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[Goodreads Choice Awards 2020]

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 Sarah Absolutely. There definitely is a good amount in the book that deals with animal products, but there's still a bunch of info on cooking veggies/grains…moreAbsolutely. There definitely is a good amount in the book that deals with animal products, but there's still a bunch of info on cooking veggies/grains etc. with precision. It's really half instruction manual, half recipes. Frankly it just has good, common-sense well tested advice backed up with science and pretty illustrations. Good for anyone who wants to cook anything better.(less)

Community Reviews

 ·  22,480 ratings  ·  1,599 reviews

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Start your review of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking

[Chessa]
Apr 04, 2017 Chessa rated it it was amazing

 Full review at Leveled Up Reading
I love a good cookbook, but Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat goes beyond the normal boundaries of the genre. I would almost say that this book is like the kosher salt in your kitchen - it's going to enhance alllll the other recipes and cookbooks in your life. Personally, I have more confidence in my cooking than before reading this book, AND my food is more delicious. I couldn't' really ask for anything more!

[C]
Jul 23, 2017 C rated it it was amazing

 This book is flat-out genius and more than deserves all the praise it received. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is far from a normal cookbook: Nosrat uses approachable, funny prose and helpful drawings to explain the basics of cooking and baking by considering the elements of salt, fat, acid, and heat. In this way the book really teaches you how to cook everything, not just the recipes clustered at the book's conclusion. This is a cookbook you actually READ vs flipping through a litany of recipes before This book is flat-out genius and more than deserves all the praise it received. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is far from a normal cookbook: Nosrat uses approachable, funny prose and helpful drawings to explain the basics of cooking and baking by considering the elements of salt, fat, acid, and heat. In this way the book really teaches you how to cook everything, not just the recipes clustered at the book's conclusion. This is a cookbook you actually READ vs flipping through a litany of recipes before giving up. I can't overemphasize how enjoyable I found this book. ...more

[Bonny]
 _Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat_ does offer an interesting way to think about the preparation of food, but I didn't find it indispensable or one that I can't imagine living without as Michael Pollan writes in the foreword. Author Samin Nosrat tells us that 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 _Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat_ does offer an interesting way to think about the preparation of food, but I didn't find it “indispensable” or one that I “can't imagine living without” as Michael Pollan writes in the foreword. Author Samin Nosrat tells us that “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.” Those four are important and she conveys valuable information about how to use each of these to make better food. I wondered where sugar fit into this and why she left it out of the basic four. She does talk about sugar in each section, but mainly to say that salt will mask bitterness more effectively than sugar, and sugar is a good balance for acid. This first section is written in a chatty tone, telling the reader about the mistakes she made along the way along with things she did that worked. It is a little intimidating to the average reader/cook to read about Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, but Nosrat's writing conveys her passion without being overbearing.
The second section has recipes, and while most of them sounded like they would be good, I didn't find any that I felt I simply had to make. The author might have a gift for making things far more complicated than I want to be in the kitchen. She has a recipe for Torn Croutons that have only bread and olive oil as ingredients but goes on for four pages to obtain “even, yet rustic-looking” croutons. The Summer Tomato and Herb Salad lists tomatoes, salt, vinaigrette, and herbs for ingredients, and then continues for five pages of instructions. I think many of us have probably made this deliciously without a recipe at all. Chicken Pot Pie takes up seven pages and includes the sentence “Nestle the browned chicken into the vegetables.” (Nestle just made me laugh!)

Making good food is both a science and an art, and something I enjoy trying to do most times I prepare food. For me, that also includes simplifying things when possible. I think Samin Nosrat is an exceptional cook who makes exceptional food, but I don't think that her methods (and urging cooks to season cooking water with “palmfuls of salt”) will become indispensable in my kitchen.

Book Bingo 2017 - About food

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[Ariel ✨]
Feb 26, 2018 Ariel ✨ rated it it was amazing

 If you order takeout for every meal or have a personal chef, feel free to ignore this book. Everyone else on the planet, do yourselves a favor and read her first four chapters! I consider myself a decent cook for an untrained young adult with mediocre cookware, but Samin Nosrat blew my mind with her simple and honest tips and lessons. Apparently, I've been using the wrong salt this whole time, bottled lime juice is the devil, you don't melt the butter for baked goods!!!, and acid is way If you order takeout for every meal or have a personal chef, feel free to ignore this book. Everyone else on the planet, do yourselves a favor and read her first four chapters! I consider myself a decent cook for an untrained young adult with mediocre cookware, but Samin Nosrat blew my mind with her simple and honest tips and lessons. Apparently, I've been using the wrong salt this whole time, bottled lime juice is the devil, you don't melt the butter for baked goods!!!, and acid is way underutilized in all of my dishes.
I will say that Nosrat's class privilege peeks through many times throughout the book. "Skip culinary school; spend a fraction of the cost of tuition traveling the world instead!" Okay, Samin...that's not realistic advice for most of us. It was nice to read about how she worked her way up from a busser at a fancy restaurant to where she is now, but as with most people who are immersed in the gourmet food world, some of her advice was out of touch with the audience I think she was hoping to reach.

There's a lot of advice about cooking with meat and dairy, but vegetarians and vegans will also find this book useful. She covers non-dairy fats and writes at length about how different vegetables and non-meat proteins should be seasoned and cooked.

I tweeted at her and asked if the beautifully illustrated charts throughout the book would ever be available for purchase, and she told me she was working on making that happen! I'm going to buy them all and hang them in my kitchen.

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[Kaytee Cobb]
Dec 15, 2019 Kaytee Cobb rated it it was amazing

 Never have I ever: sat on the couch andnread every single page of a cookbook from cover to cover. Nope, drink. Because now I have and my life and my kitchen will be forget changed. Freaking fantastic. 5 tasty (salty, fatty, acidic, perfectly heated) stars.

[Cynthia]
Jun 07, 2017 Cynthia rated it liked it

 I bought this after seeing her at an author talk. She's INCREDIBLY fun and lively and the book is wonderfully illustrated. She brings a lot of cooking experience, humor, and scientific knowledge to her explanation of how an understanding of the four basics of salt, fat, acid and heat can enable you to cook pretty much anything in the kitchen.
Perversely, what I found was that this book actually made me feel more intimidated about cooking, not less, despite her funny stories about real-life I bought this after seeing her at an author talk. She's INCREDIBLY fun and lively and the book is wonderfully illustrated. She brings a lot of cooking experience, humor, and scientific knowledge to her explanation of how an understanding of the four basics of salt, fat, acid and heat can enable you to cook pretty much anything in the kitchen.
Perversely, what I found was that this book actually made me feel more intimidated about cooking, not less, despite her funny stories about real-life kitchen mistakes and her reminders that, e.g., it's just stew, if it doesn't work this time you can try it again. I got her basic message that you need to understand the four tools and then you can improvise. But there was a sort of subtext about "I made this polenta following the recipe at Chez Panisse and the gifted professional chef tasted it and made an adjustment I never would have expected, and as a result the dish went from bland to fantastic." I cook a lot and am basically happy if everything looks nice and is basically tasty. After reading this, I started to feel like every dish in a meal has to be ... perfected, and at a higher level of flavor than I am probably currently achieving. So ... a good cookbook, maybe best of all for a younger cook who can absorb the information without having a crisis of confidence. Lively, funny, informative but ... ultimately not the best cookbook, for me, that I've read this year. The recipes that make up the second half of the book are fine and appealing but, again, nothing that made me flag the page and think, "Wow, can't wait to try this one!" ...more

[Mehrsa]
Dec 04, 2017 Mehrsa rated it liked it

 I was frustrated by this book. But it was also fantastic.
Why it's good: It's just an excellent explanation for cooking and a great way to view the whole enterprise. I love cooking and am pretty decent at making the stuff I like, but there was a lot in here that you get intuitively as a cook that is nice to see explained and spelled out. Like the acid part. I already love salt and I have intuitively used acid (lemon and vinegar) in most of my foods, but it was great to understand why.

The

I was frustrated by this book. But it was also fantastic.
Why it's good: It's just an excellent explanation for cooking and a great way to view the whole enterprise. I love cooking and am pretty decent at making the stuff I like, but there was a lot in here that you get intuitively as a cook that is nice to see explained and spelled out. Like the acid part. I already love salt and I have intuitively used acid (lemon and vinegar) in most of my foods, but it was great to understand why.

The frustrating: Some it was very obvious and other parts were too complex without recipes (for example when she talks about bread dough, breads, and emulsion.

My main beef with the book is that it's all about Alice Waters and what she likes. I already know about Alice Waters and frankly, didn't want to read another book about her. I was MUCH MUCH more interested to hear about Nosrat's grandparents and family in Iran and how they work salt, acid, fat, and heat in their food--developed over thousands of years. Or Indian or Italian. She gives hints about her family's cuisine, but keeps coming back to what Alice said and does. But Alice did not invent the tricks of cooking. I would bet her grandmother could teach her a lot more about the subtleties of flavor. I know because I have a grandma just like hers.

