from Steamy Kitchen food column in Tampa Tribune

If I had to just choose one thing, “my killer app” in the kitchen, it would be salt. It doesn’t matter what cuisine I’m cooking, salt is the basis of flavor in a savory dish. Call me a salt snob, but I stay away from the regular table salt, mainly because it tastes like crap! The granules are way too fine, the anti-caking agent just sounds gross and added iodine is sooooo 1920’s. The taste reminds me of…um…getting smacked in the face with a salt lick dipped in a vat of bitters?

Normally, I use kosher salt in the kitchen, mainly because of the texture and cheap price. I really like the feel of kosher salt in my fingers as I’m seasoning, and I’ve learned to season by sight, feel and taste. I’m just too lazy to bust out the measuring spoons, because each time, I have to wash and wipe dry the set of awkward, clanging, dangling spoons for fear of tainting the oregano with chili powder or powdered sugar with vanilla extract. How inefficient! Wouldn’t it be cool if spice jars came with twist lids that doled out the spice in teaspoon increments? What a great product idea. And if you steal my idea, at least take me out to dinner. But I digress. Read the full story

shhhhhh…….

i did a naughty thing.

last week my husband tromped off to Vegas for a 5-day vacation with this poker buddies.

i had an affair.

i heard the garage door close as he left for the airport. i waited 15 minutes to make sure he didn’t return, in case he forgot something.

i peeked out the window…..

my eyes nervously scanned the street…..

then tiptoed to the back door….

with one hand on the knob and the other pressed against the warmth of the door, i paused briefly to collect my breath. i turned the knob slowly, my toe softly nudged the door open. It was still early, and the morning light reached through the crack of the door to help me open it the rest of the way.

he was waiting.

for a moment, i thought i had heard the garage door again. i turned my head. but no, it was just my jitters playing games. i stepped out towards him and felt my heart flutter with anticipation and longing. speaking was not necessary - we both already knew what was going to happen. nothing was going to get in the way of our union. my hands deftly removed his dark blue, canvas, weather protection jacket and threw it on the ground. i didn’t care where it landed.

how handsome he was. so massively big…..continued after the jump….

Read the full story

A great use for Citrus Finishing Salt is to pair them with carrots!

Honey Ginger Carrots with Citrus Salt

serves 4, adapted from Cooks Illustrated

6 medium carrots, sliced diagonally 1/4″ thick
1/2 cup stock (chicken or vegetable)
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger (use microplane grater)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or parsley, mint)
1/2 teaspoon Citrus Salt (or to taste)

In a 12″ nonstick skillet, bring carrots, stock, ginger and honey to boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes. Uncover, poke a carrot with a paring knife. The knife should go through, but you should feel resistance, especially when you try to pull the knife out. Keep uncovered and increase heat to high and allow some of the liquid to boil off for 1 minute. Add butter, thyme leaves and stir to melt butter. Finish with Citrus Salt to taste.

Note: I didn’t use the butter in this dish. Figured I had enough fat in the Grilled Garlic Rosemary Steak and Garlic Truffle Fries that I could leave out the butter in this dish.

Another note: Sometimes I use 1/4 cup stock + 1/4 cup orange juice. If you use small carrots or slice them thin, then check the carrots after 3 -4 minutes. I like my carrots with a little bite, so I tend to undercook them.

What’s better than Asian Flavored Salts? A recipe using a flavored salt + a nice little gift from me to a randomly chosen lucky ducky winner (keep reading!) I am notorious for seeing something on TV, wanting coveting, and then coming up with 101 reasons fo Why I Must Have This Kitchen Gadget. Of course, after explaining to husband reason #79 for the fifth time in a row, he usually gives in….not because he thinks I Must Have This Kitchen Gadget, but because I’ve nagged him to death. Poor man. He’s since banned me from late night television. Something about child-locking any channel above 13 after 1 a.m. Prior to censoring late-night infomercials, I purchased multiple dehydrators, juicers, shark-vacs, chopper-boppers, swirly-twirlies, sucker-puckers, pasta-prestos and the Pocket-Rocket.

