Secret Stash Sea Salts

R.I.P. Secret Stash Sea Salts

2011-07-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Friends,
We have sad news: we're closing our beloved salt company. Thank you, everyone, for your support, business, encouragement, and friendship. We truly have appreciated the opportunity to be your salt source and will miss ALL of you.

- Janna and Joseph

salt production halted

2011-06-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Due to unforeseen circumstances and the loss of our Seattle commercial kitchen, we regret that we are not able to currently fulfill retail and bulk wholesale orders. We are still a small-scale partnership, with chef Joe making all of our salts to order, in small batches, by hand. We anticipate a resolution by early August. We appreciate your understanding during this difficult transition. Thank you.

Janna, Joseph, and Renee

salt video

2011-04-07T10:28:00.000-07:00

Why does Secret Stash Sea Salts exist? How did it come about? Hope you enjoy seeing how our partnership began. The video is raw and unscripted.

Yet what I love most is that it gives Joe a voice. Sometimes the chef is in the kitchen too often, left behind the scenes. Just don't knock him for using the word "foodie."

Thanks to Luuvu Hoang for his vision and videography.

salt news

2011-04-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

where our cooking inspiration starts: the salt shelf

We're bad at blogging. No secret there. Though this doesn't excuse our absence, we've undergone significant changes in the past 3 months. Half of Secret Stash Sea Salts moved to San Francisco. Being that we're still a small-scale partnership (of two people), that was a gamble for our small batch company. How would we make it work? Who would we hire? How would shipping and distribution change?

We're also both getting married! Planning the simplest of low-key weddings can still be enough to overwhelm. Will chef Joe cater his own wedding and bake the cake? These are the questions swirling around our heads, at the end of the day. Luckily, Joe met a wonderful woman, Renee, who now handles Seattle accounts and distribution.

We're also re-modeling our website. For those who stuck with us through shopping cart malfunctions: thank you for your patience and understanding. We're not tech-savvy, though we wish we were.

Bulk sales are growing, which means we are too! We're excited to field more interest in wholesale salt for private label and restaurant food-service. Last month, we shipped over 200 pounds of salt!

For those who don't know us, Joe and I work jobs outside of Secret Stash Sea Salts. When Joe isn't making salt, he's running two Seattle restaurants: Ventana and Twist. I'm doing media relations, consulting for restaurants, and various freelance projects. In the spirit of keeping the salts alive, we love what we do.

Oh! We recently finished filming a salt video too! It's a look at how our partnership began, and who we are.

We're in a good place. Finding our way. Thanks for joining us.

Four Seasons margarita, lavender rosemary salt

2011-04-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Lovely-Rita

Spring is blooming, with feelings of Happy Hour in the air. Longer days and warmer nights beckon for a cocktail with friends. We're getting ours on at Art Restaurant and bar at the Seattle Four Seasons Hotel. Bellying up to the bar means a Lovely-Rita with bar star Renee.

Fresh cucumber muddled in a margarita with Reposado tequila. Finished with Lavender Rosemary sea salt. Wanna shake it up at home?

Recipe:

2 oz Herradura Reposado Tequila
.75 oz Cointreau
3 cucumber wheels
1.5 oz sweet and sour
Lavender Rosemary sea salt
lime wedge

Method:

1. Rim tall glass with Lavender Rosemary sea salt.
2. Muddle 2 slices cucumber with a pinch of lavender rosemary salt in a mixing glass. Add liquid ingredients and ice.
3. Shake and pour into prepared glass. Finish garnish with remaining cucumber wheel and the wedge of lime.

Bartender Renee will knock your socks off.

happy holidays

2010-12-09T14:08:00.000-08:00

from your pals at Secret Stash

vanilla salt

2010-06-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

Due to numerous requests, we're bringing back the vanilla salt for a limited edition run! The small batch packaged to 32 jars and 45 salt samplers.

We love vanilla salt on white fish, such as pan-seared scallops or halibut poached in butter. It works magic on summertime cherries, peaches, and fresh fruit with cottage cheese. Cookies flecked with crunchy flakes of delicate vanilla make chocolate chips sweeter than life, and just right.

We expect this small run to go quickly. Our first stop will be the Queen Anne farmers market this Thursday the 24th, from 3-7pm.

If you can't make the farmers market, we'll be at the Redmond sidewalk sale and art festival this weekend: Friday.Saturday.Sunday. 10am-7pm.

Swing by to sample vanilla salt sprinkled atop mascarpone!

we appreciate you

2010-05-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

It's Customer Appreciation day [until this Friday, May 21st]: buy any jar of salt and as a 'thank you,' receive a free 1 oz. salt sampler of your choice!

This year, our most popular salt samplers have been: almond cardamom, bloody mary, lavender rosemary, and chorizo. To take advantage of the offer: just write which salt sampler you'd like in the 'message to the sender' box when you check-out through PayPal, and we'll include it with your order.

Our almond cardamom salt also just won an award from the NASFT [National Association for the Specialty Food Trade]. We're over the moon to snag a Silver medal for Best Flavor Enhancer! The next round of judging is in June, where we'll be going for the Gold! *fingers crossed*

Competition was tough, with 1,570 entries across 31 categories. The judging feedback was based upon the following criteria: 1 denoting 'poor,' while 5 is 'excellent.'

Our almond cardamom salt scored:

Quality: 5

Innovation: 4

Packaging: 4

Ingredient profile: 5

Pricing: 5

Judge comments: wow.

'spring garden' spirit

2010-03-05T17:44:00.000-08:00

*photo taken by Matthew (@suomynona on Twitter)
Been to Art Restaurant at the Seattle Four Seasons yet? We never need an excuse to go, but if you haven't, their counter uncorked events and all-you-can-eat $12 cheese nights are as generous as restaurants come.

Already been, and just want to imbibe? Their newest cocktail, the 'Spring Garden' is rimmed with our best-selling salt, lavender rosemary. Rumor around town is that their cucumber margarita is just as delicious.

Spring Garden

1 oz Dry Fly gin

1.5 oz sauvignon blanc

.25 oz Pernod

.25 oz green Chartreuse

.25 oz tyku

.75 oz lemon juice

.5 oz lavender simple syrup

5 large mint leaves (cut into chiffonade)

purple pansies ("johnny jump ups")

lavender rosemary sea salt

1. Rim highball glass with salt.

2. Combine all liquid ingredients and mint strips over ice in mixing glass. Shake gently. 3. Garnish with salt sprinkled flowers.

homemade sourdough bread

2010-03-03T00:21:00.000-08:00

I am lucky. A sourdough starter landed in my hands. Passed along by a good friend, the starter was born from the hand of baker. And her seckle farmers market pear. I don't remember the last time I made bread. But I know it was with my mom, and that a clunky, awkward counter top bread-maker played a role.

This was different. The 'biga,' short for Italian sourdough starter, is sweeter and nuttier than traditional starters. And so the journey began, and grew. I fed my biga daily. As instructed, I added a 1.5:1 ratio of bread flour to water, and 'beat the hell out of it' every day. I coddled my biga for more than a week.

I won't lie. My hands got tired; my wrists hurt. I thought about bright red artisan mixers sitting atop counters, and assumed that others must have had them to help. I wanted that bread, and thought about it every day I beat the hell out of it. "Tonight, we will have bread with dinner," I said, before reading instructions that said 'let it rest, bubble, and refrigerate over-night.' The biga seemed far way. Truth be told, I don't like to follow recipes.

Recipes inspire me. But I thrive on improvising upon an idea, a biga, or a recipe that catches my eye. Yet, and like baking, it's a science. Measuring ingredients by weight, and with a scale makes a difference. I'm glad I waited for my biga to grow up.