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[Sarah]
Dec 14, 2016 Sarah rated it really liked it

 What a great idea for a cookbook! I feel like this should be required reading for anyone even marginally interested in cooking. For one thing, it's fascinating, and very well written. But perhaps more importantly, Ms. Nosrat provides a non-intimidating guide to correcting the mistakes (over- or under-seasoning, not knowing which ingredients pair well together, not knowing how to cook a cut of meat, etc.) that scare folks out of the kitchen. Genius! The number one comment I hear when I talk about What a great idea for a cookbook! I feel like this should be required reading for anyone even marginally interested in cooking. For one thing, it's fascinating, and very well written. But perhaps more importantly, Ms. Nosrat provides a non-intimidating guide to correcting the mistakes (over- or under-seasoning, not knowing which ingredients pair well together, not knowing how to cook a cut of meat, etc.) that scare folks out of the kitchen. Genius! The number one comment I hear when I talk about tackling a challenging recipe: "I couldn't do that." Or, "I wouldn't dare try that." That makes me so sad, because cooking is definitely a skill perfected with trial and error. Here, Ms. Nosrat equips the reader with information that takes some of the guesswork out of the trial and error part of cooking. It's just wonderful.
I received a review copy of this cookbook from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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[Juli Anna]
Apr 18, 2017 Juli Anna rated it it was amazing
Recommends it for: LITERALLY EVERYONE

 I do not purchase cookbooks lightly, but I will be seeking out a copy of this one. I will also be enthusiastically recommending this book to everyone I know with a kitchen and tastebuds. This is the rare cookbook that transcends boundaries of cooking experience, background, and personal taste preferences. I would just as easily recommend this book to a picky eater who's just starting out cooking as to a voracious and kitchen-experienced foodie.
Nosrat has created a solid system for teaching

I do not purchase cookbooks lightly, but I will be seeking out a copy of this one. I will also be enthusiastically recommending this book to everyone I know with a kitchen and tastebuds. This is the rare cookbook that transcends boundaries of cooking experience, background, and personal taste preferences. I would just as easily recommend this book to a picky eater who's just starting out cooking as to a voracious and kitchen-experienced foodie.
Nosrat has created a solid system for teaching people how to really taste their food and use four simple elements to balance flavors and textures. While she gives solid scientific reasons for the lessons in this book, she is not dogmatic about recipes or precise directions, at least not in the way that The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, for example, is. Instead, she encourages cooks to use their own senses as guides toward their own perfect cuisine. There are recipes here, but Nosrat is insistent that they are not to be followed by rote. I love how each basic recipe gives way to a myriad of variations, showing how they _function_ as a part of a meal (adding acid or crunch or richness, for example), rather than simply showing off a combination of fancy ingredients.

This book is much more of a textbook than a traditional cookbook: in fact, right off the bat, Nosrat suggests that her readers read cover-to-cover, rather than picking their way back and forth through the pages. Her recipes are purposefully classic (corn chowder, tuna confit, fried chicken, etc.) and invite personalization. I don't think there's single trendy ingredient in sight; the recipes require no such frills.

Again, I cannot recommend this cookbook more strongly; it is an absolute gem.

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[Ms.pegasus]
Oct 18, 2020 Ms.pegasus rated it it was amazing

 Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Alas, flavor is on the tongue of the eater. Even Chef Samin Nosrat is aware of this sad fact: _The sad truth is that most Americans accustomed to the taste of rancid olive oil, actually prefer it._ (p.65) Nevertheless, she persists!
This is no ordinary cookbook. It is about managing flavor. The key elements are salt, acid, fat and heat. Ultimately, Nosrat is urging us to recalibrate our relationship with food. One way to articulate our current relationship is

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Alas, flavor is on the tongue of the eater. Even Chef Samin Nosrat is aware of this sad fact: _“The sad truth is that most Americans accustomed to the taste of rancid olive oil, actually prefer it.”_ (p.65) Nevertheless, she persists!
This is no ordinary cookbook. It is about managing flavor. The key elements are salt, acid, fat and heat. Ultimately, Nosrat is urging us to recalibrate our relationship with food. One way to articulate our current relationship is through a false dichotomy.

Eat to live. Here, speed is the emotional driver. Inevitably, hasty carry-out choices and the expectation of instant gratification emerge triumphant. Live to eat. An image of exclusivity, elite connoisseurs, hipster foodies and obsessives is what springs to mind. Nosrat simply wants us to eat thoughtfully and not out of habit. Why does food taste the way it does? she asks.

As readers we are confronted with a “chicken or the egg” kind of dilemma. How can a palate dulled by oversalted, oversweetened and under-flavored food be resurrected? Nosrat is hopeful and her enthusiasm is contagious. Although she encourages experimentation and improvisation, she also insists on discipline: _“...while a great chef can make improvisation look easy, the ability to do so depends on a strong foundation of the basics.”_ (p.55)

The book is structured like a lesson plan. A caesar salad recipe (p.48-49) applies her simple principles for salt: when, how much, and in what form. (p.55) An unconventional index labeled “Cooking Lessons” categorizes recipes by the technique being illustrated. She suggests the simple experiment of frying onions in butter and frying onions in oil as a means for tasting the difference.

This is not a book for the impatient reader or the close-minded eater. The first 200 pages of text are the heart of the book.

NOTES:
“Home Cooking” by Samin Nosrat and Hrishikesh Hirway is a jokey podcast that supplements the ideas in this book.

There was a production flaw in my edition of the book. I have never seen this before. Pages 105 through 114; and pages 115-122 appear twice. The repeat for 115-122 is awkward because the concluding instructions for the Pasta alle Vongole recipe are on page 123.

For the experienced but impatient cook, I recommend the America's Test Kitchen cookbooks. I use one of them regularly when entertaining and looking for something new. I have never had a failure from scrupulously following the recipe.

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[Gina]
Dec 20, 2017 Gina rated it it was amazing

 This book is so interesting! I never read regular cook books because I just Google specific recipes when I need to. This book is a "how to cook book" or cooking theory. There are lots of things that seem obvious once I read them (like places that have meadows for grazing use lots of butter, but other places use other oils/fats. Duh, but I had never thought about it.) Or some things that I had read in recipes but didn't get the reasoning (like let ingredients come to room temperature before This book is so interesting! I never read regular cook books because I just Google specific recipes when I need to. This book is a "how to cook book" or cooking theory. There are lots of things that seem obvious once I read them (like places that have meadows for grazing use lots of butter, but other places use other oils/fats. Duh, but I had never thought about it.) Or some things that I had read in recipes but didn't get the reasoning (like let ingredients come to room temperature before beginning). There's a little bit of science in it, but not much. It's typical of what you'd hear chefs say on a cooking show.
I'm writing this without trying any of the specific recipes at the end, so if they're all terrible I might change my mind.
But I have already thought about and used some things during regular (Gobble delivery) cooking.
Also, I like the prose and feel like the author is giving direction in a chatty way.
Recommend to people who are interested in learning how to become more intuitive cooks and are interested in the science-ish foundations for cooking.

2020 Edit: I've tried some of the recipes since I've read it, and the recipes are fairly wordy but not THAT complicated. Like if you've ever cooked something brand new and it says "cook until done" and then you have to google ???? On the other hand, Samin Nosrat will explain like a page of how you know when it's done. She'll describe the color and temperature and smell and texture. That might seem intimidating but I found it super helpful. Also, she tends to make the very best version of things, but will tell you when things are extra. Like I made her pie dough recipe and she tells you to freeze the mixing bowl and mixer and ingredients. Most recipes will tell you to use ice water, but Samin tries to get you the Plato ideal of pie crust, and that means freezing the flour. I don't use her recipes for every day food, but if I want to make something special for a birthday or something, they are the best versions of food. I think the first half of the book, about theory, is more useful, but the recipes are also excellent.

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[Otis Chandler]
Nov 13, 2020 Otis Chandler rated it it was amazing

 The informational chapters with the basics on Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat are highly worth it to get a good base. I've made a bunch of the recipes this year too - have really enjoyed this cookbook.

[Jimmy]
Mar 22, 2020 Jimmy rated it really liked it

 Only a few years ago, I ate mostly frozen pizza and restaurant take-out. I'd always had an interest in cooking, but the way it is usually taught did not appeal to me. You see, I hate recipes and following directions. Doing things one after another without understanding _why_ it works or doesn't work sounded like a chore.
Then I discovered an online class called Foodist Kitchen. I went from only cooking frozen food to making my own meals from scratch, almost daily, often without a recipe. And my

Only a few years ago, I ate mostly frozen pizza and restaurant take-out. I'd always had an interest in cooking, but the way it is usually taught did not appeal to me. You see, I hate recipes and following directions. Doing things one after another without understanding _why_ it works or doesn't work sounded like a chore.
Then I discovered an online class called Foodist Kitchen. I went from only cooking frozen food to making my own meals from scratch, almost daily, often without a recipe. And my meals tasted good too, much better than what I'd eat at restaurants (at least the ones in my budget).

The reason that class was so life changing for me was that it didn't teach recipes, it taught basic concepts. And once there was an understanding of how the different elements of a dish, of ANY dish, affect each other, I could improvise and riff off of whatever ingredients I had in the fridge.

I suspect this book, Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat, would have performed for me a similar function as that class did many years ago. It, too, focuses on understanding greater concepts rather than specific recipes. I'd say it's a little more advanced than the class I took, so maybe it's aimed at someone with a little more experience in the kitchen than I was.

