Four years ago, Wendy MacNaughton and I began collaborating on Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Along the way, we convinced Alvaro Villanueva to take on the monumental task of designing a 500-some-odd page book that aims to break all of the rules. In other words, with these two, I've won the creative collaborator lottery. (In my moments of deepest despair, I repeatedly told myself, "Well, at least the book will look good.")

Today, the book is finally available for pre-order and I get to share a little sample of our work with everyone--and tell you the backstory--and I couldn't be any happier about it.

Here's my kitchen:

When Wendy and I started working together, I had the idea for her to draw my kitchen for the endpapers. The drawing could function as both a list of kitchen essentials, and as a way to welcome the reader into my kitchen upon opening the book.

A few months ago, Wendy and Alvaro came over so she could draw the kitchen. Real talk: the shelves don't usually look that organized. W & A, with their great visual editing skills, styled the shelves so they'd look great. I can't tell you how long they spent turning that huge wooden spoon to just the right angle. The only thing I did was make sure all of my kitchen essentials made it into the frame. I also included as many meaningful gifts from friends as I could--my friend Tiffany made the mug holding the parsley and the bowl holding the tomatoes, Dario Cecchini gave me that red and white twine, my best friend Aaron brought me the paprika from Hungary, the lemon juicer, and the wooden spoons from Peru and Mexico, my friends Suzanne and Siew-Chin gave me that beautiful bain-marie for my 30th birthday.

When we were done organizing, we took a look at my long pantry shelves and realized they'd also look great on the cover--we could even wrap them around the spine onto the back of the book! Wendy kicked us out of the kitchen, put on her headphones, and drew for almost 3 hours straight. I was afraid she'd emerge with carpal tunnel syndrome.

She went home and painted, and then we got to designing. Bringing as many people I love and respect as possible into my work has always been a priority. Getting to include Michael and Alice, Wendy and Alvaro, and all of the friends who've contributed to my kitchen collection on the cover of my book brings me incredible joy (we even worked in a nod to Julia Child with the subtitle!). I'm thrilled with with the end result, and I can't wait to share the rest of the book with all of you come April!

Some folks I admire took a look at the book recently. Here's some of what they had to say:

"As I write, this book hasn’t even been published yet, but already it feels indispensable. That must sound over-the-top, I know, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a book on cooking that was this useful or unusual. I suspect that’s because reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat feels less like being in the pages of a cookbook than at a really good cooking school..."—from the foreword by Michael Pollan, New York Times bestselling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma

“This beautiful, approachable book not only teaches you how to cook, but captures how it should feel to cook: full of exploration, spontaneity and joy. Samin is one of the great teachers I know, and wins people over to cooking with real food—organic, seasonal, and alive—with her irrepressible enthusiasm and curiosity.” —Alice Waters, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Simple Food

“Like the amazing meals that come out of Samin Nosrat’s kitchen, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is the perfect mixture of highest quality ingredients: powerful storytelling and art, clear science, and infectious love of food. Nosrat's prose combined with Wendy MacNaughton’s beautiful illustrations are a perfect guide to employing the science of cooking for maximum deliciousness.” —Rebecca Skloot, New York Times bestselling author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

“Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is a very important book not because it contains many excellent recipes, although it does, or because it is written by a Chez Panisse alum, although it is. It is important because it gives home cooks a compass with which to navigate their own kitchens, and it places trust in them that they will be able to use that compass. Samin’s easygoing, cook-by-feel approach is never condescending or elitist. It is a step towards cooking without recipes and true empowerment (and joy!) in the kitchen.” —John Becker and Megan Scott, 4th generation stewards of the New York Times bestselling Joy of Cooking

“Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is a wildly informative, new-generation, culinary resource. Samin Nosrat's wealth of experience comes together here in a pitch perfect combination of charm, narrative, straight-talk, illustration, and inspiration. Ticking all the boxes for new and seasoned cooks alike, this book meets you wherever you are in the kitchen, in all the right ways.” —Heidi Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of Super Natural Cooking

The book won't be out until April 2017, but you can preorder now from any of these fine retailers (or your local independent bookstore):

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Indie Bound
Omnivore Books (Wendy and I will both sign books pre-ordered from Omnivore before they're sent out. We might even stick a little secret surprise into each copy.)
Powell's Books

Sign up for my mailing list and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to hear all of the SFAH news in the coming months...Wendy and I are cooking up giveaways, events, classes, and all sorts of good stuff!

Special thanks to my editors, Emily Graff and Marysue Rucci, and all of the powers that be at Simon & Schuster for your patience, support, and guidance! I doubt an author has ever loved a cover as much as I do this one.

And to celebrate, a GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate this momentous occasion (trust me, when you write a 500-page book, every single milestone is momentous), I'm giving away a beautiful kitchen staple, courtesy of Staub USA. (Thanks, guys!)

I chose this two-handled cast iron pan for its versatility and usefulness. I can't tell you how many recipes in my book involve a cast iron skillet--and this one is especially gorgeous. From roasting a chicken to sautéing green beans to baking a cobbler to making tomato confit, a pan like this is indispensable.

The winner of the pan is @tifamade, for A lovely shot of her butcher block. Get in touch with me, tiffany, and we'll get you your pan!

And here is all of the legal stuff: NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Eligibility: This Campaign is open only to those who are 18 years of age or older as of the date of entry.The Campaign is only open to legal residents of the United States, and is void where prohibited by law. The Campaign is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.