I made 3 loaves from it. Each made me appreciate, and re-acknowledge, the process that goes into homemade goods. The toil, the craftsmanship, the love. I can't wait to make another.

Notes

* For the recipe, cooklocal has the scoop. I followed it to the T. As instructed, I added cumin. I winged it by tossing in a heaping tablespoon of apple 5-spice salt. Almond cardamom salt was my second choice.

** Thank you for your generosity, Jenifer. And for inspiring me.

bacon bloody mary

2010-02-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

Art restaurant's Olympic cocktail menu debuts today at the Four Seasons in Seattle. The silver medal is rimmed with one of our favorite cocktail salts, smoked chipotle. If you can't belly up to the bar at Art restaurant to try the gold medal, take solace in the fact that you can re-create the silver in the comfort of your home. Or you can swing by Ventana restaurant for a sip of the real thing.

The Silver

1.5 oz bacon infused vodka

.5 oz house spice mix

3 oz tomato juice

celery stalk

strip of applewood smoked bacon

smoked chipotle sea salt

1. Add vodka, spice mix, and tomato juice to a mixing glass with ice.

2. Roll gently and pour into a highball glass rimmed with the smoked chipotle salt.

3. Garnish with celery and bacon.

salt special

2010-02-08T10:09:00.000-08:00

Twitter offer today: buy any 3.5 ounce salt, and get a free equal size jar of cherry pistachio salt. Woot!

Scaling down the line

2010-02-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

We made our last batches of pineapple cumin, cherry pistachio, apple 5-spice, and soy salt. I'm sorry to see them go despite having a blast trying to blow through each. We imbibed in margaritas rimmed with pineapple cumin salt last night (arbol chilies lent the heat).

This week? Salted sugar cookies with cherry pistachio and apple 5-spice.

The salt fairy in me adores the umami of soy. It's the indecisive part that can't decide where to sprinkle the dust next. Duck, chicken, pork, brussel sprouts, potatoes, black cod, sole?

Pork belly or chop, it'll be.

Fancy Food Show, San Francisco

2010-01-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

Twice a year, the Fancy Food Show comes to town. It's a hub for North America's largest specialty food and beverage marketplace. San Francisco hosts the show in January, while New York trails in June. We're excited about having a booth at the San Francisco show this year.

It'll be a first for our flavored salts.

We're hoping to make new friends, share salt, and mingle with attendees. If you plan to be in town too, we'd love to meet you! We'll be at booth #2515 in the south hall.

Details:

35th Winter Fancy Food Show

Moscone Center

747 Howard Street

San Francisco

January 17-19th, 2010

Stashes to Stashes

2009-12-17T18:32:00.000-08:00

I loved the title "Stashes to stashes" that I borrowed it directly from "Windy City Times," a newspaper penned by a bright group of Chicagoans. But what I really wanted to say is thank you for featuring our salts in your gift guides this holiday season. Our New Year's resolution is to raise a glass to you.

If you missed the stash in gift guide print, below are some highlights. Or if you're still shopping for last-minute gifts, you may be able to steal an idea, or two from the legwork of someone else. I bookmarked a few of these sites for after the New Year, too.

Stashes to stashes

"Your favorite Martha Stewart wannabe will not doubt appreciate Secret Stash Sea Salts—which provide different ways to wake up the flavors of various items. For example, the Pineapple Cumin Salt is...." read on ....

CakeSpy's Gift Guide: For the Sweet Tooth

"As Dorie Greenspan says, "salt is pastry's unsung hero... a pinch is enough to balance the sugar in tart crust, underscore the flavor in any chocolate dessert, give caramel that certain je ne sais quoi. And oh, .... " read more....

Seattle Palate

"Flavored sea salts can really add a wonderful touch to everyday dishes. Secret Stash Salt is the go-to sea salt source in Seattle. With flavors like truffle, lavender rosemary, soy, and apple 5 spice, it's easy to infuse exotic flavors into your dishes. At only $5, these salts are a fun way to try new flavors." Check-out Seattle Palate...

The Soiree Cafe

".... try rimming your dirty martini with the nicoise olive salt!"

Swing by Soiree Cafe....

I'm flattered our salts share space in an article with Skillet's bacon jam.

She Knows Food and Recipes

"For the serious gourmet cook,...." read more....

Cooklocal.com

For wickedly delicious-looking recipes that incorporate stash salt, like duck egg and brussel sprout hash, visit Cooklocal for ideas to spring board off. Their recipes spark creativity. This holiday, they're posting a recipe a day to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas.

1 oz. Salt samplers

2009-12-05T09:32:00.000-08:00

1 oz. Salt samplers are now available online!

Christmas gift pack

2009-11-30T14:19:00.001-08:00

For friends and loved-ones who are mad for salt, the holiday gift 4-pack is a unique collection of our favorites: Lavender Rosemary, Nicoise Olive, Bloody Mary, and Cherry Pistachio. Best perk? Packs come ready-to-rock, tied pretty with splashy ribbons.

Urban Craft Uprising & holiday salt

2009-11-24T23:46:00.000-08:00

Urban Craft Rising is just about, if not, one of the coolest, most imaginative craft fairs I've been to. Joe and I stumbled upon them last summer. It's a sea of hand-made art and creativity, from jewelry to clothing to glassware to cupcake art, and more.

We're thrilled(!) to have a salt stand with them this December. If you haven't mapped out your holiday shopping, consider this a start. It's a great way to support local, small-scale vendors while crossing gifts off the list under one umbrella location.

December 5th and 6th

11am-5pm, both days

Seattle Center Exhibition Hall

Like farmers markets past, we'll have 1 ounce salt samplers with artisan corks. To purchase salt samplers online, please visit our website www.secretsalts.com

Chef Joe on Nosh Pit news

2009-11-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

Seattle Met Magazine scores interviews with a plethora of unique people dialed into the local food scene. I adore reading their Taste of the Town series.

They're candid, distractingly entertaining blurbs that remind me of what's important: the way we live. What we choose to read, eat, drink, shop, and how we see our castle in the sky. Guilty pleasures, included.

Curious about Joseph's favorites? I wouldn't be his partner is I wasn't.

Seattle Met Magazine

2009-09-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

For a short, fun profile piece about a few of my favorite food-finds around Seattle, take a peak at Seattle Met Magazine's Taste of the Town. Not surprisingly, Olsen Farms, Taylor Shellfish, and Cook Local top the list.

Art of the Pie

2009-09-23T10:25:00.001-07:00

Kate McDermott & her apple pie

"Be happy, make Pie"

Kate & Jon on their anniversary

pretty pies, made in class

If you haven't caught the infectious bug that is Kate McDermott and her pies, you're missing out. She's the talented woman behind Art of the Pie classes. Classes are intimate, no larger than 3 people, and taught in her welcoming Seattle home. Kate provides all of the ingredients, and is also kind enough to send you home with a container of leaf lard and recipes for your next pie.

The day I took the class, Kate's husband and renowned Seattle flavor guru, Jon Rowley, joined us. It was a special day, as it was Jon's first time taking the class, too. But it was more: it was also their anniversary. Kate and Jon are happy people, fun to be around, and always smiling.

That day, we made 4 pies: huckleberry, blueberry, blackberry, and apple. My pie, the huckleberry one, was a medley of flaky, sweet crust and tart huckleberries. I took it home with me, happy as a clam to share slices with friends.

