How Samin Nosrat Found Herself Again

Samin Nosrat's previous cookbook, Salt Fat Acid Heat, was a runaway success and ultimately became a Netflix show. But while she was shining professionally, Samin was struggling personally. In her much-anticipated second cookbook, Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love, she shares how food helped her reconnect with community.

sparkling banana bread (Makes one 8 × 8-inch square)

Packed with both mashed and whole bananas, this is my ideal banana bread. To maximize the ratio of the cinnamon-sugar topping to the moist, flavorful interior, I bake it in a cake pan. In the oven, the topping transforms into a sparkling crust that releases wave after wave of cinnamon aroma with each bite.

For the banana bread

• 1-1/2 cups (203g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (6g) kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1-1/4 cups (288g) well-mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas; see Note)
• 3/4 packed cup (150g) dark brown sugar
• 2⁄3 cup (140g) neutral oil
• 1⁄3 cup (80g) buttermilk or sour cream, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the topping

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• 2 very ripe bananas, halved lengthwise

• • •

1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with a parchment sling and spray the parchment.
2. To make the banana bread, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs until evenly combined.
4. Stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and mix to combine, making sure to incorporate all the dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.
5. To make the topping, in a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and flaky salt.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and then let the pan drop from a height of 3 inches onto the countertop a couple times to release any air bubbles that might have gotten trapped inside the batter.
7. Sprinkle the topping in a thick, even layer over the batter, then gently place the banana halves, cut-side up, atop the batter, cutting into pieces as needed to make them fit.
8. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted around the halved bananas emerges clean.
9. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. (Alternatively, leave the cake to cool in the pan and serve it directly from there.)
10. Wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.