But having already understood those concepts, this book was still constantly enlightening. I found that I knew many of the things she said, but the way she presented it increased my understanding. In addition, there were parts that I didn't know at all, especially her insights into baking (which I'm still a novice at) and how fat and acid affect gluten development.

The first half of the book is dedicated to understanding the four concepts of Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat and how they interact to create great food. I love her framing of these four elements like this, although some would find it debatable. I think she's pretty much right on, though. If I had to add or change anything, maybe I would add "Time" as the 5th element (though she does cover time a lot in Heat)... and maybe "Water" as the 6th (again, "Heat" covers a lot about water, so it would be redundant).

The second half of the book is dedicated to recipes. These recipes are to be seen as examples of the theory we learned in Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat. I found myself a bit bored through this section (as I said earlier, I hate following directions). Whereas the first part you can totally read through sequentially like any other book, the second part is more like a reference, and so I just read a few and skipped over most of it.

Throughout the book, there are cute illustrations and diagrams. I'm a huge fan of this book and of Samin Nosrat (just watch this, how can you not love her?) so I'd highly recommend this book to anyone with a little experience in the kitchen, but who doesn't completely understand WHY they're doing what they're doing.

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[Hesper]
 Kind of disappointing overall, but that's a relative opinion. I'm pretty sure the value of this rises in direct proportion to how little time the reader has spent cooking & learning about food prior to picking this up, and how much patience one has for the story part of recipe blogs. After a few pages the tone goes from breezy to grating fast. Yes, it has useful information even for experienced cooks, but it doesn't really feel "indispensable."
Also, omitting garlic and adding ginger instead

Kind of disappointing overall, but that's a relative opinion. I'm pretty sure the value of this rises in direct proportion to how little time the reader has spent cooking & learning about food prior to picking this up, and how much patience one has for the story part of recipe blogs. After a few pages the tone goes from breezy to grating fast. Yes, it has useful information even for experienced cooks, but it doesn't really feel "indispensable."
Also, omitting garlic and adding ginger instead to the list of Eastern European spice pantry staples is laughable and criminal. Minus one star just for that.

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[Anita Pomerantz]
 Definitely learned some new tricks, but I thought the salt and fat and heat sections were stronger than the acid section, where I need the most help! I think the concept of balance still feels elusive and that is what I want to learn. But I definitely moved in the right direction and made a much improved roast chicken! The author has a great "voice", and I look forward to trying things she suggested.

[Traci at The Stacks]
 The best most beautiful cookbook Ive ever owned. Totally liberating for the at home cook. Thoughtful and clear. Makes me excited to cook and try new things. The best most beautiful cookbook I’ve ever owned. Totally liberating for the at home cook. Thoughtful and clear. Makes me excited to cook and try new things. ...more

[Kayleigh Wiebe]
 I think that if you are an experienced chef, or just know your way around a kitchen, this might be a bit introductory for you. However, as a person sort-of new to the world of cooking, I found that I learned a lot from this book! Although, I wish I hadnt just listened to the audiobook version, as I feel like it would be very helpful to have a physical copy to refer back to on a regular basis while cooking or menu planning. I think that if you are an experienced chef, or just know your way around a kitchen, this might be a bit introductory for you. However, as a person sort-of new to the world of cooking, I found that I learned a lot from this book! Although, I wish I hadn’t just listened to the audiobook version, as I feel like it would be very helpful to have a physical copy to refer back to on a regular basis while cooking or menu planning. ...more

[Anna Dawson]
Apr 09, 2020 Anna Dawson rated it it was amazing

 Whether youre a novice at cooking or a dab hand in the kitchen, this is essential reading. Nosrats abundant enthusiasm for the ritual of cooking is infectious, and her guidance is thorough and informative, without ever being overwhelming. The written passages are paired with beautiful illustrations, which breathe life into the ingredients and methods described. Whether you’re a novice at cooking or a dab hand in the kitchen, this is essential reading. Nosrat’s abundant enthusiasm for the ritual of cooking is infectious, and her guidance is thorough and informative, without ever being overwhelming. The written passages are paired with beautiful illustrations, which breathe life into the ingredients and methods described. ...more

[Erin]
 I was not a fan of the wide-eyed "well golly!" tone of the author's writing/reading (listened to this book as an audiobook). I felt completely talked down to, and for the first two sections I gleaned very little that I did not already know. The acid section gave me some new pointers, and overall I enjoyed the science of the heat section, but generally I didn't get much out of this book.
Would be a great gift for someone really new to food, who likes science and can forgive an author who clearly

I was not a fan of the wide-eyed "well golly!" tone of the author's writing/reading (listened to this book as an audiobook). I felt completely talked down to, and for the first two sections I gleaned very little that I did not already know. The acid section gave me some new pointers, and overall I enjoyed the science of the heat section, but generally I didn't get much out of this book.
Would be a great gift for someone really new to food, who likes science and can forgive an author who clearly only learned the science for the book, and had had zero intuition or clue prior. (Is it because I'm a science person already? Because I've subscribed to cooking magazines for 20 years? Because I've edited numerous cookbooks? Maybe. But I definitely feel like I always have more to learn, and this book... was not the source for it.)

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[Bonnie Brandt]
Feb 20, 2018 Bonnie Brandt rated it it was amazing

 I loved this cookbook. It is not a book full of recipes. It is a book that teaches you how to cook. I like to cook and bake but always said I have more of an eye for a recipe than someone who can just throw things together and make them taste delicious.
This book changed that. I realized I have a lot more knowledge than I knew. Ive read a lot of recipe books and a lot of cooking books that assure me I can cook without a recipe. This is the first one that made me believe I can and whats more it

I loved this “cookbook”. It is not a book full of recipes. It is a book that teaches you how to cook. I like to cook and bake but always said I have more of an eye for a recipe than someone who can just throw things together and make them taste delicious.
This book changed that. I realized I have a lot more knowledge than I knew. I’ve read a lot of recipe books and a lot of cooking books that assure me I can cook without a recipe. This is the first one that made me believe I can and what’s more it makes me want to!

Read it if you have the slightest inclination to become a cook who doesn’t need to use a recipe. I know you’ll love it too. I mean just look at the other ratings and reviews. People seriously love this book.

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[Callum McAllister]
 Yup, I read this cookbook from start to finish. And, yup: it's really really good. It has a lot about meat but is still great reference for the vegetarian, particularly in going through techniques and the various flavour charts throughout the book, which show which flavours you might want to pair together when cooking a particular meal from whichever part of the world. I learned quite a lot and am going to continue flipping back to reference parts of it for a long while.

[Isabelle Leo]
Jan 11, 2019 Isabelle Leo rated it it was amazing

 Wow!! So clear and so straightforward, so well structured! I really feel like I'm going to retain the facts she taught me, the underlying principles, and the values - experimentation, practice, trusting my senses. I can't wait to start cooking the recipes in the back. I know I will refer to and reread most of the explanatory sections again and again. 2019 is the year of Samin

[Maggi LeDuc]
Jan 18, 2020 Maggi LeDuc rated it it was amazing

 Learned so much about cooking and recipe creation. This is the first cookbook I've read from start to finish and I don't regret it one bit.

[Becky Pliego]
May 17, 2020 Becky Pliego rated it it was amazing

 A wonderful book to learn new techniques, methods, and also understand "Why's" in the kitchen. Very helpful and fun.
I have already tried some of her recipes and they have been fantastic.