Oh wait…that wasn’t a kitchen gadget :::blush:::

ANYWAYSSSS…..I would buy these gadgets, rave and rave about them. We’d have fresh fruit juices every single morning for 2 weeks straight. Banana chips and beef jerky for breakfast, snack and lunch for 2 weeks straight. Random items in the household were vacuum sealed. Pureed pea porridge for 2 weeks straight. Verrrrry happy mornings if you know what I mean…2 weeks straight. But after the 2 week honeymoon, I’d bore of the Gadget and it would be moved from Prime Real-Estate on kitchen countertop to Skid Row in the garage.

Well, the other night, I lugged out my Flavorwave Oven Deluxe to make Sichuan or Szechuan Peppercorn Roasted Chicken. OH MY….I suddenly remembered reason #38 - luscious, moist, roasted chicken. I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing this chicken tastes. This has become my favorite roast chicken recipe (sorry, Joanne Weir ) and the tingly dipping salt that accompanies the chicken is quite addictive.

If you are tired of your same ‘ol chicken dinners, then you simply must try this. Once you cook the Sichuan Peppercorn Salt with the bird, it really does infuse the entire bird with all of its earthy aroma and flavors. Even my little kids loved this chicken and liked having a dipping salt. When you get your package of SZP (either from the store or from winning the contest below) - take a couple pods and chew. The tip of your tongue goes numb!! The peppercorn is not hot-spicy at all. Cooking with the SZP tames the pepperyness.

I almost always buy organic chicken now. Its healthier and the prices have gone way down on organic meats. Usually, I visit my small local butcher, The Chop Shop, where they have birds for $2.19 per pound that are antibiotic and hormone free. If you don’t have a local butcher that carries good, healthy chicken, and you are lucky enough to have a Super Target nearby, check out their antibiotic and hormone free chickens - $3.89 for a entire 3.25-lb bird. If you are penny-pinching, you really can’t beat that - its cheaper than a chemical-laden chicken! But please support small, local businesses like the butcher if you can.

I stuffed my bird with ginger, scallions and orange. Of course, feel free to substitute….use a few star-anise, cinammon sticks, garlic, lemon, parsley, onion half….basically whatever you have on hand.

My gift to you: In the comments, link to your most favorite recipe on your blog. At the end of the week, I’ll draw a random name and the lucky ducky winner will get a HUGE bag of Szechuan Peppercorns sent from me…enough to spice the world and beyond. Go forth and spread the love and joy of Szechuan Peppercorns! Yup. Thats how much I love you.

Sichuan or Szechuan Peppercorn Roasted Chicken

Of course not all of you have the Flavorwave Oven Deluxe, which really is just a convection oven in a plastic dome.

1 chicken, organic (I like using a small 3 1/2 pound bird)
1/2 orange
2-3 stalks of scallions, cut into 3″ sections
4 long, thin slices of ginger
2 tablespoons Sichuan Peppercorn Salt + more to serve as dipping salt
2 tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 400F set for convection.

1. Wash chicken and pat very dry. Tie legs together with kitchen twine, tuck wings in. Generously season chicken inside and out with the Szechuan Peppercorn Flavored Salt. If you look at my photo, I use quite a bit of seasoning, which I think is one of the secrets to delicious tasting roast chicken. The roasting mellows out the salt - so don’t be afraid to have a heavy-hand in seasoning. Stuff bird with ginger, scallions and orange. Place bird breast-side down in roasting pan. Brush 1 tablespoon oil all over the top of the bird (which is the thigh side).

2. Roast chicken breast-side down for 30 minutes. Turn breast side up. Brush breast side with oil. Continue roasting until thickest part of thigh reaches temperature of 175F and breast is 160F. Generally, this will take another 20 minutes for a 3 1/2 lb bird. If using larger bird, add 7 more minutes for every add’l pound.

3. Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Carve and serve with more Sichuan Peppercorn Salt on side for dipping.