Looking back on the class, some of my favorite parts were foraging for local blackberries and sitting outside on their deck eating apple pie, chased by a glass of icy-cold goat milk. It was an experience unlike any I've had before, and one that I'll always think of each time I make pie.

Lucky for me, they'll both be at the Queen Anne farmers market this Thursday (Sept. 24), judging a Blue Ribbon pie contest. Pies will be had, prizes will be given, and Kate and Jon--- like always---- are a couple we all love to see.

Queen Anne farmers market

2009-09-18T12:23:00.001-07:00

Selma Colmant showing off her salt

*Photo taken by Scout Colmant*

Only two more days remain until Seattle's Queen Anne farmers market ends its stellar run for the year.

The market managers and its volunteers surpassed expectations. They secured brilliant chef demos; organized fun market (dog) days; brought in an eclectic array of farmers and vendors; and treated everyone like family. We don't know where we'll be next, but we do know we'll treasure the market's final days:

Thursday, Sept. 24th
Thursday, Oct. 1st
Market hours are from 3pm-7pm.

Scrambled eggs, truffle salt

2009-09-14T01:05:00.000-07:00

When I'm too tired (or just too lazy) to add anything special to my eggs in the morning, I take a short-cut to boost flavor. Bloody Mary salt was my 'go-to' for scrambled eggs or omelets in the morning. But with a new edition to our pantry, I treated my tongue to a different twist with Truffle salt. Flecked with black summer truffles, it's just as flavorful, but reminds me of a fancy restaurant.

A Scoop of Salt, a year later

2009-09-13T23:41:00.000-07:00

Chef Joseph and I met in a Seattle restaurant that we believed in. A restaurant that after time, became our community. Since nearly all of our days were spent in the restaurant, it was our family. When the restaurant went out of business, Joseph and I lost our jobs. Heart-broken from having the wind knocked out of our sails, we were unemployed when the economy was at its worst. Our state, Washington, was home to the highest unemployment rate in the nation. Looking back at what made us tick---the food and experience that brought people together--- made us want to do it all over again.

Similar to the restaurant, we hoped to re-create a community bound together by the universal experience that good food can provide. We dug into our pockets, pooling money from waiting tables and working the line. Our savings weren't much, but it was enough to remind us what mattered most. We launched our salt partnership a month later, with 7 flavored sea salts to accentuate food and classic beverage. It gave us a sense of meaning, but more importantly, it brought us closer to a community again, only this time it was our neighborhood.

We sold our salts at our local farmers market. A market that became our home. Meeting the faces behind the recyclable totes became a second family of sorts, one that we looked forward to seeing everyday. Our customers are our friends. But they're more. They drive us to want to be better, to care, and to give back.

We're passionate about where our ingredients come from, and concerned with sourcing components that reflect sustainability and social awareness. We source as many local and organic ingredients as possible, the majority from Seattle-area farmers markets. Supporting local farmers and small-scale producers makes a difference. Anyone who says the food that we eat isn't related to the viabilities of our local communities is wrong. It is.

As long as we're in business, we'll (try our best to) give back to our community. Two months after launching, we donated salt to a program that provides unique opportunities to women of color who are faced with economic and social barriers to success. The program was such a success that it garnered enough money to support a young woman's internship at another local business. We also donated to Art with Heart, a Seattle non-profit charity that helps children and families in times of crisis. We feel lucky to be able to give back, to be a part of our community, and to have friends and customers who support us.

Today, a year later, we're still a small-scale partnership (of two people). Perhaps just a blimp on the radar. But with 13 salts to sit upon, our light still shines.

Beer battered Halibut & Chorizo salt

2009-07-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

Cooklocal is modest. They say they don't set out to make adventurous recipes. I disagree. Beer battered fish & chips with Chorizo salt is just one of many.

They're adventurous in what they buy, cook, eat, and share with others.

Adventure is challenging oneself. For them, it's to always shop locally. It's supporting Seattle farmers markets. It requires planning, and at times, a significant amount of more money and energy.

Adventurous or not, they're explorers and trail-blazers in the local food scene. Take a peak for yourself. Their newest venture? How to approach restaurants about ethically sourced meat.

Pineapple Cumin salt sings

2009-07-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

Not sure what you'd sprinkle Pineapple Cumin salt on? Take a hint from Leslie Kelly, the former food critic of the dearly missed Seattle PI. She swears by this savory salt on watermelon salsa. It makes her feel like "a composer finding the right note writing a song." We're flattered.

Leslie's salsa recipe and review? Chopped watermelon, Walla Walla Sweets, Serrano peppers and lime juice paired with wild salmon.

Warm luck

2009-07-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

We're lucky to be surrounded, and supported, by a sea of passionate people. People who care about where their food comes from. People who make an effort to shop locally, and to understand what afflicts the producers behind their favorite farm.

No two Seattleites embody this ideology better than Patricia and John, of Cook Local. Their commitment to incorporate Seattle-area farmers markets into their everyday diet is inspiring. They also don't shy away from sharing one-of-a-kind recipes. Not only that, they're dialed into the local food scene. In need of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)? Ask Patricia. Curious about 'Food Inc.,' the film? Question John. In need of a locavore restaurant recommendation? Patricia's your woman.

A couple of Sundays ago (on July 5th), we lost our farmers market booth space in the neighborhood in which we live, Ballard. After 8 months of winter chill and snowy days, we were devastated by the news. In retrospect, we're happy to have had the opportunity to be part of such an exciting, farm-oriented community.

Yet when we lost our space, we thought about how much we'd miss seeing people like Patricia and John. Frank and Sarah. Mohini and Brian. Shauna and Danny (and Lucy, too). Molly and Brandon. Lorna and Henry. And Lorraine. Their smiles and familiar faces brightened our days.

Again, luck surrounds us. We cross paths with them at food-events around town, and every once in awhile, at the Queen Anne Farmers Market. Like other Seattle farmers markets, Queen Anne embodies the unique charm and character of the neighborhood.

It's also wonderfully different, and so smoothly run by an energetic group of women and volunteers that it'll make you feel more welcome than any other. I feel like I'm in their home when I'm there. Julie, Patty, Jenise, and Kimberly; thank you.

Others not to be missed at the Queen Anne market? Josh, of Skillet, is a favorite. His airstream trailer put mobile food trucks on the map. The food, and bacon jam, speak for themselves. Don't miss Poco Carretto too, the brilliant gelato cart by Chef Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita.

We hope to see you at the Queen Anne Farmers Market on Thursdays (from 3-7pm, until October 1st). Trust us, you'll feel just as welcome and lucky as we do.

Spring Asparagus

2009-06-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Seattle farmers markets are showcasing the newest items of the season: rhubarb, strawberries, radishes, peas, and piles upon piles of asparagus.

The easiest and most-satisfying method to prepare fresh asparagus? I like to steam and blanch them. Placing their skinny stems in an ice bath halts the cooking so that their crisp, crunchy texture is retained throughout the middle and tips of their bodies.

The finishing touch? Adding a squeeze of lemon and a couple pinches of Nicoise Olive salt to accentuate their natural characteristics.

I wouldn't have my salty stems any other way.

Seattle Times NWSource feature

2009-06-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

What's in your bag of tricks in the kitchen? Finishing salts are our secret stash in the cupboard.
Flavored salts make it easy to be gourmet, adding that extra pinch in a dash to any dish.

NWSource thinks so, too: Shake Up Your Cooking with a Gourmet Sprinkle

Chorizo salt, Seattle, & Shauna

2009-06-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

Gluten Free Girl, Shauna Ahern is another reason to love Seattle. She's always an entertaining read, and one who makes me appreciate the Emerald City even more than I already do.