[Sarah E]
 I can't remember ever being so disappointed in a cookbook. The hype was HUGE!
First off, I should say that there is a massive gap between home cooking and cheffing, and I am a home cook with a home cook's preoccupations: put healthy food on the table, 3 X's a day, with variety, an eye to seasonality and what's on sale at the grocery store, using as few pots as possible, wasting as little as possible. I don't often have dinner parties. I'm not looking to WOW every meal, but I want every meal to I can't remember ever being so disappointed in a cookbook. The hype was HUGE!
First off, I should say that there is a massive gap between home cooking and cheffing, and I am a home cook with a home cook's preoccupations: put healthy food on the table, 3 X's a day, with variety, an eye to seasonality and what's on sale at the grocery store, using as few pots as possible, wasting as little as possible. I don't often have dinner parties. I'm not looking to WOW every meal, but I want every meal to be nice, well cooked, and healthful, and I don't want to kick my own ass in the process. I'm an outlier. It's like, me and Mormon moms who are cooking like this, but I don't have any kids and unlike every Mormon mom on T.V right now we don't do processed foods, except for the occasional veggie burger night. So I may be a market of one.
Chefs approach things differently: all knife skills and an assumption of an industrial oven, unlimited pantry, and dishes that just disappear after dinner. It's why I prefer Nigella or the Smitten Kitchen recipes over, say, Anthony Bourdain (RIP) or any of those guys on the food network. They're chefs. Their concerns are not my concerns. Their reality is not my reality.
I appreciate this book and what it's trying to do, but I feel like it fails every audience except aspiring chefs and maybe the odd person who really wants to wow at Thanksgiving but otherwise doesn't cook.
Samin Nosrat, newsflash, WORKED AT CHEZ PANISSE which she manages to work into a paragraph once every two pages. It's the "One time... at band camp..." of this book. And I'm sure that was a wonderful preparation but almost every chef who comes out of that restaurant writes a book which is entirely blind to the needs of cooks who don't live in America's breadbasket, with farmer's markets stuffed with glorious produce. Most of them write what I consider kind of porny-aspirational cooking books that your aunt gives you for Christmas and you browse through and delude yourself that you are going to gather all the ingredients for a first-rate roast goose with beet salad served over organic blood oranges and fresh greens all garnered from the farmers market, but you never do, and the book sits on you shelf and signals to your friends that you have taste.
This book IS more informative than the normal Chez P fare. It wasn't anything I didn't know- the ground has been trod by Harold McGee, Shirley Corriher and Alton Brown to name a few- but if you don't know how to properly salt things, or how various fats interact with flour, or how to buy olive oil, this book will be a good and accessible reference for you, and will probably immeasurably improve your cooking. I found it had blind spots, though, even in this category. She goes on about lean vs. fatty, tender vs. tough cuts of meat, and I know from my own experience trying to navigate this world as a novice cook that the novice cook, (defined here as one who doesn't know how to properly salt the water for pasta) doesn't know a pork loin from a pork shoulder and that a guide to which cuts of meat are fatty, lean, tough and tender is essential. It's a weird blind spot in this book.
I was irritated again and again by the cheffiness.
"Next time you roast a duck try..." I'm sorry next time I roast a duck? Like that's a thing?
Or my favorite,
"That night, I halved the apricots, removed the pits, and stuffed each half with a filling made of almond paste, almonds, and the little Italian cookies called amaretti. Then I placed the apricots on a piece of parchment paper, drizzled them with a few drops of dessert wine, sprinkled them with sugar, and wrapped up the cartocci. I baked the parchment packages in the blazing-hot oven for about 10 minutes, until they puffed up with steam, and then rushed them to the table with bowls of whipped crème fraîche. After a refined multicourse dinner, the simple pleasure of tearing open the packets, smelling the apricots’ heady perfume, and tasting their balanced sweet-tart flavor delighted our guests to no end. Even now, years later, when I bump into folks who were guests at that meal, they dreamily reminisce about the apricot cartoccio. I never cease to be amazed at how good a simple preparation can be."
A simple preparation.
A simple preparation.
In my little hausfrau mind, this isn't simple. To recreate this I somehow have to chase down almond paste, amaretti from wherever the fuck, apricots that aren't hard as rocks or fruit-fly ridden, (I live in Alaska, this is impossible) creme fraische for ONE MEAL,and then have a bottle of dessert wine on hand even though neither my husband nor I particularly like dessert wine. This isn't simple to anyone who isn't in a commercial kitchen in San Francisco. Yeah, popping it in the oven wrapped up- no probs. Everything else a logistical nightmare.
She admits that she struggled a bit when she started cooking at home and had to deal with a real range, in the book. I also heard her interviewed on The Splendid Table where she admitted that she couldn't keep up with cooking every meal for herself. All of her examples are dinner parties or anecdotes from restaurants. There's no, what to do when you're alone in the kitchen with an eggplant. Her recipes assume that this is event cooking, because indeed, I don't think she knows how to cook when it's not an event.
Towards the end she gives advice about par-cooking in advance and heating up when you're about to serve which is SOOOO CHEFY.
"This is exactly the kind of thinking restaurant cooks employ to cut down on the time it takes to prepare a dish to order without compromising quality."
Great advice for Thanksgiving, great advice for a dinner party, great advice for someone starting a catering company.
Terrible advice for someone who just wants to learn some tricks to make delicious meals easily, without spending her life in the kitchen.
She's profligate with pans- If your sauce isn't reducing fast enough just split it among three pans!!! Smiley face! Problem solved until you're crying over the dishes later. And she's profligate with energy. To get a proper sear, merely heat your pan for 20 minutes at 500 degrees. No big. The owner's paying the gas bill, right?
Oh wait, you're the owner, the dishwasher, the purveyor AND the cook?
Huh.
This book doesn't have much to offer.
Except some wicked Thanksgiving recipes. ...more

[Cheryl]
Jan 16, 2019 Cheryl marked it as xx-dnf-skim-reference

 My middle son wants this. I haven't seen it yet.
I see one reviewer says that she appreciates the tutorial, and that her main takeaway is "when in doubt, add more salt." Since that is *terrible* advice (Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us anyone? Hypertension? Edema?) for the majority of us, I will definitely preview this before gifting it to my son.
I see another that says it's all "Alice Waters this and AW that" and I agree with that reviewer that says we can read an AW book if we want

My middle son wants this. I haven't seen it yet.
I see one reviewer says that she appreciates the tutorial, and that her main takeaway is "when in doubt, add more salt." Since that is *terrible* advice (Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us anyone? Hypertension? Edema?) for the majority of us, I will definitely preview this before gifting it to my son.
I see another that says it's all "Alice Waters this and AW that" and I agree with that reviewer that says we can read an AW book if we want that, but would rather read about Nosrat's other influences, particularly her family.

Also, most reviewers seem to be less experienced than I am, people who rely on recipes. I don't.

So, we'll see. I'll keep trying to get a preview copy.
.........
Skimming a copy now.

The thing about salt is that her fondness for it can be relevant to me *in certain instances.* I believe her when she says that cooking green beans in salted water will plump them, and that salt will bring forward other flavors, and that we don't want to use so much that the food tastes salty, but just enough to do the intended job. In my case it means that I might choose to salt the rice or bean water so that the food is seasoned *from within and throughout* and therefore I could use less seasoning of any type afterwards. (Maybe I could salt the pasta water, too, depending of the nutrition label's admission of salt already in the pasta.) I wonder if "No Salt" potassium chloride has a similar effect, as I should actually be using that sometimes....

I'm really not liking her voice/ attitude. If we're eating something she doesn't approve of, it doesn't matter how much we enjoy it, we should instead scold our palate, throw out most of what is in our pantry, buy a bunch of specialty ingredients, and learn the so-called fundamentals of cooking all over again. I suppose that actually makes sense for some readers, those who aren't confident of their talents in the kitchen. But others of us are indeed simply looking to add to our repertoire, looking for the "ah-has," and her Chez Panisse attitude sure does grate.

I didn't get anything out of the Fat chapter, except a reminder to preheat the oil before sauteing or frying.

Interestingly, the introduction to the Acid chapter reveals another dissonance. Her Maman showed her the value of acid (sour) by serving lemon, lime, sumac berries, or something else suitable at every meal. I think the idea to put a dollop of yogurt on the spaghetti is brilliant, though she admits that she winces at the memory. Now, of course the tomatoes are already acid, so I'll have to think about this. But in any case I'm bothered that she just threw out this combination from her heritage.

I did put together a pantry soup last week that was amazing. We've decided it was because of the lemon I used up in it, the juice and pulp. But I figured all that out before seeing this book. Hm.

Sometimes (carrot soup) responds to just a little bit of vinegar. I don't want to invest in a whole pantry of choices (and I despise balsamic) so I'm going to use the apple cider that I have more often, and buy a bottle of malt vinegar (I've loved it on fish).

Heat chapter, recipes, bonus materials didn't do anything for me. I tried. Sorry son.

...more

[Abby]
May 04, 2020 Abby rated it it was amazing

 Warm, approachable, and clear. I am not an aspiring cook, as I am married to a very accomplished one and see no reason to tax myself with acquiring his level of skill, but Samin Nosrat makes me want to try my hand in the kitchen. She is a talented writer with a teachers gift for explanation and the humble/humorous instructive anecdote. Warm, approachable, and clear. I am not an aspiring cook, as I am married to a very accomplished one and see no reason to tax myself with acquiring his level of skill, but Samin Nosrat makes me want to try my hand in the kitchen. She is a talented writer with a teacher’s gift for explanation and the humble/humorous instructive anecdote. ...more

[Ryan]
Mar 04, 2019 Ryan rated it it was amazing

 I was always intrigued by this book but I didnt know exactly what it was. Was it food writing? Fiction? Stories from a kitchen? Childrens book about four characters names Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat? Ok, I knew it wasnt the last one for sure. This book is an indispensable book for anyone who wants to be a better cook. Samin breaks down these four elements, how and when to use them, and what they do for your dishes. Its incredible how much I learned. The first half of the book is technique, the I was always intrigued by this book but I didn’t know exactly what it was. Was it food writing? Fiction? Stories from a kitchen? Children’s book about four characters names Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat? Ok, I knew it wasn’t the last one for sure. This book is an indispensable book for anyone who wants to be a better cook. Samin breaks down these four elements, how and when to use them, and what they do for your dishes. It’s incredible how much I learned. The first half of the book is technique, the second half is recipes and lessons incorporating those techniques.
•
I watched the Netflix series first. I feel like it’s a good primer for what’s in the book. The book is very instructional, detailed examples of how to apply each element and when. The series takes you directly to several different places in the world that have used these elements in the cooking. The series will get you interested, but the book will show you how to cook better. It’s an amazing guide that I’m sure will stick with me for years to come. I haven’t tried the recipes yet, but they seem straightforward. The basic lesson from this book is to trust your senses and experiment. Is something burning? Turn down the heat. Does something seem bland? Add seasoning or acid. Which element is missing? Add a little more. It seems simple, but this book is actually a revelation. • eBook • Cookbook • Borrowed from the San Jose Public Library. • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐▪ ...more

[Beth]
 This is splendid. I would describe myself as a decent home cook, though not foodie or cheffy, and Ive been at it a long time yet Samin Nosrat has succeeded in completely changing the way I think about food. Notably, she changed the way I was seasoning food within the first few pages of the book and everything immediately tasted better. The importance of using acidic foods to balance flavours was also a revelation.
Experienced cooks could skip through the pages on how to chop onions and how to use

This is splendid. I would describe myself as a decent home cook, though not foodie or cheffy, and I’ve been at it a long time yet Samin Nosrat has succeeded in completely changing the way I think about food. Notably, she changed the way I was seasoning food within the first few pages of the book and everything immediately tasted better. The importance of using acidic foods to balance flavours was also a revelation.
Experienced cooks could skip through the pages on how to chop onions and how to use different types of cooking mediums and heat but to read a cookery book grouped into these four themes is so unusual that it’s worth reading anyway and the illustrations are clear and sweet to the eye. The book is meant to be read from start to finish and not just dipped into like most recipe books.

