Here is an interesting experiment next time you make a pot of coffee. Prepare everything normally, but before you hit the start button, add just a pinch or so of salt to the coffee grounds.

What you will find may surprise you. Adding the salt will enhance the taste of the coffee, mellow out its flavor and remove the bitterness. A guideline is a pinch for a standard sized pot.

As a matter of fact, think of a restaurant you go to where you think "Wow, I LOVE their coffee!!" There is a very good chance that they are adding salt to it. Try it and see what you think!

I would love to hear your experiences!

The calendar may show that it is May, however, for half the United States; it's felt like a warm January. So mainly out of pure spite for the weather, I am publishing one of my all-time favorite summer beverage concoctions - the Salty Puppy... because I am an optimist and summer has to come eventually!

The Salty Puppy is the non-alcoholic version of the Salty Dog, and let me tell you... the salty sweet rim coupled with refreshing lime and grapefruit juice creates a unique taste combination that you will not find in many other concoctions. It is a great pick-me-up on a hot summer's day.

These truffles are a trifecta of flavor. First, the chocolate begins to melt. Then when you least expect it the warm spiciness of the nutmeg sneaks in behind the chocolate. As your palate takes this in, WHAM! It’s the one-two punch of the caramel plus salt. Wait—is that still a trifecta? Forget about wordplay and just call it truffle heaven.

The process of salt mining produces stunning landscapes, amazing underground caverns and a kaleidascope of colors. From creating waterfalls to serving as concert venues and amazing architectural structures, salt mines show us a colorful side to this essential mineral that we can't live without. Here is a wonderful collection of salt mine photographs from across the world - above and below ground.

Here is a great use for small amounts of fresh herbs or citrus zest: flavored salt. To make citrus salt, mix 2 teaspoons of freshly grated lemon, lime, grapefruit, or orange zest with 1⁄2 cup of kosher salt. For herb salt, mix 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, or mint leaves with 1⁄2 cup of kosher salt. Transfer the salt to an airtight container and store at room temperature. The citrus

I was planning our Easter Brunch the other day, and pondering which dishes to serve. It’s important to have some food that appeals to both the adults AND the kids, you know!. So, I fell back to an old favorite: Orange French Toast with Salted Caramel Syrup.

If you are a fan of salted caramel, you may pass out from joy after tasting this! Add a side of grilled ham, and you may need smelling salts to ‘come around’! Enjoy!

Adding salt to improve the shine of your egg wash may be a myth, but there's another practical reason to do it. An egg wash consists of a beaten egg thinned with a little water or milk, and it’s used to develop shine and golden-brown color on the surface of breads, pastries, and pie crusts.

Some recipes specify adding salt to the wash, claiming that it creates a better shine, but that didn’t prove true in our experiments. We did find, however, that in addition to flavoring the wash, salt helps denature the proteins in the egg, making it

Scenario: Old married couple (Janet and her Significant Other) inside on a very snowy day.

“Hey! Do NOT put salt in my hot chocolate.”

“Too late. There’s some kosher salt in there already. This Diamond Crystal is to finish. It’s delicious. Have I ever steered you wrong?”

“Frequently.”

“I mean about food. Just try it.”

“It’s…really good. I like it.”  I gently pry his mug out of his resisting hand.

“Say it.” “I did. The hot chocolate is really good with salt on top.”

“SAY IT.”  Long pause...

“You were right.”
“I love you, darling.” I give him his hot chocolate.

With food prices on the rise, it's becoming increasingly challenging for chefs and operators to distinguish their menus without causing sticker shock among patrons.

However, by thinking out of the box a little, one can provide diners with fresh, on-trend offerings for just pennies a dish by concentrating on flavor-forward applications of seasonings. And perhaps the most cost effective of all seasonings is the essential seasoning...salt.

On a recent trip to Philadelphia, a customer told us that while in Philadelphia, we MUST eat at Chef Michael Solomonov's Zahav. Chef Solomonov is a Winner Of The 2011 James Beard Award For Best Mid-Atlantic! Chef, so we made reservations and headed out to Zahav's with our palates cleansed!

The food was outstanding. Zahav has been around since 2008, but it was my first time there. The salted beets were a standout. We asked our server for details, and she graciously obliged.

So, full of inspiration, excitement, and beets, I rushed to the computer to share my 'discovery', only to find that www.diamondcrystal.com had beaten me to the punch.

Over 50 different culinary teams will be competing and thousands will attend for food, fun, games, art vendors, kids’ activities, music, and the best darn Kosher Chili west of the Mississippi!

Diamond Crystal Salt® is a proud sponsor of this great event, which takes place on March 10th, 2013 in Dallas, Texas.

For more information or to enter a team for this year’s cook-off, visit the website: http://kosherchilicookoff.us/

In the meantime, try this past winning chili recipe:

Despite the introduction of salt shakers in the early 1900's the Salt Pig is still alive and snorting, thanks in large part to its loyal fans, most of whom are chefs.