Her passion for local food comes alive in her writing, as she interweaves slices of a simple island lifestyle with her husband Danny and their beautiful baby Lucy into a bigger slice of the American cherry pie.

Yet what I love most about Shauna's writing is what she doesn't say, and that----is the sign of a truly gifted writer.

Fall in love with Shauna. I dare you. We already have.

"Raise your hand if you like salt. Now, raise your hand if you like chorizo.

The Chorizo salt is our favorite one of their flavors. Have you heard of Bacon salt? Now, we don’t like to disparage other producers. Bacon salt has become popular, so many people seem to love them. But, did you know that there’s not really any bacon in bacon salt? In its place is MSG, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium inosinate (I don’t actually know what that is), and wheat flour. (That doesn’t work for those of us who are gluten-free.) 23 ingredients in Bacon Salt, and not one of them is bacon?

Hm.

The Secret Stash Sea Salt Chorizo salt, on the other hand, has five ingredients: kosher salt, chorizo, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and granulated garlic.

And it tastes? .... " -- Shauna Ahern

Smoked Chipotle Chicken

2009-06-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

Grilling a whole chicken brings out flavors that are unlike any other method of preparation. The smokiness imparted by the barbie combined with the racy heat of Smoked Chipotle salt brings the bird to the party. It's summer-time. There's no reason not to get out, grill, and drink a beer or Bloody Mary while doing so.

Recipe

1. Remove giblets from the cavity and rinse the bird under cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel, and season both the inside and out of the bird with Smoked Chipotle salt.

2. Fire up the grill, or turn your gas grill burner to high heat. Thoroughly clean the grill grate, and thinly coat the grill with extra virgin olive oil. Place the bird breast-side down. Cook covered for about 35-40 minutes.

3. Uncover, and flip the bird breast-side up, continuing to grill it until the skin turns golden brown and the meat is cooked through, about another 35-40 minutes.

4. Check for doneness by cutting into the middle of a piece of chicken. The juices should run clear when you cut into the thickest part of the piece. Alternatively, pierce chicken pieces with a meat thermometer. When thermometer shows they have reached an internal temperature of 170 degrees F, the bird is done.

Gravlax & Almond Cardamom salt

2009-05-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

Kelly Lenihan writes, "Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish consisting of raw salmon cured in salt, sugar, and dill. As the salmon cures, by the action of osmosis, the moisture turns the dry cure into a highly concentrated brine. A light bulb went off -- who needs dill? Salmon cured in a flavor-infused salt seemed like the perfect marriage to me! On a mission, I went to the Ballard Farmer's Market last Sunday and picked up a jar of Almond Orange Cardamom salt. I covered my salmon in a salt-sugar mixture, added a splash of Pernod and wrapped the fish into nice little packet, placed it in the fridge and voilà, 48 hours later I had a delicious gravlax."

For Kelly's natural interpretation on a 'centuries-old standard,' take a peak: http://www.examiner.com/x-7067-Seattle-Food-Examiner~y2009m5d7-Gravlax-a-new-twist-on-an-old-favorite

Kelly is a woman who wears many a hat. Her Savory Seattle blog is one. The Seattle Supper Club is another she sails around town in. She sports the latter sombrero amidst a social dining circle, of both new and old friends, that gather in celebration of the food and copious drink that Seattle prides itself upon. Like Kelly's take on Gravlax, it's fresh, fun, and what can make Seattle more special than it already is. You should join her. I did.

Momma's who Review

2009-05-23T13:32:00.001-07:00

To all the Momma's who cook: thank you for making the world a better place. We can only hope our salts save you time in the kitchen, like a quick short-cut that adds extra oomph to everything you already do.

Momma's Review says,

"The Vanilla salt is great on bittersweet chocolate pudding and chocolate chip cookies; Soy is perfect for beef stew; Pineapple Cumin tingles the taste buds on barbecue chicken. All of the flavors add a delicious bite and wonderful texture to scrambled eggs."

http://www.mommasreview.com/?p=1979

Today's Candy

2009-05-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

We're elated to be featured on DailyCandy, an online national site known for "what's hot, new, and undiscovered." The secret's always been in the salt, but now it's out.

http://www.dailycandy.com/everywhere/article/42983/Periodic+Table+Salt

Steamed Clams with Wine & Chorizo salt

2009-05-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

This savory recipe is from one of our most adored salt supporters, Ms. Diehl. Thank you(!) for sharing, Helen.

Steamed Clams with Wine & Chorizo Salt

Yield: Makes 2 servings

Active time: 20 min, start to finish: 35 min

Serve these clams with some crusty bread for sopping up the sauce, or spoon them over linguine or rice.

Ingredients:

- 1 medium onion,

- chopped 1 yellow bell pepper

- chopped 1 garlic clove, minced (Helen used MORE, of course!)

- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds*

- Chorizo salt

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 3/4 cup dry white wine

- 2 lb littleneck clams (2 inches wide), scrubbed

- 1/4 lb dried Spanish chorizo links, cut into 1/4-inch dice (Helen used additional chorizo, and even had some SPECK that she threw in too)

- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Preparation:

1. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, and salt in oil in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in wine and bring to a boil.

2. Add clams and chorizo, then boil, covered, until clams open, 7 to 8 minutes. (Discard any clams that are not open after 9 minutes.) Season with pepper and stir in cilantro.

* If you don't have cumin seeds, Helen used ground cumin as an agreeable substitute.

Molly's Chocolate Ganache Macarooons

2009-05-05T11:50:00.000-07:00

Seattle has no shortage of talent when it comes to good food, and writers. But there are few who entice the mind and palate equally as well. Molly Wizenberg is one. If her delectable recipes don't steal your heart, her words and charm will in 'A HomeMade Life.' It's more than a good read about food, Paris, the past, and the present. It's what makes food memorable for her, for those who cook, and the stories that interlink family, friends, and lovers. Not ready to take the leap? Swing by her angelic blog, Orangette, for a sneak peak of her writing.

Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate Ganache, courtesy of Molly Wizenberg

(p. 94, A Homemade Life)

Ingredients:

- 3 cups lightly packed sweetened shredded coconut

- 3/4 cup sugar

- 3/4 egg whites (from about 5 large eggs)

- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped*

- 1/2 cup heavy cream

Macaroons:

1. Place coconut, sugar, and egg whites in a saucepan. Stir well. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, 10-15 minutes. Stop cooking when mixture no longer appears creamy, but is sticky and moist, not dry. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

2. Scrape the mixture into a separate bowl, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.

3. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.

4. Using a small spoon, ice cream scoop, or your hands, evenly space coconut mixture onto baking sheet. Bake the macaroons until evenly golden, about 30 minutes. Let them cool completely, and remove them from the baking sheet.

Chocolate Ganache:

1. Put the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally until it is hot and steaming. Do not allow it to boil.

2. Remove the pan from the heat, and pour the cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Spoon the warm ganache generously over the macaroons.

3. Refrigerate the macaroons until the ganache sets, at least 2 hours.

Secret Stash addition:

1. Save some extra sweetened shredded coconut flakes to sprinkle atop each macaroon before the ganache sets.

2. Finsih macaroons with a generous two sprinkles of Coconut Garam Masala fleur de sel.**

* Molly's favorite chocolate for this recipe is Valrhona Manjar 64%. Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate, 60% Cacao is a nice substitute.

