According to author, teacher and chef Samin Nosrat, anyone can become a great cook. All it takes is a thorough understanding of four basic elements to become that person with the seemingly effortless ability to peruse a kitchen cupboard, throw a jumble of ingredients into a pot and serve up something mouthwatering.

“Whether you’ve never picked up a knife or you’re an accomplished chef, there are only four basic factors that determine how good your food will taste: salt, which enhances flavor; fat, which amplifies flavor and makes appealing textures possible; acid, which brightens and balances; and heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food,” Samin writes in her new theory-driven book about cooking, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.

Stuffed with the practical mechanics of food s...