Food, Articles
Why Season with Kosher Salt?
By Linda Carucci, Julia Child Director of Culinary Programs
Until I started teaching cooking, I never really thought about the simple expression, “season to taste.” In cooking school, it’s drummed into you that salt brings out flavor. Now, when I teach seasoning to taste, I start by conducting a salt tasting in class. To keep it simple, we taste three salts that are widely available in Northern California, where I most often teach: Diamond Crystal kosher salt, table salt, and a finely ground sea salt. Why a specific brand of kosher salt? As explained in great detail in her excellent book CookWise, food scientist Shirley Corriher tells us that Diamond Crystal salt crystals are actually pyramids-as opposed to grains-which are much more likely to adhere to food. In fact, these hollow pyramids, or crystals, also dissolve twice as fast as granular salts, including Morton kosher salt.
Mediterranean Gold: Olive Oil
The olive tree, Olea europaea, has a history almost as long as the history of western civilization.
Since its development the olive has been a symbol of peace and of life’s bounty, the subject of mythology, a source of light, and the very flavor of the Mediterranean.
Early uses of olive oil include making soap, fuel for lamps, lubricant for machinery (the Romans used it as axle grease), and today jewelers use it to polish diamonds.
