Samin Nosrat

“Browning butter affects more than just the color and the flavor of its milk solids; the water that butter contains also simmers away.”

“In the wake of a failed relationship, I'm often flooded with if-onlys.”

“There's never been anyone like Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor, and there never will be. She is such an important source of inspiration for me, reluctant recipe writer and follower that I am.”

“I'm the child of immigrants, and there was always a garage filled with food, just in case, and you kept money under the mattress. You were always prepared, because you couldn't trust that yo...”

“No one's born a good cook. You have to learn and practice.”

“The only good things I've seen emerge from a steamer are tamales, couscous, and dumplings - maybe the occasional artichoke or delicate fish fillet. But baby turnips with their tender greens...”

“Grilling used to make me nervous, but then I learned to view the fire as just another source of heat, no different from a stove or an oven.”

“Ours was a pork-free household. The rules were arbitrary but strict: No pork in the house, ever. Except for the occasional pepperoni pizza. Or maybe Hawaiian.”

“No Persian meal is complete without an abundance of herbs.”

“Inexpensive and forgiving, kosher salt is fantastic for everyday cooking and tastes pure.”

“I've always joked that my food memoirs will be titled 'Brutta ma Buona,' the phrase Italians use to describe food that's delicious but rustic-looking at best: ugly but good.”

“I have a lot of plants - my living room is like a jungle. I like the idea of bringing the outside in.”

“Apricots are the most private fruit, loath to reveal their secrets.”

“I love mayonnaise. It's one of the first lessons I teach my cooking students. Turning eggs and oil into an emulsion - that creamy, satisfying third thing - feels like magic.”

“I could probably go on for a long time about the differences between Northern California and Southern California Mexican food.”

“I'm not the number-one fan of the heavy holiday meal. And also, I didn't grow up eating them, the traditional Western holiday meals, so it's just not something I have a nostalgic relationshi...”

“One pillar of my cooking is that salad dressing is sacred and that you always make it with the most delicious oil you can find. Usually, that means extra-virgin olive oil.”

“I grew up eating and loving Persian food, going to school, and everyone making fun of me.”

“The classic French blanch-and-cool technique I learned at Chez Panisse yields the kind of brilliant, picturesque vegetables we all want to see on restaurant plates. Long-cooked foods, on the...”

“I take, like, 9,000 supplements every morning. I don't know if it's completely placebo or not, but I'm super committed to these supplements: like, I can't face the day without them.”