The Power of Salt & Pepper

Salt and pepper are really simple seasonings and it hardly seems worth mentioning them. But they are so powerful it seems negligent not to mention them. So, let’s discuss.

Don’t be afraid to use salt and pepper.  Even if a recipe does not call for salt and pepper take a minute and consider if it will add to the dish (I am talking mainly about cooking here rather than baking). Take meat and poultry for example. I have not encountered a piece of meat or poultry that was not improved by sprinkling it with both salt and pepper. On both sides. Why both sides? Because you eat both sides! I learned that in a cooking class, no joke. Anyway, no matter what the recipe says, I always start by salting and peppering my meat and poultry. And don’t be stingy, sprinkle away! Vegetables too.  A little salt and pepper goes a long way here. And eggs! Eggs need salt and pepper.

 

Consider two easy upgrades for your salt and pepper that will bring benefits to your daily cooking:

·        If you don’t have one already, invest in a pepper grinder. I am partial to copper pepper grinders.

 

·        Toss your regular salt and use kosher salt.

 

Looking for more ideas for upgrading your salt & pepper?

·        Try a special salt such as Hawaiian salt, sea salt or grey salt. To learn more about gourmet salts go here and here.

·        Consider trying truffle salt the next time you grill meat.

·        Try Florida Pepper which is a citrusy pepper that is wonderful on vegetables.

·        Consider the fragrant long pepper next time you fill up your pepper mill.

 

Food Epiphany: Penzey's Florida Seasoned Pepper



If I had to pick five favorite seasonings in my kitchen Penzey’s Florida Seasoned Pepper would definitely be on the list. Why is that?

First, it’s delicious. It adds a nice pepper flavor that is not overly peppery or hot. It has a citrus thing going on too which adds to the flavor and is a great choice over regular old pepper for foods that could benefit from an extra pop.

Second, it’s salt-free.  You would not expect to find salt in a seasoned pepper but sometimes you do (read labels!).  If you know someone who is trying to reduce their sodium intake, this makes a great gift.  Even if you are not particularly worried about salt, it’s nice to be able to control how much of it you are eating and cutting out secret salt that lurks in a seasoned pepper is an easy thing to do.

Third, it’s very versatile. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it.

Vegetables: very good on asparagus and broccoli.

Beef: sprinkle your skirt steak, tri-tip or meatloaf with Florida Pepper and it will add to the flavor.

As part of a quick, easy chicken marinade: I use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders. Poke the chicken with a fork a few times (this helps the marinade absorb better). Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with Kosher salt and Florida pepper. Put the chicken into a Ziploc bag or some sort of dish (I usually use a glass Pyrex pan), pour on some good olive oil and squeeze in some lemon.  Maybe add some minced garlic.  Smoosh it around a bit. Put in the fridge for up to about two hours. Remove from marinade and cook on either the barbeque or stove.

So how do you get Penzey’s Florida Seasoned Pepper? I ordered it online for a long time. Now there is a Penzey’s store in Santa Rosa so it’s easy for me to stop in. Their stores are a lot of fun – all of the spices are out and available for sniffing – so if you have a store nearby or encounter one in your travels, check it out and try the Florida Seasoned Pepper.