On this, the 100th episode of the California Now Podcast, host Soterios Johnson interviews James Beard Award–winning author, chef, and Netflix star Samin Nosrat. The San Diego native and Oakland resident shares how she began her culinary career in Alice Water’s kitchen at Chez Panisse: “I started, and I was pretty much immediately just enchanted by this place,” Nosrat recalls. “I'd never worked anywhere like that, where everybody cared so much and was just such a perfectionist.” It was there that she came up with the idea for her New York Times bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, which would later become a hit Netflix series. “I saw that it was really these four elements, salt, fat, acid, and heat, that were kind of the points on the compass. And I even went up to one of the chefs at one point, and I said, ‘I think I understand now.’” Throughout the interview, Nosrat highlights recipes from her cookbook, names some of her go-to East Bay eateries, and celebrates the state's vibrant food culture, from local farmers' markets to ethnically diverse restaurants to her favorite spot for a bean-and-cheese burrito. Finally, Nosrat takes the California Questionnaire, offering insights into her culinary and travel favorites across the Golden State.
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other recent transcribed episodes
Transcribed and ready to explore now
Eric Larsen on the emergence and potential of AI in healthcare
10 Dec 2025
McKinsey on Healthcare
Reducing Burnout and Boosting Revenue in ASCs
10 Dec 2025
Becker’s Healthcare -- Spine and Orthopedic Podcast
Dr. Erich G. Anderer, Chief of the Division of Neurosurgery and Surgical Director of Perioperative Services at NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn
09 Dec 2025
Becker’s Healthcare -- Spine and Orthopedic Podcast
Dr. Nolan Wessell, Assistant Professor and Well-being Co-Director, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Division of Spine Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine
08 Dec 2025
Becker’s Healthcare -- Spine and Orthopedic Podcast
NPR News: 12-08-2025 2AM EST
08 Dec 2025
NPR News Now
NPR News: 12-08-2025 1AM EST
08 Dec 2025
NPR News Now