From Super Salty to Salt Bae - My Favorite Salt

3 long-ish years ago…

My burrata and olives dish came out at a restaurant and it was super salty. Like inedible. When I asked the waiter to switch it out, he came back and said, "We usually add a sea salt to the top. Here's the burrata without sea salt- plenty of sodium still."

If there is plenty of sodium, what are you doing adding salt?

Rewind 6 months. I once saw someone grinding salt on top of bake and break chocolate chip cookies. I watched in horror. Those cookies already have salt in them! Excessive salt makes you feel like a bloated pool toy. When I tasted the cookies - they tasted like - you guessed it - salt. She murdered perfectly good cookies.

I really don't understand food has PLENTY of flavor by itself. I can count the number of situations that you need to add salt to meal.

The answer is that salt is a cheap way to add flavor. Why are you messing with it? Leave it alone! Step away from the salt.

And then there's all the fancy salts: Himalayan, garlic, etc. This advertising is a ploy to get you to buy more salt! Salt conspiracies man. It is out of control.

Here's an experiment: cook at home for a week and then go out and eat. You'll immediately notice that foods are salty. You'll guzzle a water. You'll feel bloated and terrible.

Fast forward 3 years.. 

Reading my unposted post from 3 years ago, I cringe a little. Why was I so salty? I’m a changed woman. I add salt to SO MANY things. Pasta sauce tastes a little blah? Add some salt! Salad dressing not up to par? GIRL! Add salt!

I even got in trouble with a friend because I over-salted pasta water and rendered some pasta inedible. With great power comes great responsibility.

I have become what I used to hate. I may be a bloated pool toy but I eat really well. Yeah, I agree restaurant food can be too salty sometimes, but when used in moderation, your home-cooked foot can really benefit from some salt sass.

My current favorite? Fleur de sel. Why is it so expensive?? Someone tell me! When you sprinkle this salt on burrata - the cheese sings - or maybe that’s just me.

TLDR…

I used to really restrict how much salt I ate. Why? I was convinced I was being healthy or something. Now - I make some bomb pasta sauces with my fleur de sel. End of story.