Samin Nosrat has worked in high-end restaurants across the world for her entire adult life. It is precisely why she has been able to identify these underlying principles and apply them to an international cuisine. The second part of the book contains a range of recipes to demonstrate how they work in practice and I am about to work my way through them because they look both delicious and accessible. Anyone interested in making and eating good food will get a lot out of this book, especially those at the early stages of their culinary journey. As an added bonus, there is also a series of documentaries based on the book which is currently available on Netflix.

...more

[Srujan]
Apr 08, 2019 Srujan rated it it was amazing

 A bit of a disclaimer about my rating. It is purely for the first 45% or so of the book. Being a book on food the rest is filled with detailed recipes with very helpful detailing and a very science-ey, logical approach to cooking. Like simple things as when to salt things, salt tougher to cook beans an potatoes earlier and more generously. A lot of it is common cooking wisdom too but, here I speak for myself when I say that we overlook A LOT in our day to day cook. I found the recipes A bit of a disclaimer about my rating. It is purely for the first 45% or so of the book. Being a book on food the rest is filled with detailed recipes with very helpful detailing and a very science-ey, logical approach to cooking. Like simple things as when to salt things, salt tougher to cook beans an potatoes earlier and more generously. A lot of it is common cooking wisdom too but, here I speak for myself when I say that we overlook A LOT in our day to day cook. I found the recipes interesting too but since I mostly cook Indian fare in my daily routine, I haven't tried any of them before. But, the first half of the book is really, really good and I cannot emphasis enough on who it teaches us to treat cooking ingredients with respect, whether they are expensive exotic ingredients or common, place everyday things. I loved the book and had been waiting to finish the book to watch the 4 part Netflix documentary based on the same. A big thumbs by for the illustrations by Wendy MacNaughton from me! 😊😊 ...more

Articles featuring this book

[]

Chef, writer, and cookbook author Samin Nosrat's first book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking not only...

“Season food with the proper amount of salt at the proper moment; choose the optimal medium of fat to convey the flavor of your ingredients; balance and animate those ingredients with acid; apply the right type and quantity of heat for the proper amount of time—do all this and you will turn out vibrant and beautiful food, with or without a recipe.” — 7 likes

“Get used to the way the salt falls from your hands; experience the illicit thrill of using so much of something we’ve all been taught to fear.” — 4 likes

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question: What type of website was this likely sampled from?

question: What are the reviews discussing?

answer: Reviews for a book

question: What kind of book is Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking?

answer: Cookbook

question: Who wrote the book discussed here

answer: Samin Nosrat

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This page is a collection of several reviews for a cooking book by Samin Nosrat about how to use flavors in food. Most of the reviews are positive to middling.


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text:
MOLLIE LIEBER WEST (February 2, 1916 - August 7, 2019) was a labor activist and leader. Born in Sokolow, Poland, she emigrated with her parents to the United States at the age of 13 and settled in Chicago, where she faced challenges adapting due to the language barrier and a physical disability. After organizing a strike against Depression-era cuts to the arts at her high school, West graduated and became involved in labor organizing.[1]

From 1935-1962 she was a member of the Communist Party USA and from 1953 to 1955 lived in hiding and was under FBI surveillance. Later, after renouncing her Communist Party membership, she became active again in trade unions, served as a delegate to several national union organizations, and co-founded the Chicago chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women. Later in life, she was recognized by multiple organizations for her contributions to labor history. [2]

Early life

Mollie Lieber West (born Malka Shieman) was born in Sokolow, Poland. Due to complications at her birth, West walked with a painful limp throughout her life. Her parents, Harry Sheiman and Minka Sheiman, also had a son, Louis, and the family emigrated to the United States in 1929. She adopted an English name, Mollie, and due to her lack of English she was put into the first grade. However, she caught up quickly and began high school in 1931.[3]

Early experience organizing strikes led West to a life of labor activism. Teachers in Chicago had been paid so infrequently from 1931 to 1933 that they and students held strikes against the pay cuts and school funding cuts, which led to the creation of the Chicago Teachers Union in 1937.[4] West supported her teachers and was inspired by them. In 1934, when her high school proposed cuts to the music department, including the orchestra where she played French horn, Mollie West organized a strike. The night before the strike, she and several classmates were arrested while preparing their banners.[5] She identified this as “the radicalizing moment in her life.”[6]

After high school, West worked for the Farm Equipment Workers of America, where she “ran the office, wrote and distributed printed materials, and advocated community members to support strikes- at any cost.”[7] West was present at the Memorial Day massacre of 1937 and not only led the singing but spoke out against police brutality after the violence had occurred.[8]

Communist Party affiliation

Joining the Communist Party USA in 1935 as a labor organizer for the Young Communist League USA, West later became the secretary for the Illinois Communist Party.[9] She married her first husband, Carl Lieber, a journalist and fellow Communist sympathizer on June 30, 1940.[10][11] In 1943, as his friends were volunteering to serve in World War II, Carl Lieber volunteered for the United States Army and was sent to Europe.[12] In his absence, Mollie, who was pregnant with their child, lost the pregnancy in a stillbirth and nearly died, and was saved by friends who “crowded the hospital to donate blood for her.”[13] Carl only read the news two weeks later in a letter from a friend. In January of 1945, Carl was killed in a car crash near Nice.[14] To stay busy, West “served as an American Delegate to the World Youth Congress held in London and the World Student Congress in Czechoslovakia.”[15] While in Europe, she traveled to various other conventions and visited her husband's grave, possibly becoming the first American widow of World War II to do so.[16]

In 1948, Mollie Lieber married James West, a fellow Communist organizer, and in 1951 they adopted their son, Stephen. However, due to government attention surrounding their Communist activities, James West went “underground,” moving constantly, and in 1952 Mollie and her son did the same, changing Chicago-area residences at least 20 times.[17] [18] The FBI maintained a profile and surveillance of Mollie West and attempted to contact her on at least one occasion.[19] In 1962, she renounced her Communist Party membership, stating that “while she believed in their principals, it was not her life.”[20]

Continuing labor career

After separating from James West in 1966 and obtaining a divorce in 1969, West continued her activism while raising her son as a single mother.[21] Taking temporary work as a proofreader, West pursued night school training at the Washburne Trade School in the printing trade, where women were very rare.[22]

As the first woman elected to the Executive Board of her union, the Chicago Typographical Union (CTU) Local 16, West served as one of the six women out of 350 delegates at the International Typographical Union convention in San Diego, California.[23].[24] “That same year, West was the first woman to address the International Convention Union Council, the first female elected to the Executive Committee of CTU, and the first female appointed delegate to the Illinois state AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor-Coalition of Industrial Organizations). For over thirty years she served as a delegate to the Chicago Federation of Labor as well as to the Illinois State AFL-CIO. As founding member of CLUW (Coalition of Labor Union Women), West served on the national executive board.”[25][26]

In 1966, West began studying at Mundelein College in the Weekend College to earn a Bachelor's degree in labor education, and when she graduated two years later, she suggested that Mundelein College invite Civil Rights movement and labor activist Addie L. Wyatt to give the commencement address, and West was given the role of introducing her.[27][28]

At the age of 71, West was forced to retire from her career in printing. She remained a member of her union but suffered extreme depression after the loss of her community and attempted to commit suicide.[29] Through support from her son, family, and friends, she was able to recover and became more involved with the Coalition of Labor Union Women and the Illinois Labor History Society, where she volunteered as a full time secretary.[30][31]

West became active in Chicago politics in the 48th Ward, “supporting and befriending women politicians, including Alderman Mary Ann Smith and Illinois State Senator Carol Ronen.”[32]

In 1990, West was inducted into the Chicago Women's Hall of Fame, and in 1998, the Lake County American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations named Mollie Lieber West Person of the Year.[33]

[1] 1, Mollie Lieber West Papers (1916-2000) Finding Aid, Women and Leadership Archives, Loyola University Chicago.

