This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Kendra Winchester is a Contributing Editor for Book Riot where she writes about audiobooks and disability literature. She is also the Founder of Read Appalachia, which celebrates Appalachian literature and writing. Previously, Kendra co-founded and served as Executive Director for Reading Women, a podcast that gained an international following over its six-season run. In her off hours, you can find her writing on her Substack, Winchester Ave, and posting photos of her Corgis on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester.

View All posts by Kendra Winchester

The first time I saw Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat at my local indie bookstore, I felt drawn to the cover. When I opened the book, I found beautiful illustrations and detailed instructions on the best ways to use these four elements in everyday cooking. This wasn’t a cookbook based on recipes. Samin Nosrat was explaining how and why we salt different proteins, use what oils when, and at what temperature we should cook different foods. Ever since, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat has become my most gifted book of all time. So when I saw Samin Nosrat had a new book coming out, I knew I needed a copy ASAP.

Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love by Samin Nosrat

“The beauty of cooking is that it’s a vessel for both time and attention. Cooking for someone, or sitting down for a meal together, is about more than nourishment—it’s a way to share what’s most valuable to you with the people you care about.”

Somin Nosrat swore she’d never write a traditional cookbook. Her first book, Salt, Fat, Acid Heat, was a sort of manifesto on learning how to cook without recipes. But over time, she’s realized that recipes can be a way to share a dish you love with others.

In her introduction to Good Things, she describes this book as a treasure chest. Each of these recipes is one of her polished treasures, a recipe she’s adored and shared with her loved ones over and over again. There’s Bright Pickled Onions, Chicken Braised with Apricots and Harissa, Preserved Lemon and Labne Cake, and dozens of other mouth-watering dishes.

Of course, a great cookbook these days needs more than just delicious recipes and eye-catching food photography. To turn a good cookbook into a great one, it needs to include the stories behind the dishes. At the beginning of each section, Nosrat explains the background behind her treasured recipes. In one section about dressing, Nosrat describes how, after decades of professional restaurant cooking, it took her a long time to enjoy eating salads again. In another section, she explains why she thinks it’s so important to have recipes on hand that only require household ingredients. As an added bonus, she includes sidebars she titles “A Good Small Thing” that feature simple recipes like “A Boiled Egg” and “Crispy Open-Faced Quesadillas.”

Good Things doesn’t try to replicate the runaway success of Salt, Fat, Acid Heat. Instead, it’s something wholly new and unique from the mind of someone who deeply cares about the food she makes and shares with others. If you’re looking for a cookbook to gift this holiday season, Good Things is it.

Audiobooks Promotions

Sign up for Audiobooks Promotions to receive special offers, new products, and interesting listens from the world of audiobooks!

You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave or over on Instagram @kdwinchester. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.