Snow, Ice, Salt and a Giveaway!

Brrrr.....parts of Europe are in a deep freeze that won't ease it's grip. The United Kingdom is getting snow and ice they haven't seen in decades. Some areas have run out of salt and aren't expecting to be able to get any for a while. In one rural town, a man said his wife hasn't been able to get back home for 15 days (that's her story and she's sticking to it!) Asia is also setting records. Seoul, South Korea had a foot of snow in a 24 hour period which is a first. Here in the US, one storm starts up as another passes. Besides the skiers and children, the only one who really enjoys the snow is my neighbor's dog, Dakota! Florida citrus crops are in danger of freezing as frosty temperatures replace the balmy sun. At home in Massachusetts, my son Zac, went out with a friend last weekend during the storm and shot some photos around town as the snow fell. It was late into the night, and a cold, white stillness took hold as they witnessed the beginning of an unrelenting snow. The closed movie theater in town had an Edward Hopper-like appeal. His friend cross country skied as a lone car came by. A war memorial seemed to come alive as a winter battle and it's perils is envisioned. But I think it is time for the ice and snow to stop. What we need is salt (besides sunshine, of course), and lot's of it to melt away the icy chill! So I'm having my very first giveaway. Fleur de Sel...the French salt that is the flower of the sea. Ahhhh...did someone say flower.....and sea? And rosy chunks of Himalayan sea salt with it's own grater. They are sure to melt the ice from the heart of winter as they season your food. I can see the pink coming back into your cheeks now! So, crack the ice from your knuckles and leave a comment. How are you beating the chill? Mention you are a follower and I'll put your name in twice. I love my friends from outside of the US, but I can only ship within the 48 contiguous states and Canada. The first name drawn will receive the Fleur de Sel and the Himalayan sea salt and grater. The second name that gets drawn receives the Fleur de Sel. On my next post, I'll announce the winner. Stay warm, my friends.Thanks Zac, for your great B&W film photos.

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, A Salty Tale

I think I first became interested in salt when I was a child. The round box of Morton salt with the saucy little girl in the bright yellow dress, intrigued me. I wanted to be friends and walk beside her in the rain, sharing her umbrella, leaving a trail of salt. OK, things were simpler then. As life progressed, salty tastes came in the form of the consoling taste of babies tears and the drip of a hard days work. Now as I open a bag of sel gris, French sea salt, the moist grains reveal the subtle scent of a sunny day at the beach. My neighbor, Kate uses this sea salt on the table and in the bath. She says it softens her skin in a radiant, if not extravagant way. Some of the best salt in the world is said to come from the salt marshes of the Guerande area of France. Here the salt is harvested by hand. The creme de la creme is the Fleur de Sel de Guerande from these marshes. As the sun evaporates the upper layer of the foam, a tender crust
forms. The crust is then raked by specialists called paludiers.The hand harvesting is such a delicate job, that it was at one time only entrusted to women. This crust is the prized fleur de sel. The color is not a pristine white, but a grayish brown, from the minerals on the bottom of the marshes. Fleur de sel is full of many minerals and trace minerals. Said to have a faint aroma of violets, it is a finishing salt and loses it's fine taste if doused mercilessly into a pot of bubbling stew. My favorite way to use fleur de sel is to sprinkle it on potatoes or meats straight from the heat or on sliced fresh tomatoes.

A salty new treasure caught my eye on a recent stop into the tiny
exotic food and spice shop, Izrael, in the Marais area of Paris. At
first glance I wasn't sure what it was. Gorgeous chunky, pinkish
crystals packaged with a small grater hung from a post. The label read, "Diamond de sel et sa rape"....."Diamond salt with its grater". The label went further to read, "They are fossilised crystals of sea salt, formed more than 260 million years ago and unpolluted. They are carefully extracted by hand from the Khewra mines deep in the heart of the Himalayas. In about 350 B.C. Alexander the Great had this precious salt brought to Europe. Subsequently it was used exclusively by church dignitaries and emperors." At one point in history salt was used as currency. The 12 euro price indeed said diamonds, but I had to have it. After shelling out my ransom, we went on our way towards the rue de Rivoli. As we passed the department store BHV, we made a pit stop to check out the bathrooms. Right by the up escalator, my friend Debbie spotted that beautiful Diamond salt at less than half the price. Nothing like salt on the ol' proverbial wound. We grabbed a few more packages to even out the price. Pam found the ultimate two mispriced packages for 2 euro each. There was an air of a Filene's Basement sale right there in Paris.

The many different salts may be found in specialty food stores and online. The price varies by source and can be dear. Since most of these salts are finishing salts, they can last for some time........just don't put on your yellow dress and walk in the rain leaving a trail of salt behind you.


Written and photographed by Diane