R. O. pre-K.

This one is for my wife, who just told me that she thought the last post stunk because it didn’t really say anything…sheesh, tough crowd!

Anyway, when I went shopping tonight, I bought some prepared food to eat while I got my groceries. I wanted to put some salt on it, but couldn’t find any anywhere in the store. Sure, they had it for sale, but I didn’t want to open a new container just for a pinch of salty goodness. Anyway, I went to the cheese counter where the woman gave me a handful of some fancy salt that they sold loose (they had about 8 types for sale this way). Man, the salt was so good that I started eating pinches from the pile she gave me! It was so delicious that I ended up going back and buying some to take home. As I was driving home, I started thinking about all the different types of salt I already had at home. Feeling a little embarrassed, I figured I would write this post and humiliate myself publicly. Worst-case scenario, everyone will make fun of me. Best case, someone will go “me too, I love salt!” and I won’t feel so silly.

So without further ado, below is a list of all the types of salt in our kitchen:

1. Fine ground sea salt. For salting boiling water, or using when a recipe calls for a measured amount of salt. I also have a weird recipe of salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar that helps clear out sinks and tubs that are slightly clogged.

2. Course sea salt. For the grinder that sits on the dining room table.

3. Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt. This is a blend of salt and a few other spices. I discovered it when I was a teenage prep cook. It’s awesome, and I use it all the time when I want to sprinkle salt on or in something I am cooking.

4. Kosher salt. Sometimes a recipe calls specifically for Kosher salt.

5. Hawaiian Alaea Salt. We were at a luau in Honolulu (see here for the full details) and they served this with some raw onion. Sounds gross, but it was so tasty that we went and bought a container of it before we came home.

6. Murray River Australian Pink Flake. This is what I got tonight. It’s not ground or course, but flaky. It’s got a nice hefty texture that pretty much melts on your tongue. As the woman behind the counter said, “Here, I may as well give you the good stuff!”

That’s it, six types…who the heck has six kinds of salt in their house?

(PS – I know, I know, I haven’t forgotten about the chickens!)

“Salt Peanuts” by Dizzy Gillespie
From the compilation Yardbird Suite: The Ultimate Charlie Parker Collection
Written by Kenny Clarke and Dizzy Gillespie, 1945
This is pretty much an instrumental song; the only lyrics are the words “salt peanuts, salt peanuts!”

This was the only song I could find in my collection that mentioned salt. It’s a really fun jazz number with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Mmmmm, salted peanuts!

Speaking of peanuts, what has happened in the last 20 years to bring about such serious peanut allergies in kids? I was allergic to everything when I was little, and yet I never heard of anyone being allergic to peanuts until the past 10-20 years. Strangely enough, after years of peanuts being banned from airplanes, I recently took a flight where they served them as the in-flight snack.