Thursday, April 11, 2013

a little healthier

as a chef, getting the seasoning right is kind of a big deal. i have only ever worked in restaurants where there were no salt & pepper shakers on the table and it was an affront to the kitchen to ask for them. i'm accustomed to tasting things over & over as i cook, adjusting along the way until it's just right.

that's changing.

don't worry, i'll still be tasting everything, but reaching for more citrus or spices or herbs instead of the salt to get things right. it's official, little red kitsch'n is going low-sodium.

i started doing biweekly deliveries of meals to a gentleman on a reduced sodium diet. enough food for lunch & dinner everyday, so i'm taking it pretty seriously. i like to think that my food was never 'salty' but i certainly never shied away from it either. diamond crystal kosher salt & i go way back but we're having a bit of a breakup.

the way i figure it, i'm not cooking in a restaurant anymore. people are enjoying my food in the comfort of their own homes & can add salt at their own discretion. everyone's palate is a little bit different... and these days it seems everyone's dietary restrictions are a little bit different. i guess this change makes my food more accessible to some without alienating any.

i would never in a million years use a knorr product or store-bought stock with are salt havens. the fact that everything i make is from scratch has always helped reduce the sodium in my meals, but now i'm making the conscious effort to not reach for the salt. it's a challenge & it's forcing me to be more creative. like when i cook vegan, i have to be more inventive & thoughtful because i can't just rely on cream or butter to make it taste delicious. i'm finding the same goes for salt.

so if you notice a bit of a difference in the taste of my food, that's why. we also build up a tolerance to salt in food. hopefully, we'll all ween ourselves off of it & not even miss it. but for now, i won't be offended if you add a little salt.

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