[2]

[3] 2, “From Poland to Chicago.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[4] 3, “Activist in the Great Depression.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8] 4“The Little Steel Strike and the Transformation of Unions.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[9]

[10]

[11] 5“Labor and Loss.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[12] 6“Labor and Loss.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17] 7, “The Red Scare.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21] 8“Changing Face of Labor.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[22]

[23]

[24] 9“RIP Mollie Lieber West Member/Retiree Chicago Typographical Union No. 16.” Communication Workers of America Local 4250/CTU #16. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[25]

[26] 10“Coalition of Labor Union Women.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[27]

[28] 11“Nontraditional Education.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[29] 12“Retirement and Age Discrimination.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[30]

[31] 13“Labor History and Community.” Women and Labor: The Story of Mollie West. Women and Leadership Archives. Loyola University Chicago. accessed Nov. 13, 2019.

[32]

[33]

title: Mollie Lieber West

question: Why was West under FBI surveillance?

answer: After Mollie's husband, James West went underground due to government attention surrounding their communist activities, Mollie and her son also did the same. The FBI  during this time maintained profile surveillance on her.

question: Where was West born?

answer: West was born in Sokolow, Poland.

question: Summarize Mollie's early life.

answer:
Mollie was born in Sokolow, Poland. Due to birth complications, she walked with a painful leg throughout her life. She, along with her parents and brother moved to the U.S. in 1929. At an early age, she started organizing strikes. One such strike was against the pay cuts and school funding cuts.

Mollie was also present at the Memorial Day massacre of 1937.

question: When did West join the communist party?

answer: 1935

question: Write a ~8 sentence summary.

answer:
Mollie Lieber West moved to the U.S. in 1929 with her family. She started organizing strikes at a very young age which led her to a life of labor activism.

West joined the communist party in 1935. She married James West, who was her second husband in 1948. Due to government attention about their communist activities, the two along with their son went underground. The FBI maintained profile surveillance of West during this time.

Mollie was the first woman elected to the Executive Board of her union. She was forced to retire at the age of 71, after which she became active in Chicago politics in the 48th Ward.


text:
MATCH PLAY is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes. In match play the winner is the player, or team, with the most points at the end of play.

Although most professional tournaments are played using the stroke play scoring system, there are, or have been, some exceptions, for example the WGC Match Play and the Volvo World Match Play Championship, and most team events, for example the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, all of which are in match play format.

Scoring system

Unlike stroke play, in which the unit of scoring is the total number of strokes taken over one or more rounds of golf, match play scoring consists of individual holes won, halved or lost. On each hole, the most that can be gained is one point. Golfers play as normal, counting the strokes taken on a given hole. The golfer with the lowest score on a given hole receives one point. If the golfers tie, then the hole is halved. For example, in an 18-hole match, the first hole is a par-4 and Player A scores a 3 (birdie) and Player B scores a 4 (par); Player A is now 1-up with 17 to play. In the same match on the second hole, a par-5, Player A takes 8 strokes and Player B takes 5 (par); Player B wins the hole and the match is now “all square” with 16 to play. On the third hole, a par-3, both players take 3 strokes and the match is all square with 15 holes to play. Once a player is “up” more holes than there are holes remaining to play the match is over. For example, if after 12 holes Player A is 7-up with six left to play, Player A is said to have won the match “7 and 6”.

A team that is leading by _x_ holes with _x_ holes remaining is said to be “dormie-_x_” or simply “dormie”, meaning that they need one more halved hole to win the match (or that the other team must win all the remaining holes in order to halve the match). For example, if Player A is 2-up with 2 to play, he is dormie; the worst outcome for Player A at that point is a tie, unless the format calls for extra holes to determine a winner.

In a tournament event where the score is all square after the last hole (usually 18 or 36), the players will play on until a player wins a hole (sudden death). In the Ryder Cup and other similar team events, the match is not finished this way, and the teams each receive a half point. In such events there are points accumulated over several days, playing different formats, and the total determines the winning team.

Scoring using handicaps

Scoring match play using handicaps is not done exactly the same way it is done in a stroke play event. In 18-hole stroke play where Player A is a 10 handicap and Player B is a 19 handicap, one stroke is deducted from Player A's score on the ten hardest holes (by handicap rating on scorecard). For Player B, two strokes are deducted on the hardest hole and one stroke deducted on the other 17 holes. In match play, Player A would play as “scratch” (zero handicap) and Player B would deduct one stroke on the nine hardest holes. In other words, the 10 handicap becomes zero and the 19 handicap becomes nine.

In team match play competition, all player handicaps are compared to the lowest of the handicaps. Consider an example where Team A consists of Player A1 (a 10 handicap) and Player A2 (a 15 handicap), and where Team B consists of Player B1 (a 19 handicap) and Player B2 (a 30 handicap). In this example, Player A1 plays as “scratch” (zero handicap), A2 deducts one stroke on the five hardest holes, B1 deducts one stroke on the nine hardest holes, and B2 deducts two strokes on the two hardest holes and one stroke on the other 16 holes.

Some competitions may restrict the handicap differential between playing partners. This is not required by the USGA but may be used by local clubs and tournaments. Using the above team play example and if a local rule limits any player to having a handicap that is at most 8 strokes higher than their partner, Player B2's handicap would be adjusted to 27 for the purposes of that competition (Player B1's handicap of 19 + 8 = 27).

Tournaments featuring match play

Currently, there are few professional tournaments that use match play. They include the biennial Ryder Cup played by two teams, one representing the USA and the other representing Europe; the biennial Presidents Cup for teams representing the USA and International (non-European) players; WGC Match Play; and the older Volvo World Match Play Championship, an invitational event which is now part of the European Tour. Formerly, the PGA Championship, one of the majors, used match play, but it changed to a stroke play event in 1958.

Women's professional golf had no event directly comparable to the Accenture Championship until the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship was introduced in 2005. After it was canceled in 2007, the LPGA was without a match play event until the Sybase Match Play Championship was played from 2010 to 2012. Women's golf also has the biennial Solheim Cup staged between two teams, one including USA-born players and one including players born in Europe. In 2014, a new women's match play tournament began, the International Crown – a biennial match play competition featuring teams from eight countries. From 2005 to 2008, women's golf held the Lexus Cup, an event pitting an International team against an Asian team.

The USGA championships – Amateur, Junior Amateur, Mid-Amateur, Senior Amateur, and team (four-ball) for both men and women – are conducted with two rounds of stroke play to cut the field to 64 (individual) or 32 (teams), and then proceed to a single-elimination match play tournament. All elimination matches are 18 holes except for the final in individual competitions, which is 36 holes.

The European Tour and PGA Tour Australasia co-sanction a Perth (Australia) tournament that in 2017 adopts a match play format. It is conducted with three rounds of stroke play, with two cuts -- one to 65 at the end of the second round, and one to 24 at the end of the third round, then proceeds on the final day to a single-elimination match play tournament with the top eight exempt from the first round. All elimination matches are six holes, with a tie-breaker hole played twice. The first hole will be a standard par-3, and the second time around closest to pin will end the round.

The European Tour also has the GolfSixes, which uses 16 pairs of players, by country, and uses a round robin grouping of four groups of four, with each group playing three matches with a similar format to the elimination matches in Perth, and the results determine second-day matches. Each group will play a maximum of 36 holes (six matches).

Strategy

Golfers can employ a slightly different strategy during a match play event since the scoring is different. The situation in the match and the outcome of each shot already played on a hole will both be taken into account. On the whole, match play encourages more aggressive play, especially at the professional level, where a par is not usually good enough to win a hole. Since a very poor result for a hole is no worse than a slightly-below-average result when playing against an opponent with an average score, it often makes sense to accept the higher risk connected with aggressive tactics. However, in some circumstances players will be especially cautious in match play. For instance, a player may choose to play more conservatively if the opponent has hit a poor tee shot or is otherwise under pressure to compensate for a poor start on a particular hole, reasoning that there is a good chance to win the hole with an average result.

Alternative forms of match play

There is a format of match play called “Irish match play” in which 3 or 4 individuals may compete against each other. A points system is assigned where as an outright win on a hole for a single player constitutes 2 points, a half of the hole for 2 or more players is equal to a single point. This format allows golfers to enjoy the format of hole-by-hole match play in groups larger than 2 people.

Another alternative version of singles matchplay for more than 3 people is popularly known as Rowan Matchplay. Rowan Matchplay begins with all participants competing against one another until one player wins a hole outright posting the better score than all other playing partners on a hole. That player is then 1 up versus all of their combined playing partners who now form a team against the leading player and try to get the match back to all-square. The player leading at the end of 18 holes is the winner. For example, in a 3 player game, after someone goes 1-up, the match then takes the form of the leading player versus the scores of the other two players.

A skins game awards prize money at each hole.

