Over the past three weeks, we've seen the science behind how salt works, the value of specialty salt, and the incredible variety of flavored salts. If your appetite's whetted and you've purchased some specialty salt of your own, this week's Salt Mining is devoted to making your salty investment work best for you..
For guidance, I turned to Mark Bitterman, owner of The Meadow. Bitterman won the James Beard award for his book Salted, an exhaustive guide to salt, with recipes. His descriptions of his products are poetic, his knowledge encyclopedic. He preaches the thoughtful application of salt and a deeper understanding of its relation to cooking. The man knows his salt.
I bought this as part of a flight of Japanese and Hawaiian salts to "snack" on during a prolonged fast. It tastes very unique and I enjoy it on cooking too.
I tried a sampler box of smoked salts and found the Pecan Smoked Salt amazing. As a result, I purchased a large bottle that now sits on my counter in easy reach while preparing food. I have always liked the smoked salts that The Meadow carries and have gifted them to others. But when I tried the Pecan Smoked Sea Salt for myself it was an unexpected delight. Now the salt finds its way into many of the foods I prepare. My new favorite.
Love the Meadow...been shopping with them since they first opened their New York store 20 years ago. Lately I've been driven to the dark side... dark chocolate. The darker the better and this is pretty dark. Most local chocolatiers will only go to 72%. This is 92. Not for everyone.
This single origin chocolate from Kona, Hawaii is perfection. One only needs to try a small nibble to be filled with the aroma and taste of a tropical treat.