“This book, Good Things, is a picture of me in this moment in time. It’s me sharing my love and value of the handmade. It’s a time capsule and a treasure chest for you to do with what you would like.”
-Samin Nosrat, episode 427 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Nine years ago, cook and writer Samin Nosrat created a kitchen staple with Salt Fat Acid Heat: a New York Times bestseller that later became a hit Netflix series. Last fall, Nosrat returned with Good Things, a collection of personal recipes straight from her dining table.
Today, we revisit that candid conversation, where we discussed the influences that shaped the book (8:30), the ephemerality (and pleasure) of produce (9:30), her complicated San Diego childhood growing up with Iranian parents (17:30), the high expectations placed before her (22:40), and how she eventually found her way to Chez Panisse in Berkeley (32:00).
On the back-half, Samin talked about her salad days working in restaurants (46:00), grand openings and closings (42:30), the origins of Salt Fat Acid Heat (47:00), what The Bear gets right about cooking (1:00:25), and how she thinks about time (1:03:00) and ritual (1:07:40).
Original air date: September 7, 2025. This episode was recorded at Spotify Studios.
As always, our email: talkeasypod@gmail.com.
Watch this conversation on YouTube:
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Show-notes:
- Order Samin’s latest book Good Things.
- Find her New York Times bestselling book Salt Fat Acid Heat.
- Watch the series Salt Fat Acid Heat on Netflix.
- Subscribe to her Substack a grain of salt.
- Listen to her podcast Home Cooking, co-hosted by Hrishikesh Hirway.
- Read The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel.
- Follow Samin on Instagram.
- For more talks, hear Sam with Padma Lakshmi, Ocean Vuong, and Alison Roman.
- Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.
Photographs by María Alvarez. Design by Derek Gabryszak and Will Tuddenham.
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