Another form is “medal match play”, which combines the head-to-head match play style with medal or stroke play scores. Each match between two players or teams of players is determined by the 18-hole medal score instead of on a hole-by-hole basis. The advantage is that ties in group or pool play can be broken by overall medal scores. This format was used in the Piccadilly Medal, the Liggett & Myers Open Match Play Championship, the 1986 Seiko-Tucson Match Play Championship, the Dunhill Cup, World Golf Final, and starting in 2018, albeit with a nine-hole medal score, the Belgian Knockout.

title: Match play

question: Summarize the strategy golfers use.

answer: Golfers need to play more aggressively during a match play. A player may choose to play conservatively if the opponent has hit a poor tee shot or is under pressure to compensate for a poor start since there would be a good chance to win even with an average result in this case.

question: What makes the Irish match play different?

answer: In this play, three or four individuals can compete against each other. An outright win on a hole for a single-player earns two points, a half of the hole for two or more players earns a single point.

question: Why is the stroke play scoring system used more widely in tournaments?

answer: This information can't be found.


text:
Sharon didn't want his death the be too painful, even though that bastard deserved it. Cheating on her with that bitch at the office. Not his office even, her office. Her husband Mike would often visit her at work during lunch. It was always a surprise to see him there, right when Sharon got back from lunch, sitting in her desk chair.
	“Hey Sharon!” He would say with that toothless smile she had grown to hate. “Just got finished with all my work for the day so I thought I’d drop by and see you.” He would chirp, or something along those lines. But this particular day something different happened. Mike was there, but he wasn't waiting in Sharon’s chair. No, Mike was coming out of her coworker’s office. Sharon saw her giggle at him as he left and make a sly shhhh sign with her finger. They both nervously laughed as Mike walked away with a prideful grin on his face. He would almost always have with him chocolate cheesecake- Sharon’s favorite food. Then they would eat together and Mike would give her a short peck on the lips and leave. That’s how she knew he was cheating on her. She tasted something on Mike’s lips that day, something sweet. It wasn't the chocolate cheesecake though. No, this was a sweet strawberry flavor upon his this lips that she tasted.
	Mike made a lot of money. He was a writer for a popular newspaper company in New York. Sharon hardly made any money. She didn't even have to work actually, Mike made more than enough to keep them both more than alive and happy. Mike was kinda famous too. He wrote the political cartoons for the paper. Sometimes people would recognize him in resturaunts or places like that. They would come up to him with a big smile and shake his hand or ask for a picture. They wouldn’t even acknowledge Sharon. And that made her mad.
	Melissa. That’s the bitch that was doing her husband at her workplace. Sharon wasn’t completely sure it was Melissa, but it was most likely her. Melissa wasn't even that pretty, at least not in Sharon’s eyes. Melissa had to have been at least forty with her brown hair that was starting to show strands of grey. Sharon’s hair had more grey in her blonde hair, she used products to keep it from showing, but it never seemed to work for her. Melissa was also kinda plump. Not fat by any means, but not close to skinny either. Sharon was skinny. Too skinny. She had lost a lot of weight lately and she didn't know why. Maybe Mike didn't like her being skinny, maybe he wanted something more plump like Melissa. That’s what Sharon figured at least.
	Poison. That’s how Mike was going to die. Sharon got the poison from a guy in the city. She knew from some of the ladies in her office that he could get anybody anything that they want, drugs, guns it didn't matter. “I’ve actually never done drugs before, not even in high school or college.” Sharon overheard Melissa saying one day. That bitch.
	“You’ve outdone yourself this time sweetie.” Mike said as he finished the potato soup that Sharon made him. Mike loved potato soup. He was always pestering Sharon to buy it for him. Sharon put the poison in the potato soup, the dealer said it was tasteless and the affects of the poison would kick in in about 6 hours. After dinner they cuddled on the couch. She actually liked being with him like this. It was a shame he had to die. Oh well, he shouldn't have cheated on her. They were in love for 15 years. Their anniversary was just last week and Mike took her ballroom dancing, something they both found out they were getting too old for.
	“I love you so much.” Michael whispered into her ear. His breath smelled like potato soup.
	Sharon smiled at him and stared back into his dark brown eyes. “I love you too babe.” And they started kissing like they were teenagers again, sitting in the back of Mike’s chevy truck.
	Sharon tasted something horrible in her mouth while they were kissing. It tasted like potato soup but something wet and metallic. “The hell, Mike?” Sharon asked as she pushed him away.
	Mike was bleeding. Everywhere. There was blood streaming out of his mouth, but that’s not the only place it was pouring out of. His eyes, ears and nose were all spewing out dark red blood. Sharon screamed. And so did Michael. The look of terror and pain in his eyes suddenly made Sharon forget that he was a dirty cheater. Mike was crying too. She could see the tears over the blood that was now all over his face. Michael was still on top of Sharon while all of this was going on. His blood was all over her body and white blouse.
	“Sharon.” Mike garbled as blood came spitting out if his mouth and onto Sharon and her opened mouth. “Help. 911.” He spewed quickly. But Sharon didn't move. She didn't know what to do. Mike was on top of her and wouldn't move. Couldn't move, so it seemed. This wasn't supposed to happen this way. It wasn't supposed to end like this. The dealer told Sharon that Mike would just die in his sleep. No pain. No blood spewing out of every orrfice in the man’s body. Mike’s torture went on for about forty-five minutes. And then he finally died, laying on top of his wife. Sharon carefully pushed him off of her and onto the floor. She took her blood-soaked clothes off and got in the shower. She was just getting out of the shower when the doorbell rang. “One minute!” she cried out. Sharon wasn’t thinking about her dead husband’s tortured body laying in the living room floor. Sharon wasn’t really thinking about anything at all. She opened the door. And there was Melissa.
	“Happy birthday, Sharon!” Melissa happily shouted. Behind here were probably twenty people. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of Mike for an hour now, this was supposed to be a surprise birthday party. Mike and I planned it ourselves. We were scared that you caught us when you saw him leaving my office a couple weeks ago after you got back from lunch. We even picked out a perfect flavor of cake for you, of course we had to sample some cake ourselves” she giggled. “We finally decided on strawberry.”

title: [MF] A Good Wife

question: Why did Sharon think Mike was cheating on her with Melissa, right under her nose?

answer: Sharon saw Mike coming out of Melissa's office and the two seemed to share a secret. When Mike kissed Sharon, she tasted strawberries on his lips.

question: How many times did Sharon see Mike visit Melissa to come to the conclusion that he's cheating on her?

answer: She saw Mike come out of Melissa's office just that one time.

question: What might have happened if Sharon chose not to poison Mike on the night of her birthday?

answer: Melissa would've successfully pulled off the surprise party she and Mike had planned for Sharon.

question: Why is Sharon so angry?

answer: Sharon's anger presumably stems from Mike making tons of money while she makes next to nothing, and Mike's minor celebrity status as a famous writer for a popular newspaper in New York. She's also mad when people take photos or introduce themselves to Mike without even acknowledging her.

question: Why was Sharon wrong in her assumption that Mike was cheating on her?

answer: Because Mike really wasn't cheating on Sharon. The only reason he went to see Melissa in secret was to plan Sharon's surprise birthday party.


text:
KICKAPOO STATE RECREATION AREA is an Illinois state park on in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. Located between Oakwood, Illinois and Danville, Illinois, this park is easily accessible through route I-74. It is away from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and from Indianapolis. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the name Kickapoo originated from the Kickapoo village that once existed near the junction of the Salt Fork and Middle Fork branches of the Vermilion River. After Europeans settled in the area and displaced the Native Americans, the Europeans began to dig wells to harvest salt from salt springs, called salines.[1] In the early 20th century the land was then strip-mined for coal. Kickapoo State Park was the first park in the United States to be located on strip-mined land.[2] The state of Illinois purchased the Kickapoo State Park Area in 1939 with donation money from Danville residents and the land has since recovered from the extraction of these resources.[3]

Today, Kickapoo State Park has of ponds and lakes with nearly of hiking trails for many types of recreational activities including camping, canoeing, hunting, mountain biking, and fishing.[4] In the winter season, ice fishing and cross-country skiing are popular pastimes for visitors to the park. Campsites are available year-round with RV and electric hookups available. There are 22 deep water ponds which are accessible to electric motor boats, canoes, and kayaks. Visitors to the park may rent a canoe or kayak to paddle down the Vermilion River, which runs through the center Kickapoo State Park. Scuba diving is also allowed within the park.[5]

History

[Allhands Cemetery, located in the southeast corner of Kickapoo State Park, is the final resting place for many early European settlers from the early 20th century.]

Native American History 500-1500

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, archaeological evidence indicates the existence of a village inhabited by Native Americans of the Woodland and Mississippian cultures somewhere between 500 and 1500. This village was located at the junction of the Middle Fork and Salt Fork Rivers. The village was home to Kennekuk, a Native American known as the “Kickapoo Prophet,” who brokered many treaties between the European settlers and Native Americans. Kennekuk was a proponent of a new form of Christianity that had elements of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.[6] The Native Americans lived in the area which is now Kickapoo State Park until sometime during the 16th century.

Salt Production 1819-1848

Europeans were drawn to what is now the Kickapoo State Recreation Area with the discovery of salt springs in 1819.[7] Most of the immigrants to this area were English.[8] After the Europeans settled in the area, they began to dig wells all over the land. From these wells they harvested salt brine and boiled it down to produce salt. This salt operation continued until 1848, producing as much as 120 bushels of salt per week during the peak of its production process.[9] One of the iron rendering kettles used in the production process can be seen at the Salt Kettle Rest area on I-74.[10] Many European settlers from the early 20th century are buried in Allhands Cemetery, which is located in the eastern section of the park. Other settlers such as John Cox, an Indian fighter and scout in the Black Hawk War,[11] and his wife are buried at the entrance to Fox Campground in a small pioneer cemetery.

