This evening we broke bread around Samin Nosrat's Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking. 

“You brought all the salts!”

"It was the only episode I watched, and the only chapter I read. I never really thought about the different kinds of salts."

There had been a fair amount of Netflix-cramming before the bookclub.

A salt-tasting ensued.

On varying measurements:
“I just want some good ‘ol grams!”

What did you think of the lack of photographs?

"I loved the illustration!"

"I thought it was going to be a problem - I didn’t have something to aim for."

A simple and approachable book but:

"I don’t think she achieved her goal of taking a newbie cook and instilling confidence in them…maybe it would more likely help an already seasoned home cook elevate their food."

On breaking down cooking:

"It gave me a better ability to diagnose my own cooking."

Having been to culinary school:

“They teach you all the tricks in school, but they don’t teach you the science. I appreciated that.”

On inspiration:

"My mom - I miss her cooking and have been wanting to emulate it. She grinds her own spices, and doesn’t even know half the names of them in English."

A takeaway from tonight?

“The thing I’m gonna take from this book is just using a book.”

Best bagel in Montreal?
Whichever is closest. Better yet - whichever is hot.