2. Agreement to Rules: By participating, the Contestant (“You”) agree to be fully unconditionally bound by these Rules, and You represent and warrant that You meet the eligibility requirements. In addition, You agree to accept the decisions of Samin Nosrat as final and binding as it relates to the content of this Campaign.

3. Campaign Period: Entries will be accepted online starting on 6:00 AM (PDT) on Friday 9/28/16 and ending 11:59 PM (PDT) Wednesday 10/5/16. All online entries must be received by 11:59 PM (PDT) Wednesday 10/5/16.

4. How to Enter: The Campaign must be entered by posting a picture of your kitchen with the #SaltFatAcidHeat hashtag to Twitter, Facebook, and/or Instagram. The entry must fulfill all Campaign requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are incomplete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of Samin Nosrat. You must provide the information requested. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules. If You use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules, your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of Samin Nosrat

5. Prizes: The Winner(s) of the Campaign (the “Winner”) will receive a Staub Cast Iron 13" Double Handled Fry Pan valued at $357. Actual/appraised value may differ at time of prize award. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by Samin Nosrat. No cash or other prize substitution shall be permitted except at Samin Nosrat's discretion. The prize is nontransferable. Any and all prize-related expenses, including without limitation any and all federal, state, and/or local taxes, shall be the sole responsibility of Winner. No substitution of prize or transfer/assignment of prize to others or request for the cash equivalent by Winner is permitted. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for Samin Nosrat to use Winner’s name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

6. Odds: The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

7. Winner Selection and Notification: Winner will be selected by a random drawing under the supervision of Samin Nosrat. Winner will be notified by the social media network via which the entry was submitted within five (5) days following selection of Winner. Samin Nosrat shall have no liability for Winner’s failure to receive notices due to spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for Winner’s provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If Winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within 5 days from the time award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration and release as required, the prize may be forfeited and an alternate Winner selected. Receipt by Winner of the prize offered in this Campaign is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES BY WINNER (AT SAMIN NOSRAT‘S SOLE DISCRETION) WILL RESULT IN WINNER’S DISQUALIFICATION AS WINNER OF THE CAMPAIGN, AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.

8. Rights Granted by You: By entering this content (e.g., photo, video, text, etc.), You understand and agree that Samin Nosrat, anyone acting on behalf of Samin Nosrat, and Samin Nosrat’s licensees, successors, and assigns, shall have the right, where permitted by law, to print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use in any media now known or hereafter developed, in perpetuity and throughout the World, without limitation, your entry, name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image, statements about the Campaign, and biographical information for news, publicity, information, trade, advertising, public relations, and promotional purposes. without any further compensation, notice, review, or consent. Optional verbiage for Contests: By entering this content, You represent and warrant that your entry is an original work of authorship, and does not violate any third party’s proprietary or intellectual property rights. If your entry infringes upon the intellectual property right of another, You will be disqualified at the sole discretion of Samin Nosrat. If the content of your entry is claimed to constitute infringement of any proprietary or intellectual proprietary rights of any third party, You shall, at your sole expense, defend or settle against such claims. You shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Samin Nosrat from and against any suit, proceeding, claims, liability, loss, damage, costs or expense, which Samin Nosrat may incur, suffer, or be required to pay arising out of such infringement or suspected infringement of any third party’s right.

9. Terms & Conditions: Samin Nosrat reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Campaign should virus, bug, non-authorized human intervention, fraud, or other cause beyond Samin Nosrat’s control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, or proper conduct of the Campaign. In such case, Samin Nosrat may select the Winner from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Samin Nosrat. Samin Nosrat reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Campaign or website or violates these Terms & Conditions. Samin Nosrat has the right, in its sole discretion, to maintain the integrity of the Campaign, to void votes for any reason, including, but not limited to: multiple entries from the same user from different IP addresses; multiple entries from the same computer in excess of that allowed by Campaign rules; or the use of bots, macros, scripts, or other technical means for entering. Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Campaign may be a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such attempt be made, Samin Nosrat reserves the right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.

10. Limitation of Liability: By entering, You agree to release and hold harmless Samin Nosrat and her subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers, and directors from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from: (i) such entrant’s participation in the Campaign and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize or any portion thereof; (ii) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to the malfunction of any computer, cable, network, hardware, or software, or other mechanical equipment; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions, telephone, or Internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (v) electronic or human error in the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries.

11. Disputes: THIS Campaign IS GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CALIFORNIA, WITHOUT RESPECT TO CONFLICT OF LAW DOCTRINES. As a condition of participating in this Campaign, participant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Campaign, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in California having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances shall participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorney’s fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e. costs associated with entering this Campaign). Participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

12. Privacy Policy: Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policies stated on the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter websites.

13. Winners List: The list of winners will be posted at www.ciaosamin.com on October 7, 2016 by 9 AM (PDT).

14. Sponsor: The Sponsor of the Campaign is Samin Nosrat Berkeley, CA 94703.

15. Facebook: The Campaign hosted by Samin Nosrat is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.

16. Instagram: The Campaign hosted by Samin Nosrat is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram.

17. Twitter: The Campaign hosted by Samin Nosrat is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Twitter.

18. By submitting an entry, You, the Contestant, have affirmatively reviewed, accepted, and agreed to all of the Official Rules.