Coal Strip-Mining 1850-1940

Between 1850 and 1940 the park area was strip-mined for coal, leaving many mine pits and spoil piles.[12] The mine in Kickapoo State Park was one of the first in the country to use mechanization for strip-mining.[13] Over the years these mine pits have filled with water and become lakes and barren areas have been largely reforested.

1940-Present

[Entrance sign to Kickapoo State Recreation Area] The state of Illinois initially purchased 1,290 acres of land from the United Electric Coal Company in 1939 and added additional area to the park in subsequent years.[14] Clint C. Tilton, a local newspaper owner and historian, began the drive that brought this park to Vermilion County.[15] Since then the park has gradually recovered from the mine pits and spoil piles left behind from the strip-mining process.

In the fall of 2008, a shortage in the state budget of $2 billion led to the threat of park closure.[16] The state was planning to close 11 parks on November 1, including Kickapoo State Park, to help meet its budget. Kelley Quinn, a spokeswoman from former Governor Rod Blagojevich's office, said “[p]arks are closing across the country; people are being laid off...[you] have to consider the national economy. The national economy is part of...[why we must close the park].” [17] The decision to close the park was met with much resistance. More than 300 protesters, made up of a conglomeration of local Danville residents and University of Illinois students, met at Kickapoo in late August 2008 to protest its closure.[18] Due to the protests, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich decided to allow Kickapoo to remain open while 7 other state parks were closed. In celebration of the park remaining open, a cleanup day of Kickapoo was scheduled on April 25, 2009.[19] Volunteers were provided with the equipment necessary to remove litter from campsites and lakes. Since then there have been many cleanup efforts by local residents.[20]

Plant and Animal Species

Kickapoo State Recreation Area is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. Middle Fork Woods Nature Preserve is located within Kickapoo State Park and is the only known location of the silvery salamander in Illinois.[21] This nature preserve of 69.2 acres [22] is home to many different tree species including white and black oak, hickory, blue beech, sugar maple, basswood, ironwood, redbud, and sassafras. Cypress trees have been planted along pond edges while strip mine banks have been naturally covered by cottonwood and ash trees.[23] This variety of hardwood species colors the park in the fall season and attracts many visitors. In the springtime, a variety of wildflowers can also be seen including: violets, bluebells, spring beauties, Dutchman's-breeches, and nodding trilliums.[24]

Of the 100 different bird species spotted within the park,[25] the belted kingfisher, pileated woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, great blue heron, and least bittern are the most commonly seen. A birding checklist is available at the park office. In addition to the multitude of bird species spotted within the park, there are also a variety of mammals including white-tailed deer, squirrels, raccoons, cottontail rabbits, and muskrats.[26]

Recreational Activities

Camping

Between the two campgrounds within the park there are 184 sites available for tent camping and trailer camping.[27] Reservations can be made at online at Reserve America, however there are a number of walk-in sites for back country tent campers. The maximum length of stay is 14 days within a 30-day period. Almost half of the sites have electric hookups and there are two shower houses which are open from May 1 through November 1.[28] Note that campers staying at sites with electric hookups must pay for the availability of electricity even if it is never used. Campers must also have their own camping equipment as well as their camping permit before entering the campgrounds.[29]

Fishing

[Two fishermen on the Vermilion River near the entrance to the Kickapoo State Park.]

There are many fish species found within the park's 22 ponds and the Vermilion River. Some of the most common catches by fishermen are largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, bluegill, crappie, and redear sunfish according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Rainbow trout is another popular fish species to catch in the fall and spring months when the lakes are stocked.[30]

Boating

For boating activities, there are 12 launching ramps on 9 of the lakes in Kickapoo State Park although only electric motors are allowed on these lakes.[31] Kickapoo Adventures, previously known as Kickapoo Landing, is a concession place within the park offering canoe, paddle board, tube, and kayak rentals, shuttle services to parts of the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, bait, firewood, and a restaurant for visitors to enjoy.[32][33] Visitors may rent boats by the hour for use on Clear Lake within the park, or sign up for a trip down the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River with a canoe, kayak, or inner tube. The tube trip is 2 miles long starting at Sportsman's Lake and ending in the state park. For visitors wishing to partake in kayaking or canoeing activities down the river they may choose between a 13-mile trip beginning at Kinny's Ford, an 8-mile trip starting at Bunker Hill, or a combination of 2 miles on the Vermilion River and paddling through 3 lakes in the park.[34] In addition to rental services, Kickapoo Adventures sells fishing licenses, tackle, and an assortment of worms for bait. The concession also has live music at the dockside cafe Tuesday and Friday nights all summer long.[35]

Hiking

[Trail in Kickapoo State Park near High Pond]

There are 7 marked hiking trails within Kickapoo State Recreation Area. One of the more challenging trails is the 7.6-mile Out and Back running trail [36] which winds through forest and edges of cropland. The Out and Back trail is also the longest trail in the park and runs from the group camp area across the Johnson Hill Bridge. However, the Johnson Hill Bridge was demolished in 2006, significantly limiting the length of this trail.[37] The Mountain Bike Trail is a 6.5-mile trail which circles Stump Pond and is located in the northeastern corner of the park. Some of the other shorter trails are: Clear Lake Trail (3 miles), Nature Trail (0.75 miles), High Lake Trail (1.5 miles), Riverview Trail (2.0 miles), and Brian Plawer Nature Trail (0.9 miles). High Lake Trail also has a 0.2-mile portion which is ADA accessible.[38]

Mountain Biking

Over 200 acres have been allocated for mountain bike use in the park.[39] There are 11 mountain biking routes in this area, ranging from easy to difficult, located in the northeast section of Kickapoo State Park.[40] Some of the more difficult trails have 1–2 foot jumps, steep inclines, switchbacks, and benchcut ravines. The bike trails wind through the forest, abandoned strip mine area, and along the Vermilion River. Mountain bike trails are open for visitors to use year-round, although they close during the annual fall firearm hunting seasons (usually falling on 2 to 4 weekends in November and December), and occasionally due to extended muddy conditions such as the spring thaw or damage following heavy storms.[41]

Hunting

Registered hunters (using firearms or bows) are allowed to hunt white-tailed deer, cock pheasant, rabbit, and squirrels in the park twice a year.[42] There are over 1,000 acres of land for hunters to use each fall.[43] Trap and archery ranges are available to visitors to Kickapoo State Park as well.

Other

Other recreational activities at Kickapoo State Recreation Area include cross-country skiing and scuba diving, and is one of the few state parks in Illinois that allows scuba diving. Certified divers may explore the depths of Inland Sea and Sportsman's Lake.[44] A company by the name of Thunder Wolf Trail Rides used to offer horseback riding lessons, trail rides, hay rides, and birthday parties in the park area but it closed in 2015.[45][46]

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[2]

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[7]

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[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

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[25]

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title: Kickapoo State Recreation Area

question: What does the text say about the Apache tribe?

question: What does the text say about Native American History as it relates to Kickapoo State Park?

answer: Archaeological evidence indicates the existence of a village inhabited by Native Americans of the Woodland and Mississippian cultures somewhere between 500 and 1500, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. This village was located at the junction of the Middle Fork and Salt Fork Rivers. Kennekuk, a Native American known as the "Kickapoo Prophet", lived in the village. He brokered many treaties between the European settlers and Native Americans. Kennekuk was a proponent of a new form of Christianity that had elements of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The Native Americans lived in the area which is now Kickapoo State Park until sometime during the 16th century.

question: What does the text say about the coal strip-mining operation had on the area?

answer: Kickapoo State Park was the first park in the United States to be located on strip-mined land. Between 1850 and 1940, the area was strip-mined for coal. This left many mine pits and spoil piles. The mine was one of the first in the country to use mechanization for strip mining. The state of Illinois purchased 1,290 acres of land from the United Electric Coal Company in 1939 with donation money from Danville residents and added additional area to the park in subsequent years. Clint C. Tilton, a local newspaper owner and historian, spearheaded the drive for the state to buy the land. Since then the park has gradually recovered from the strip-mining process. The mine pits have filled with water to become lakes and barren areas have been largely reforested over the years.

question: What does the text say about the plant and animal species in the area?

answer: Kickapoo State Recreation Area is home to a variety of plant and animal species. Middle Fork Woods Nature Preserve is located within Kickapoo State Park and is the only known location of the slivery salamander in Illinois. The nature preserve is home to many different tree species including white and black oak, hickory, blue beech, sugar maple, basswood, ironwood, redbud, and sassafras. Cypress grows along pond edges, while cottonwood and ash trees were planted along strip mine banks. The area has over 100 different bird species, including the belted kingfisher, pileated woodpecker, red-winged blackbird, great blue heron, and least bitter. The mammals living in the park include white-tailed deer, raccoons, squirrels, cottontail rabbits, and muskrats. The park's ponds are home to largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, bluegill, crappie, rainbow trout, and red ear sunfish.