This, for me, is the king of salt. Fleur de Sel (literally “Flowers of Salt”) come from the topmost layer of sea salt before the latter sinks to the bottom of the salt pan.

It’s harvested by hand, and if you could see the top of the cork cover in the above photo, you would see the name of the man who harvested the salt contained therein. Yes, it’s that precious.

If you’ve never had Fleur de Sel, you might think- ah, salt is salt. But take a few granules of this, and let it melt on your tongue, and you’ll understand.

That said, this is not salt you necessarily “cook” with- regular kosher salt is best for that. No, this is sprinkling salt. That is, I like to sprinkle Fleur de Sel on almost everything- it’s divine on a freshly grilled steak, and is the secret behind perfect chocolate chip cookies. It’s perfect on caramel, and can turn ordinary sliced tomatoes into something otherworldly.

Got some chicken or pork? Some garlic? Vinegar? Then you can make adobo. Yes, that’s all you need.

Adobo is the Philippines’ national dish. Nearly anything can be “adobo-ed”- from chicken to pork (or, in most cases, chicken and pork), to squid, to spinach leaves.

The beauty of adobo is that you can go completely minimalist (as I described above), or add a lot of things to it, and still have a hearty, hot, absolutely awesome meal. Got a few peppers left from last week’s chili? Chop them up, add them in, and your adobo becomes spicy (and, dareisay, even better with rice). Have an open can of coconut milk in your fridge? Make it adobo sa gata, creamy and delicious. Or splash about a half-cup of light soy sauce (Chinese or Japanese- they’ll both be delicious) in, and make a darker adobo.

I’m not just saying that, either: this is how we eat in our house. Sure, we’ll have pasta or steaks or stir-fries, but at least once a week, probably twice or more, we have adobo. It’s just the easiest thing: put your meats, vinegar, garlic (lots of garlic, don’t be shy here), salt and pepper in a large pot, bring it to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer it until you can’t smell the sharpness of the vinegar. Serve with plain rice.

Salt certainly adds a lot of flavor to a dish, but too much of it can cause health complications and bloatedness. So how do you cut back on salt without meals tasting as bland as cardboard?

Try adding liberal amounts of lemon and garlic. These are strong flavors that can help mask the lack of salt (garlic is also thought to be good for the heart, so that’s a bonus!). Look for salt-free seasonings, which are far better than salt substitutes. Also experiment with fresh herbs or some spices. Curry powder, for example, has so much flavor you won’t even miss the salt.

Take out the chips and the scary movies — here’s a “bloody” good dip for your Halloween horror marathon. Contains loads of anti-oxidant rich tomatoes, and no cholesterol. 

Ingredients 

• 3 fresh tomatillos (about 6 oz. total), husks removed
• 1/2 cup shelled raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Tortilla chips 

What’s Next

Broil the tomatillos in a pan, about 4 to 6 inches away from heat. Turn it once. Do this for about 5 minutes, or until the skins are charred. In a separate pan, toast pumpkin seeds for about 4 minutes. Then, throw all the ingredients into a food processor and give a quick whirl. Add salt to taste.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Corn Chex cereal
• 2 cups bite-size shredded wheat cereal
• 2 cups pretzel sticks
• 1 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce

What’s Next:

Go ahead & preheat your oven to 325 F or 162 C.

In ungreased 13×9-inch pan, mix cereals, pretzel sticks and cashews. In 1-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in tarragon, onion powder and pepper sauce. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated.

Bake uncovered about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot. Serve warm or cool. Store in airtight container. And enjoy!

Eat well & Laugh often!