The Salt(s) of the Earth
I understand salt is a vital part of cooking. I’ve read Alton Brown, thank you very much. I tend to forget to season during cooking and that leads to overuse of the shaker on the table. Not the best way to season food because I mostly taste salt instead of the the food (works good on mashed potatoes).
My brother also cooks, so I knew to be grateful for the box of six varieties of “finishing salts” he had shipped to me from California for Christmas. He must know something I didn’t know. But, what, exactly, was I supposed to do with these things? The Alea Volcanic salt is an interesting orange color; the Turkish Black Pyramid a bizarre crystalline shape. Maybe they are molecular gastronomy’s little decorative touches?
So I read the insert that came in the package. It says, with faux modesty, “This may sound like hyperbole, but sprinkle the parchment fine flakes of Maldon sea salt (which was included in my assortment – a white, truly flaky salt) … and you will experience a chlorophyll dynamo of flavor that strums at the very heart of nature.” Wow! That’s a heck of a promise from this little bottle. Could it possibly be true? How about, “Let fall dark pyramids of Turkish Black Pyramid salt … and you will feel the turgid rush of Incan discovery.” Or, “Grind smoked salt on hand-churned ice cream and you will trade your house for an igloo.” Brave promises, indeed!
So last week I finally cooked a dinner that was high-end enough to justify the use of these jewels. I put four salts on the table, instructing my guests (with my tongue slightly in cheek) which to use where. I started with the Maldon on the salad. And, OH MY GOD, the taste explosion that was to send me to the moon and back actually happened! The simple dressing, with pears and blue cheese on romaine, was propelled to hero status! Now for the beef tenderloin. I was worried because the Port Reduction Sauce had turned out a little salty. Why add more salt? But it was amazing how the salt created an entirely new layer of flavor. Not only did it bring out the strengths of the recipe, it added depth and complexity. Green Beans with Lemon were similarly enhanced.
So thanks, Brother, for further educating me about this facet of life (and culinary prowess) I had been ignorant of. And for the rest of you, visit www.atthemeadow.com and see for yourself!
It Sucks … and that’s good!
I admit it: I purchased a vacuum cleaner from a door-to-door salesman. He didn’t surprise me or sucker me. We were in the market for a new vacuum cleaner anyway. And he went away the first time, when he knocked on the door while I was trying to put my daughter down for a nap. He made an appointment and kept it. My brother sold books door-to-door in college and my Mom bought her last vacuum from a guy at the door. I guess it’s in my blood.
And he showed up with a really kick-ass machine. Once you get past the embarrassment of how much dirt he’s pulling out of the carpet, couch, mattress, and ceiling fans, it gets kind of fun to see how it all works. The guy cleaned our whole living room – a nice bonus – and then pulled out the shampoo attachment. We were agog! “Sell us one!” We practically yelled at the guy.
Our beloved new vac is a Kirby, available only door-to-door. Here are some of the many things they have done right in engineering this machine. First off, the motor that creates the suction is amazing. We were so used to having our old machine simply kick dirt around without actually picking it up that we are now overjoyed to use this thing. It has a long hose for attachments so using the many attachments is easier, even though you have to pull the unit around which is kinda clunky. It has a really long cord, so only really have to move the plug when I change levels of our house. Oh, there’s more about hypoallergenic cleaning bags and reversible drive motors … but mostly it is just the best vacuum in the world and we’re thrilled. I have even done the car with it.
It’s also better be the last vacuum we ever own, because now comes the red faced part: It seems impossible to have paid as much as we did for Kirby. We looked on the internet and found that we paid below the average (we negotiated quite a bit), and yet it was way more than I ever thought I would pay for a household appliance that didn’t store food or cook it! Just go to any vacuum cleaner aisle and find the one that is beyond what you would pay – then double the amount (or even triple, depending on how much you think a vacuum is worth).