I have had mine for a long time, and I love the big fella. Of course, for me I had to get one that actually resembles a pig, so I can talk to him like he's Wilson and I'm Tom Hanks.

The Great Salt Pig sits, perched in the kitchen, overseeing all the cooking that goes on around him. No matter the humidity in the kitchen, he insists on delivering clump-free salt nearly every time. And somehow, the bugs know to stay away from the beast, which is oddly the opposite of how it works with pigs on the outside!

From a chef and operator perspective, it is worth remembering that in these lean times, salt mentions on select menu items continue to be an inexpensive way to kick up the flavor and the sales! This opportunity is not likely to die down soon, as consumers continue to have an interest in the various kinds of salts that are available.

As written in QSR Magazine and researched by Technomic MenuMonitor, salt mentions on menus have increased 144% in recent years.

Working with school districts to improve their lunch programs while reducing sodium and improving taste may seem like "Mission Impossible". But there are important lessons to be learned that may assist other chefs looking to do the same thing with their own dishes.

I have introduced various USDA standard recipes, and by working with the schools' Foodservice Directors, we have had great success thus far by substituting Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for standard iodized salt. Even though many of these Directors have never used kosher salt for the schools, after I bring a sample and show them the crystal-like flake, texture and let them taste the pure flavor themselves... they love it! It provides a much milder, melt-in-the-mouth feel and tastes so pure because it has no preservatives...it is fabulous!

Did you ever wonder how the sea salt that adds that great crunchy finishing touch to so many of your favorite dishes gets from the ocean to your salt cellar? Well, let me tell you, it doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, it’s a slow, deliberate five-year process that will give you a new appreciation for this essential seasoning every time you sprinkle it over fresh food or include it in your finest recipes.

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to Cargill’s salt works—one of the largest in the world—where hundreds of thousands of tons of salt is harvested and refined per year using a combination of ancient techniques and modern tools.

When most people watch me salt a pot of boiling water for the first time, their reaction is disbelief. To them, the handfuls of Diamond Crystal kosher I dump in before adding pasta or vegetables seem excessive. What they don't realize is that a healthy dose of salt is essential to bringing out the natural flavors of almost any ingredient you can think of, and adding salt to water is actually a subtle way to season food, because it absorbs only a small amount of the salt it is boiled or blanched

Salt is a critical ingredient in every dish I make. Too much salt, however, can make any dish inedible. The obvious question then is how much is enough and how much is too much? I "salt to taste," but I want to stress that there are a few basic things you should know in order to follow my lead. You need to consider the flavor of all your ingredients.

Chef Ken Arnone
Certified Master Chef, WGMC

A properly seasoned dish can be can be the difference between magic and mediocrity. Beginning with quality ingredients and execution of fundamental culinary techniques are the starting points. Understanding how and when to season are also critical for a chef and the success of a dish. We season foods with salt to heighten our reception of their natural flavors. Simply put this increases... the pleasure we derive from eating!

Grand Prize Winner
Created by: Angela Bunce
Le Cordon Bleu Minneapolis/St. Paul

This creative combination of spicy and sweet ingredients makes for a unique and tantalizing entrée that is a great cold-weather dish. Pair the Caribbean flair with grilled asparagus for a flavorful meal.

According the November issue of Bon Appetit, brining turkey is like a fashion trend—in this year and out the next. If so, that makes me hopelessly non-trendy. I brine my turkeys because I like the results—juicy and flavorful. For me there's only one answer to BA's question "To brine or not to brine?" YES!

I'm pretty sure all of you know the brining procedure, and that you have your own preferred recipes. But I was a little fuzzy on why brining works. I wanted to know the science behind the brine.

Sodium levels may be the next subject of scrutiny on restaurant plates, but before that happens salt is showing up in some unexpected places—like desserts and beverages—on mainstream menus.

Balancing sweet flavors with a little dash of salt is a trick pastry chefs have been using for years. Many candy aisle confections also showcase the push and pull of salty sweets, and now coffee house chains, yogurt places and casual dining restaurants are shaking more of the magic flavor crystals.

This deliciously tasty Fall drink will warm your taste buds with the wonderful combination of seasonal apple cider and sweet caramel. Blend it well to serve with a Salty Sweet Rim and pumpkin bread!
It's a great alternative to hot cocoa.

Created by Dallas chef Casey Thompson, Shinsei Restaurant Star of Bravo's Hit Series, Top Chef

The sweet, salty combination works so well with this delicious banana tart. The textures--soft, crispy, crunchy, smooth -- all delight your taste buds. A great light dessert as is, or made even more special with toppings of your choice.

What is the difference between kosher salt, sea salt, and table salt?

For the cook's purposes, the main difference between salts is in their texture. Table salt's fine granules dissolve quickly, making it the preferred salt of bakers. Sea salt and kosher salt possess larger, irregular grains that add a delightful crunch and hit of briny flavor when sprinkled on food at the last minute. Generally, savvy cooks prefer kosher salt when cooking, since its coarse texture is easier to take a pinch of when seasoning savory dishes.