At a recent dinner party I hosted, a friend asked if she could provide the appetizer course. I of course, gladly obliged her this and checked it off my "to do" list. When the night of the event arrived, and so did my friend, she brought with her such an array of edibles, I was at once surprised and delighted. What she brought was something new and exciting to me!
My friend, who is a photographer, had recently done some work for our local spice haven, The Spice Tin ( www.thespicetin.com ) and had a wide variety of salts left. Now, I am a drawn to their smoked red chili bacon salt like an addict is drawn to crack, and have been known to carry a small bag of it in my purse, so this "salt tasting" thrilled me!
Laura laid out small dishes of salts ranging from habanero salt, to truffle salt, vanilla salt, and the natural salts like Himalayan pink salt, and a very fine gray salt from the middle east. She brought us vehicles such as jicama, pear, caramels, potatoes, sausage, and steak, so many I cannot even remember them all. We dipped and delighted at the interesting and delicious combinations we could create with the simple changing of salts. The powdery gray salt was light in flavor, and almost floral. The spicy and smoked salts added complexity to dark chocolate, and the citron salt made raw pears really pop. The entire experience was so social, experimental, and fun, the main course was nearly an afterthought. We grudgingly put the salts away at the end of the night, shaking them into their tiny Ziploc bags, maybe putting a pinch or two of our favorites in our pockets (was that just me?). A new dimension had been added to our dinner which prompted conversation of food (naturally), but of also geography and world politics, of religion(normally taboo), and of warm friendship. It was a night to remember, and for that span of time, we friends were bound together by such a common ingredient as salt.
If you are interested in spices, or salts, please do visit The Spice Tin in Murphys CA or online at www.thespicetin.com
Ah, Kris! What a sweet entry... We had so much fun that night too. I think we'll do it again, but maybe JUST have a salt party! Then we can all get really crazy with stuff to dip and try out! We just have to wait until the Spice Tin gets more new, exciting stuff for us to try!!
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