** Vanilla salt is another stunning alternative.

Gluten Free Girl Review

2009-05-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

The wonderful and beautiful Seattle author--- Shauna Ahern --- and her husband, Chef Daniel, are fans of our salts. We smile at the thought of others who are just as passionate about good food, and locally-sourced items.

http://glutenfreegirlrecommends.blogspot.com/2009/03/secret-stash-sea-salts.html

Video Clip of farmer's market

2009-04-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

The lovely Lorna Yee, of the Cookbook Chronicles, sums up the Ballard Farmers Market in a short, fun video clip. Some of our favorites that are featured? Oyster Bill, of course.

Click, watch, and cook.

http://www.thecookbookchronicles.com/blog/?p=604

Chorizo Potato Soup

2009-03-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

I made this dish for a soup party last weekend and was having such a good time, that I forgot to photograph it. Out of 12 competing soups, it took second place. Though it didn't win the prized bottle of Pinot, it warmed our insides and made us smile.

Players:
- 5 large potatoes, any variety
- 1 (3- to 4-ounce) link of Spanish chorizo (or bacon)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 medium onion, chopped fine
- 6 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 lemon (freshly squeezed juice)
- 1 tsp Hunan red chili sauce (or any hot sauce, chili pepper flakes, etc)
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- sour cream to garnish (1 tbs for each portion)

Recipe:
1. Wash and scrub potatoes well and knick out eyes and dark spots. Do not peel. Dice into cubes and place with chicken stock in a heavy 3 quart saucepan. Cover and cook at medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook covered until potatoes are tender but not mushy, about 25-30 minutes.
2. Saute onions with olive oil in large saucepan until tender and caramelized. Add garlic and saute until it browns. Add milk and cream. Cook mixture over medium heat until near boiling.
3. Saute chorizo in separate pan with olive oil until it takes on a golden brown hue.
4. Add chorizo, onions, and milk to potato saucepan. Add 1 tsp hunan chili sauce and lemon juice to soup. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes.
5. Before serving, garnish individual portions with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle 2-3 tsp or desired amount of Chorizo salt atop sour cream.

Olympia oysters, otra vez

2009-03-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Oysters, oOh, yes. Oyster Bill and his penny-size Olympia's take center stage again. We went through 2 dozen of these briny bad boys, and were still drooling for more.

We tried a trio with our Bloody Mary salt for kicks only to affirm what I thought'd be the outcome: oysters as fresh as Taylor Shellfish are best left nude. Though a smidge of lemon pulp adds a citrusy tang, there's no reason to ruin a perfect oyster before it goes down the shute.

Infusing flavors into raw oysters may be more of a trend than not. Last time I shot some olympias at 'Anchovies and Olives' , they too were dressed, but with raw ginger.

Pie photo play-day-away

2009-03-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

When my sweet tooth is bigger than my salty tongue, I saunter on over to Deborah (of Deborah's Pies) at the Ballard Farmers Market. She's just as sweet as her Bumble Berry pies that weigh in at 2.9lbs.

Filled with just enough juicy raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, it'll take your sweet tooth for a ride until you can snatch another on Sunday. If you can't stomach a 3-pounder, she sells them by the slice and can be reached for pre-orders at 206-542-1860.

Inspired by the berry, we're currently working on a new salt.... to the tune of Cherry.

Red Quinoa Breakfast

2009-03-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Skipping breakfast ought to be a sin. I never step foot out-the-door without fueling my tank to drive my day.

When I was young, breakfast was Lucky Charms or packaged, processed pastries. I blame none other than myself in a pantry-filled kitchen, stocked to the brim with far healthier, satisfying choices. Shame on me too for having a mother who was a dietitian. I deserve a slap and spanking for that.

Red Quinoa, tomato-cucumber Kick-Egg start w/Nicoise Olive salt

1. Rinse a 1/4 cup of quinoa thoroughly and drain. Add 1 cup of water to a sauce pan and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer until all the water has evaporated.

3. Heat another saute pan, gently cracking 1-2 eggs in pan. Watch closely so that the yellow yolk does not get hard, though this is dependent upon your preference. The longer you cook an egg, the harder the yellow yolk will be, and the crispier the white will become. Cooking the egg less will give you a runnier yolk, allowing more flavor to disperse and break atop the quinoa.

4. Slice cucumbers and tomatoes to desired amount and degree of thinness.

5. Garnish with Nicoise Olive salt.

Beets marry Vanilla salt

2009-03-25T09:22:00.000-07:00

It is nearly impossible to satiate my craving for beets. From soups to roasted chunks, they are like a bad habit I cannot kick. I attribute this to my love of dirt. I can only guess that such a fondness for the smell of dusty, earthy dirt must have come from my father's love of gardening.

Though I hated planting heaps of flowers and moving ridiculously heavy pots under the hot California sun, I was secretly enamored by the whiff of a new bag of dirt, and just as captivated by the packed soil that nourished a previous seed.

Like soil and clay, a wine that says "dirt-packed barnyard" sends a signal to my brain, clicking the "on" button. Call me a filthy chiquilla, but a terroir-driven Cab Franc from the Loire valley makes me happy as a clam. It's the dirt.

Roasted Beet recipe:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Wash 5-6 large beets, trimming the stems. Cut beets into large chunks, cutting off skins.

2. Place chunky beets on a sheet pan with tin foil, and coat beets with extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until tender (when pierced with a fork).

3. Remove from oven and let cool. Once beets are room temperature, toss again with extra virgin olive oil.*

4. Sprinkle Vanilla salt to finish for a dirty, salty, sweet bouquet.

* I coated my beets with an almond oil that was gifted to me (in above trio photo). Tourangelle stocks beautifully-flavored, aromatic French oils. Flavors run the gamut, from Pistachio to Avocado to Grapeseed to Sunflower, and even Pumpkin Seed.

Salty Nuts

2009-03-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

In need of an app to bring to a party? A quick snack to take to a flick? Roasted almonds with Lavender Rosemary salt is my go-to, get-together-dish regardless of the occasion. It's simple, easy, cheap, and always a hit.

And even better is that it pairs with bubbly, beer, or a glass of wine. At the theatre.

Roasted Almonds* Recipe:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Unleash raw almonds onto baking sheet, and generously coast with olive oil.

3. Place sheet in oven and roast for 22-25 minutes, turning occasionally until they are a dark, golden brown.

4. Take out of oven, and sprinkle nuts with Lavender Rosemary salt* while still hot.

* Pecans and walnuts are great substitutes.

** Almond Cardamom salt works equally as well.

Taiwanese Salt their Coffee

2009-02-25T23:21:00.000-08:00

TAIPEI (Reuters) - "Taiwanese java fans accustomed to pouring sugar into their coffee now have the option of flavoring their brew with another white powder: sea salt.

Taipei's buzzing 85C Bakery Cafe is offering a T$40 ($1.15) drink which melts sea salt into the coffee foam to give a more complex mouthful for customers constantly seeking out the new in the island's competitive coffeehouse market.

The cafe chain expects salt to hold, said company's publicity director Kathy Chung. The cafe's 326 stores islandwide have sold about 15,000 cups of salted drinks since the concept was introduced in December, Chung said."

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE51P16420090226

Can't say I'm surprised. I sprinkled caramel salt on a latte a month ago. I will, however, admit that I prefer sugar-in-the-raw for its sweet taste and coarse crunch.

But that's my morning foam.

Sugar Phallacy

2009-02-24T15:41:00.000-08:00

This is not a flirty cookie post. Yet, sometimes cookies are the only thing to keep my toes warm at night. Other times the sugar-high makes me laugh out-loud before turning out the light.

Sugar cookies also remind me of cooking with my Mom when I was a kid. There were the messy piles of flour on the floor, my buns squished on the counter-top aside the electric mixer, and of course... licking the sugary goo off the spoon before a cookie was born.

