Salts, An Exploration in Taste and Flavor December 16, 2010

As culinary giant, James Beard once said, “Where would we be without Salt?” Think about it…salt is an essential ingredient in most recipes, sweet and savory. For tonight only, we have salt enthusiast Mark Bitterman instructing on what he knows best—Salt. His new book, Salted, just released is the fruit of decades of field work (a.k.a. eating, traveling, talking) and research. His book opens the door to salting for greatness in everything you eat, and includes hundreds of full color photographs illustrating the dazzling diversity of gourmet salts. Bitterman, like James Beard, believes salt is the most powerful ingredient in the kitchen–and the most commonly used and universal one. An understanding and respect for salt leads inevitably to more distinctive and better tasting food.

Bitterman also has two salt-centric shops called The Meadow in Portland and now in Manhattan. The Meadow is a shop built to sell salts, chocolates, wines and flowers, but the main attraction is definitely their salts, where they carry more than 400 types. It is the ultimate source for gourmet salt, finishing salt, sea salt, and artisan salts from around the world! They supply salt to all people, everyone from overzealous salt fanatics to restaurants around the world.

Take your mouth on a trek across the vast and unexplored wilds of artisan-made finishing salts. We will survey the basic types of artisan salt, discuss their individual characters, and explore how they combine to bring new found pleasures to your table, from breakfast to dinner, from cocktails to dessert. We will also have the opportunity to discuss and converse on salt and the unexpected ways to use and incorporate salt into your culinary repertoire. The possibilities are endless and this class will take you on a discovery tour of salt and the majestic flavor miracles that happen with using it!

Official Website: http://culinaryherbcenter.ger-nis.com/2010/11/10/salts-an-exploration-in-taste-and-flavor/