In the Kitchen

Photo courtesy Flickr

“I just season simple food with hunger, and I’ve never felt better in my life.” Dick Proenneke’s comment about his cooking would have saved countless trees and uncountable trillions of electrons over the years, had anyone been able to hear his message.

Our son arrived for Christmas with unpretentious East Bay food in his heart, and we spent most of the visit planning, cooking, and eating local things without salt. Losing the salt is the fastest way to learn how things really taste. Once you can taste what’s coming off the stove, you’ll be able to pay attention to timing, temperature, and effective combinations of ingredients.

Try it. Lose the salt, use unsalted butter, and buy first-quality vegan-fed eggs. Whole grain is a given. It takes a while for the palate to adapt, but afterwards, anything else feels burdensome.

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