We used to decorate cookies for each holiday, sprinkling crunchy specks of sugar atop tree-shaped Christmas cookies, and heart-shaped ones for Valentine's day. But what I'll always appreciate, and remember most, was my Mom's sense of humor. The time she made a gigantic phallic-shaped cookie with balls (and all) for my Dad particularly sticks out in my mind.

Not because it was inappropriate, but because it was her.

Part of her humor was always the element of surprise that one never expected. Thinking about it makes me laugh out-loud.

Ironically, I saw a glimpse of my Mom in a sous chef I work with. Last weekend, I ordered a flatbread pizza to kick-start my shift. When I picked it up from the window, it was instead an exaggerated, bigger-than-life-size phallic organ of a flatbread.

And this is one of the many reasons that I am drawn to the restaurant industry. Those who work in restaurants have a sense of humor, energy, and zest for the little silly things in life that keep me peddling back for more.

Call me immature. I beg to differ.

Sugar Cookies Recipe, courtesy of Bon Appetit Magazine

Use any cookie-cutter shapes you like; I bought my hearts from Crate n' Barrel. The frosting recipe yields enough frosting to make four colors, plus about a cup of extra white base for adjusting the shades, if necessary.

Makes about 36 cookies

Cookie Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Frosting Ingredients:

9 cups (or more) powdered sugar (about 2 1/4 pounds)
4 1/2 tablespoons Just Whites (pasteurized powdered egg whites)*
12 tablespoons (or more) water
Assorted food colorings, preferably Wilton concentrated gel pastes in Golden Yellow, Violet, Moss Green, Red (No Taste) and Sky Blue**
4 (or more) small disposable pastry bags**
Plain round metal tips (1/16 to 1/8 inch in diameter; optional)**

Cookie Preparation:

Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg over; stir to blend well. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead gently 1 minute. Shape dough into 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into 4 equal pieces; wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 1 day. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter large baking sheet. Working with 1 dough piece at a time, roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness, lifting and turning dough often and dusting surface very lightly with flour to prevent sticking. Using floured 3- to 4-inch cutters, cut out cookies. Pull away excess dough from around cookies. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart (cookies will not spread). If using cookies as hanging ornaments, push 1 end of drinking straw through dough near top of each cookie; lift straw, then remove small dough round from straw. Gently reroll dough scraps; cut out more cookies. Transfer to same sheet. Bake cookies until light brown, about 11 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on sheet. Transfer cookies to rack; cool.

Frosting Prep:

Whisk 9 cups sugar and powdered egg whites in large bowl to blend. Whisk in 12 tablespoons water. If necessary, whisk in more water by teaspoonfuls or more sugar by tablespoonfuls until frosting is medium-thick and very smooth. Place 1/2 cup frosting into each of 4 small bowls; mix colors using instructions in box on previous page. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover bowls and remaining frosting with plastic wrap to keep frosting from drying out. Store at room temperature.)

Thin frosting in each bowl as needed by mixing in 1/4 teaspoon water at a time.
Using pastry brush or small metal offset spatula, spread frosting on cookies; set cookies aside and let frosting dry, about 30 minutes.

Cut off small tip from end of 1 disposable pastry bag (cut off slightly more if planning to insert metal tip). Fold down top 2 inches of bag, forming collar. Holding bag under collar and using small rubber spatula, fill bag with 1 color of frosting. Repeat with remaining pastry bags, filling each with 1 color of frosting.

Finish each cookie with two sprinkles of Vanilla sea salt.

Salt Giveaway

2009-02-19T12:13:00.000-08:00

Enter to win a salt of your choice via: http://www.familyfriendlyfood.com/2009/02/ready-set-giveaway/

Buena suerte!

Penne Pasta to-go

2009-02-17T23:27:00.000-08:00

Lunch or dinner, at home or to-go. Hot or cold, your choice.

Take it or leave it.

Penne pasta with tomatoes on the vine, spinach, and Nicoise Olive salt.

Recipe:

1. Boil water and toss penne in pot for 12-16 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, slice tomatoes into sized- segments to your liking. Next, chop and mince spinach leaves.
3. Drain pasta in coriander, and place in bowl. Add tomatoes and spinach leaves.
4. Finish with Nicoise Olive salt.

Food Photo play-day-away

2009-02-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Food Photo "play-day-away" calls for a time out from salt, and is a means to show what else is on my plate when I'm not finishing food with flavored Fleur de Sel.

Today's briny post was sourced from Oyster Bill of Taylor Shellfish Farms at the Ballard Farmers Market. Lucky me, finger-size Olympia oysters are in season (October-May). Though I love love love the meatier, gigantic vulva-looking Virginicas and Pacifics for their minerality and salty creaminess, they have a special time and place. And that's placed atop a fire whilst camping on the beach.

These sailboats were meant to sail into the sea of city mouths, and were shucked with a squeeze of fresh lemon pulp and a splash of Tabasco (if you're a whiny-wimp like me).

Nieve

2009-02-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's snowing again. In Ballard. A day like today reminds me of the mountains, and of being on a board pointed downhill. It's not the speed that makes my heart race, but the energy and escape that the snowy mountains promise to provide. It's also a day away from work, waiting tables, and salt.

Stevens (Pass), where oh where is the snow that fell so generously upon you last season?

Until then, night skiing, is where we shall be.

Fooducopia

2009-02-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

Heard of it? It's where food-lovers and farmers connect.

http://blog.fooducopia.com/2009/01/secret-stash-sea-salts.html

Bowl of Beets

2009-02-02T13:00:00.001-08:00

Is it presumptuous to say it's been a momentous start to the New Year enveloped by an unprecedented amount of optimism? We think not.

Michael Pollan's analogy of the 'President we elected to the Chef we voted' into the White House is brilliant. The food that we eat is related to everything from our consumption of fossil fuels to the viabilities of our local economy. Yes, we too, can make a difference by what we buy and put into our mouths.

Our resolutions are simple. They also aren't any that we can't keep. We're committed to be more aware. To shop locally. To buy responsibly. To maintain sustainability. To support our community's farmers. This recipe says just that----- as all of our ingredients were sourced from the Ballard Farmers Market in Seattle.

What are your resolutions?

We recycled our left-over beets from the Farmers Market post below into a velvety beet soup with a dollop of sour cream finished with Lavender Rosemary salt.

Recipe:

1. Put left-over puree on stove stop and simmer for 3-5 minutes. For the initial puree, we added 1 cup of chicken stock and 1/2 tsp of butter to the blender.

2. Add 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream, stirring until it incorporates.

3. Pour in bowl, adding a dollop of sour cream finished with a sprinkle of Lavender Rosemary salt.

Full Circle Farm Beets

2009-02-02T12:03:00.001-08:00

Beets are beautiful, earthy, and reminiscent of the dirt that nurtured them.
They are also rich in nutrients such as betaine, an important component for cardiovascular health.

We bought our organic Golden and Red beets from Full Circle (Carnation, Washington), a farm that specializes in organic produce and soil health.

Though many are familiar with the beet salads that grace the menus of our favorite restaurants, some may be unfamiliar with how they are prepared. They can be boiled, oven-roasted, or served cold on a salad. We oven-roasted ours, using the red-hued beets to make an earthy puree, while the golden-ones were diced into qube-like segements and placed on top of the puree for added texture.

The deep-hues will stain your fingers purple and sickle-orange if you let them. Yet isn't that part of the fun and art of cooking?

Beet (puree) Recipe:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the beets.

