Posts in sea salt
tips & tricks: salt 101
while learning to cook, one of the most challenging lessons was mastering salt. next to fresh ingredients, properly salting your food will have the biggest impact on flavor. knowing what kind of salt to use, when to use it and how much you need is a delicate balance. so here are some tips on using salt as well as some great salts to keep on hand.
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when to salt? 
salt is not just something that adds flavor. salt extracts flavor from other foods making those foods their most flavorful. a good rule of thumb is to salt each ingredient as you are adding it to your dish. if a recipe calls for a teaspoon of salt, add in a couple of pinches at a time as you are adding ingredients instead of adding it all at the end. if you add it in little by little, you will have delicious, flavorful food instead of food that tastes "salty". 

how much salt should i use? 
if your recipe did not recommend a certain amount of salt, or if you are just winging it in the kitchen, here are a couple tricks to perfectly salt food. 
when salting veggies, a couple of pinches per cup should be enough. if you are using fish or shellfish, you want to pat your protein dry with a paper towel and then sprinkle it generously on both sides. for land proteins like chicken, pork or beef, you want to treat it similarly to sea proteins but you want to season it a bit more liberally. more of the salt will be absorbed into the flesh of land proteins, especially beef. salt your beef very liberally. a well salted beef will develop a delicious salty and crusty outer layer when seared on the grill or in a hot pan. 
finally, pay attention to what kind of salt is called for in a recipe. if it is different than the salt you have, you may need to adjust your amount since all salts are not the same shape and size and measure differently. you can find a guide for substitutions HERE. 

what kind of salt should i use? 
there are many (too many to count) different types of salt. but you can thrive in the kitchen with just a few of them. here are the three i can't live with out as well as a couple bonus options. 

kosher salt
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this is my number one go to salt. i keep it in a small bowl by my stove so i can grab a pinch here and there as i need it. kosher salt is more coarse than iodized salt, but absorbs really well into foods. it is a great all purpose salt to have on hand. 

iodized salt (table salt)
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this is the salt that you find in people's salt shakers. it is very fine and easily absorbs and dissolves which is why it makes a good option for last minute salt additions. iodized salt is a must have, but i really only use it for baking or table salt. 

sea salt 
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the most corse of the three salts, sea salt is an amazing option for proteins. since it is a bit larger, it is perfect for meat that quickly absorbs finer options like iodized and kosher salt.

finishing salt
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there are some amazing artisans creating really delicious and easy to come by salts. many home stores, finer groceries and gift stores are now carrying all the flavored salts you can imagine. flavored salts are great to sprinkle on top of baked goods, crushed for the rim of a drink, on top of your favorite protein or just sprinkled on top of your buttered toast. the options are endless. 

xo, a
marsala mushrooms + swiss chard

greetings from sao conrado, rio!

there was a ton of hype before we came down about the lack of safety, unfinished venues, and pollution. and while i'm not planning on swimming in the water, so far the dangers and chaos of rio seem to be completely over blown.

the city is stunning, the people are warm and helpful and the olympic venue we are frequenting is pretty stellar. 

even though we are only on our fourth full day here, it feels like we have already done so much. we've had some great meals out, attended our first two olympic games, navigated the hectic food markets, enjoyed the beach kiosks (delicious little beach bars with amazing food) and most notably, hiked up corcovado mountain to christ the reeder. 

thats right, all six of us, including my sixty+ parents hiked 2.5 hours through the jungle, using vines and roots and chain ladders to hoist ourselves to the second largest statue of christ in the world. 

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even though it was a cloudy day at the top, the trek was well worth it. so worth it we are planning to go again on a sunny day for the full money shot. 

now, i'm sure you are expecting some amazing new recipe inspired by brasil. but remember, this is only my fourth day. and while we have done a fair job of navigating the markets, the harsh reality that this is not a place where i can get any ingredient i want at any moment has definitely set in. last night's chicken marsala had to be reworked to chicken with sherry and cauliflower (actually worked great as sub and the flavors were pretty spot on). 

but the thing i miss most is not having access to anything and everything. the thing i miss is walking out into my garden and picking stunning produce whose origin and growing process i'm certain of. 

so in honor of my little garden i love so much, here is a simple, quick, delicious vegan dish with a star from my garden. 

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marsala mushrooms + swiss chard
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz baby bella or crimini mushrooms, sliced. 2 cups swiss chard leaves chopped + stems diced. 1 large shallot (or 2 small), sliced. 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. .25 c marsala wine. juice of .5 lemon. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp pepper. 

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in a medium pan, combine mushrooms, chard stems and shallots with the olive oil over medium high heat. season with half the salt and pepper. cook until the mushrooms are softened and the shallots are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

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pour in the marsala and allow it to cook down with the veggies until most of the liquid is gone. about 2-4 minutes. 

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add in the chard leaves, garlic and remaining salt and pepper. cook until the chard is wilted and the garlic fragrant. 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

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drizzle the lemon juice over the veggies, stir well to combine and serve hot. 

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xoxo
a

marsala mushrooms + swiss chard
serves: 2
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz baby bella or crimini mushrooms, sliced. 2 cups swiss chard leaves chopped + stems diced. 1 large shallot (or 2 small), sliced. 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. .25 c marsala wine. juice of .5 lemon. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp pepper.
in a medium pan, combine mushrooms, chard stems and shallots with the olive oil over medium high heat. season with half the salt and pepper. cook until the mushrooms are softened and the shallots are translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
pour in the marsala and allow it to cook down with the veggies until most of the liquid is gone. about 2-4 minutes.
add in the chard leaves, garlic and remaining salt and pepper. cook until the chard is wilted and the garlic fragrant. 30 seconds to 1 minute.
drizzle the lemon juice over the veggies, stir well to combine and serve hot.