let this be the recipe for criminally good garlic bread be the thing we all make from “Good Things.” Nosrat cuts the loaf vertically rather than horizontally, allowing for more butter per bite. She tucks butter, garlic, Parmesan and parsley into every slice. What’s not to love?
Russian Honey Icebox Cake
Nosrat drew inspiration for this recipe from the famous dessert from the now-closed 20th Century Café in San Francisco. The original had 12 layers of spiced cake and burnt honey cream — beautiful but fussy. Nosrat’s “lazy” version layers that same burnt honey cream between graham crackers, which sounds A-OK to me!
Haley Scarpino is a chef, home cook, recipe tester, food editor and graduate of the Iowa Culinary Institute. And if things go according to plan, she’ll start Thanksgiving morning with a pan of pumpkin bread pudding.
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