2. Coat them with oil and Almond Cardamom salt.

3. Wrap them in tin-foil and cook them for 45-60 minutes or until you can easily pierce each one with a knife.

4. Take the skins off. The deep-hues will stain your fingers and/or cloth so that you may want to use an old towel.

5. Puree the beats with a cup of chicken stock and 1/4 tsp of butter. Puree until high and smooth.

6. Put beet puree in sauce pot on stove. Simmer and mount a 1/2 tsp of butter to round out the flavor.

7. Plate puree and finish with Almond Cardamom salt.

Olsen Farms' Potatoes

2009-02-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

Thousands of potato varieties exist that it's difficult to imagine trying them all. These colorful hodgepodge of taters came again, from Olsen Farms.

Their potatoes are dryland-produced and known for their superior flavor and lively colors. Though they have over 20 varieties to choose from, we smiled upon Viking Purples, Purple Majesties, All Blues, Mountain Roses, and Red Ladies. With names like those, how could you not feel to be in good company in the kitchen? We certainly did.

The preparation of these potatoes played a role in our grass-fed Rib-eye steak and beet puree dish (featured below).

Potato Players:

- Viking Purple Potatoes, Purple Majesties, All Blues, Mountain Roses, Red Ladies

Blanched Potato Recipe:

1. Blanch potatoes in salted water. To blanch, plunge the taters into a pot of boiling water and let cook for 10-15 minutes.

2. Remove potatoes from boiling water. Then plunge potatoes into an ice water bath or run under cold water to halt the cooking process.*

3. Peel potatoes by turning each tater evenly so that they have 7 equal sides.

4. For this potato recipe (which we paired with grass-fed Beef Rib-eye and organic Beets), we finished our potatoes with Lavender Rosemary salt.

* Blanching helps to loosen the skin, making it easier to peel potatoes. Blanching can also help enhance the flavor of some vegetables such as broccoli (by releasing bitter acids stored naturally in the food). Blanching is also reportedly used to enhance the color of some particularly green vegetables by releasing trapped gases of the food that obscure the greenness of their chlorophyll.

Grass-fed Beef Rib-eye

2009-01-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

Though a cow's diet no doubt affects the flavor and resultant meat and milk, the Beef Rib-eye that we partook in was lean, tender, juicy, and rich in flavor. I look forward to trying more grass-fed lamb and beef from Olsen Farms, and recommend that you do too.

Their Angus is nurtured in green-grass pastures, where they are fed hay and potatoes from their farm. Unlike the majority of commercialized beef in today's market, they do not give any animal by-products or outside food sources to their cattle. Nor do they rely on growth-promoting hormones and antibiotics to fatten their beef.

Grass-fed cattle is also leaner than feedlot grain-fed beef (known for its high fat content, marbling, and caloric level). Did you know that meat sourced from grass-fed cattle have higher Omega-3 fatty acids? We're convinced

Pan-seared Rib-eye Recipe:

1. Cure the steak in kosher salt for 20 min to extract some of the water out of the cells for a concentrated flavor.

2. Wash excess salt off.

3. Pan-sear steak until it takes on a deep, dark brown color on the outside (2-4 min).

4. Put in oven at 400 degrees for 4-6 minutes depending on the cut of the steak.

5. Mount with butter as it heats up in the oven. This helps to seal in the moisture as it self-bastes.

6. Finish with Bloody Mary salt. The Fleur de Sel and sun-dried tomatoes in this salt will make any steak shine!

Wild Sockeye Simplicity

2009-01-21T11:09:00.000-08:00

Living in the northwest has its perks, one of my favorite being its endless bounty of wild, fresh fish. Salmon reigns king in my book for its rich, healthy omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and vitamin D.

But what I also love about salmon is its simplicity. If you don't believe in your kitchen skills, think again. Anyone can cook. Especially when it comes to fish. The only catch is to not overcook it.

The Players:

- 1 1/2 pounds of wild-caught salmon fillet(s)

- extra virgin olive oil

- 1 lemon

- a handful of spinach leaves

- fresh ground pepper

- Almond Cardamom sea salt

Recipe:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place tinfoil on baking pan, or use a baking sheet to place underneath the salmon. Put salmon on pan and lightly coat with extra virgin olive oil.*

* This helps preserve the fish's fleshy moisture, as the oil will help seal a portion of the fish's natural moisture inside.

2. Bake in oven for 12-16 minutes, depending on the meatiness and size of your fillet. Be sure to check the fish frequently so as to not overcook it.

3. Start prepping plate with spinach leaves. Grind fresh ground pepper on leaves, adding a dollop of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

4. Place salmon on top of spinach salad. Finish by sprinkling Almond Cardamom sea salt on top of salmon.*

* The flakey, coarse texture and clean, delicate flavor of this Fleur de Sel salt loaded with bright orange zest, crunchy bits of almond, and cardamom makes an excellent marriage with salmon.

Online happenings n' Feedback

2008-12-22T11:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you to those who've supported us both online and off. Cheers.

http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2008/12/18/secret-stash-sea-salts/

For some east coast feedback, take a peak:

http://www.wellspicedlife.com/2008/12/18/artisan-sea-salts-yum/

Launch Party PHOTOS

2008-12-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

I just came across these fun photos on Flickr from our launch party. A month later. Unbelievable.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisaisswimming/3032516040/in/set-72157609123005194/

Support Locally

2008-12-18T09:38:00.001-08:00

Have you spotted the "Buy in Ballard" stickers stuck throughout the neighborhood? Shopping locally for Christmas gifts is the simplest way to support independent businesses, and your community. Add Seattle Farmers Markets to that list.

And, if you're still scoping last-minute (and uniquely Seattle-based foodie-gifts), check out the Seattle Examiner's gift-giving list by Traca Savadogo.

http://http://www.examiner.com/x-255-Seattle-Food-Examiner~y2008m12d16-Seattlecenteric-gifts-for-food-lovers

SEATTLE TIMES

2008-12-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful way to kick off a Friday. Thank you, Santa.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/retailreport/2008499078_retailreport12.html

Here's to thee green-thumb genius---- local Lorene Edwards Forkner---- who also just left this beautiful post on her blog:

http://plantedathome.com/blog/

Seattle Examiner Review

2008-12-10T10:27:00.001-08:00

http://www.examiner.com/x-255-Seattle-Food-Examiner~y2008m12d7-Chef-Conrad-launches-fusioninspired-line-of-sea-salts

Seattle Ballard Farmers Market

2008-12-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

For more farmers market photos and salty tid-bits, please visit us on Facebook.

And if you're feeling inclined, become a fan!

Cornichon Review: Flavor your holidays with Salt!

2008-11-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

http://www.cornichon.org/culinary_dispatches/salt_of_the_ear.html

Worthy of a click just to catch us looking like less-than-photogenic Zombies!

Ballard Farmers Market

2008-11-24T11:09:00.000-08:00

Meet Chef Joe. On Sundays.

After a fantastic launch party at Gather Art Gallery, we high-tailed it to the Ballard Farmers Market on Sunday. It was a nice surprise to see familiar faces, friends, and those who attended the salt launch. Thank you for your support!

The Ballard Farmers Market was initially what we had envisioned upon the creation of Secret Stash Sea Salts. Now that it is 40 degrees, winter, and a part of our weekend, we arise with just as much anticipation and glee as beforehand. Come say "HI," sample our salts, critique the Chef, or grab a hot toddy with us after.

Not to be missed: next Sunday's Stocking Stuffers.

Secret Stash Donates

2008-11-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

We recently had an opportunity to donate a case of salts to a silent auction held by the King County Women Lawyers Association. The auction specifically benefited the "YWCA's GirlsFirst Program," which provides unique opportunities to women of color who are faced with economic and social barriers to success. The auction itself was such a hit that it garnered enough money to support a young woman's summer internship at a local business!

For more information about YWCA, www.ywcaworks.org/page/136

Pump your Autumn

2008-11-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

Have you ever come across a recipe that makes you drool, "oooh, and ahhhh?" Pumpkin Fondue did it to me. Last week, I stumbled upon such a gem.

Though for some reason I thought two Pumpkins would be better than one. Having grown up in a consumerist society, how could more not equal better?

The players above (not in order):

-Pumpkin #1 prepped with Gruyere and Swiss Emmentaler cheese.

-Pump #1 coated with Extra Virgin Olive Oil before being put in the oven to bake.

-Pumpkin #1 collapsed after exposure to too much heat. Why the burnt lid didn't raise an immediate red flag still perplexes me.

-Pump #2 standing tall (on red plate) after not repeating the same mistake.

-Remaining Pumpkin Seeds recycled ... that is, baked and finished with Almond Cardamon sea salt.

ROASTED PUMPKIN FONDUE

Courtesy of Gourmet Magazine (November issue, p.58), as follows:

The Players:

- 1 (7 lb.) Pumpkin

- 1 (15-inch) piece of baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices (7 oz. total)

- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

- 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

- 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated gruyere (7 oz)*

- 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated Emmental (6 oz)*

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toast baguette slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet in oven until tops are crisp (bread will still be pale), about 7 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

2. Remove top of pumpkin by cutting a circle (3 inches in diameter) around stem with a small sharp knife. Scrap out seeds and any loose fibers from inside of pumpkin with a spoon (including top of pumpkin); reserve seeds for another use if desired.

3. Whisk together cream, broth, nutmeg. Mix together cheeses in another bowl.

4. Put a layer of toasted bread in bottom of pumpkin, then cover with about 1 cup cheese and about 1/2 cup cream mixture.

5. Cover pumpkin with top and put in an oiled small roasting pan. Brush outside of pumpkin all over with olive oil. Bake until pumpkin is tender and filling is puffed, 1 1/4 hours to 1 1/2 hours.

* Secret Stash note: Cheese can be substituted for Danish Fontina or any kind of top quality Swiss or Provolone.

http://www.secretsalts.com/Almond-Orange-Cardamom-Sea-Salt.html

Seattle PI Blog Review

2008-11-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

Keren Brown----- a local Seattle writer----- just posted a review of our salts online at the Seattle PI. It's under "Reader Blogs," titled 'Local, Local on My Kitchen Table.'

Check it. http:/blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/franticfoodie/archives/152809.asp

Looking for ways to spruce up your every-day salad? Take a peak at Keren's "10 ways to add Variety to your Salad." Nicoise Olive comes in at #5.

http://www.dailymunch.com/2008/11/10-ways-to-add-a-little-fun-to-your-salad.html

Best Food Quote of the Year

2008-10-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

"The very length and complexity of the modern food chain breeds a culture of ignorance and indifference among eaters." *

*Michael Pollan, author of "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto"

Pollan recently wrote an informative--- and thought-provoking---- article in the NY Times on food and its relation to fossil fuels, politics, the economy, climate change, solar energy, agriculture, food cost, malnutrition, population, sustainability, and government regulation.

In light of the upcoming election and energy that envelops it, his analogy of the next President we elect to the next Chef we vote into the White House is brilliant. Read it. It's online at:

www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?pagewanted=1&ref=magazine

Yet, and more familiar to me, is a recent conversation I had with my Mom about my interest in hunting (and the hunter consuming all of the huntee). I wonder if I would have been more successful in changing her negative opinion of hunting by instead having said, "to support hunting is a sustainable way to eat meat." That is, eating meat "grown without any fossil fuels whatsoever." Doubtful, but it's still an argument I'd like to revisit come Thanksgiving.

Fall Shrooms, Sauce, and Bird

2008-10-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

Pan-seared Chicken with Lobster Mushrooms and Rosemary Butter Sauce

with Secret Stash Soy salt

The Players:

- 2 ea 6 oz skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 shallot
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 sprig rosemary

- 1 stem chive
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 pound lobster mushrooms
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 2 oz olive oil

Searing The Bird:

1. First, start cooking the rice. Place 2 cups of rice in a rice cooker with 4 cups of water, and let her rip.

2. In a hot saute pan, add the olive oil. Once it starts to smoke and sizzle, take the pan off of the heat and add the chicken breast. Place the pan back over the heat and sear the chicken breast till it is golden brown. Flip the bird, searing the other side for less than a minute, and then take it out of the pan.

3. Place the seared breasts on a non-stick baking sheet pan with a slice of butter (1/2 tsp) on top of each breast. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until done. Pull the chicken out and put it on reserve to the side for now.

The Shrooms and Sauce:

1. In a medium sauce pan, add 1 Tbl of butter and set over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the shallot and garlic clove that you have minced up. Cook the shallot and garlic for 3 minutes.

2. Then slice up your lobster shrooms and add them to the pot. I usually slice them bout 1/4 " thick. Cook the shrooms for 5 minutes and deglaze with half of your chicken stock. After you have added the stock, allow it to reduce down till there is about 1/4 cup of liquid left in the pot. Then add a tsp of butter and stir until incorporated and season with pepper. Set aside.

3. For the sauce, place the remaining stock into another smaller sauce pan, and add all of the rosemary leaves of the sprig. Bring to a simmer and reduce till almost dry. Then add the rest of the remaining butter in, a slice at a time, while constantly stirring on low heat. After all of the butter is incorporated, season conservatively with pepper. Set aside.

4. By this time, the rice should be done. Scoop a cup onto a plate and then spoon some of the lobster mushrooms on top of the rice. Slice the chicken breasts, placing 4 seared pieces on top of the mushrooms and rice. Spoon some of the sauce on top.

5. Garnish this dish with Secret Stash Soy salt.

http://www.secretsalts.com/Soy-Sea-Salt.html

http://www.secretsalts.com/

Heirloom Dreams

2008-09-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

Some say 'toe-MAY-toe.'

Others say "toe-MAH-toe."

I say Heirloom.

Pronunciation is often a topic of conversation and can become a hot debate between people who grew up saying the same word differently. There are many examples of words with differing pronunciations depending on the tongue. Though---- in my mind---- these hot topics began in the tomato world and garden of a dream I had.

I don't often dream of tomatoes, but when I do, they are a family of 6, each with their own personality, size, color, smell, and taste---- all a seated at the dinner table. In my dream, I was the Green Zebra Heirlette, seeing "red" and intent upon going cannibalistic upon the Mortgage Lifter Heirlee.

In case you're curious--- and didn't stop reading after the first sentence--- the Mortgage Lifter is named for the heirloom grower who sold his tomatoes for a dollar (when a goddamn dollar was worth something) in order to pay off his mortgage. Though the Mortgage Lifter is sweet and juicy, the Green Zebra is tart and unique. I woke up when I found out that the Green Zebra was not a true Heirloom, but instead is mistakingly called one for its decorative characteristics. And the fact that it is bred from 4 heirloom varieties.

Turns out the Green Zebra was also originally cultivated by a man in Washington.

Or is that Worshington?

Heirloom tomato and marinated Buffalo Mozzarella salad

with Nicoise Olive sea salt

The Players:

2 Ibs assorted heirloom tomatoes
4 oz Buffalo mozzarella
4 oz olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tsp chives
1 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1/2 sprig rosemary
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
10 large basil leaves

Nicoise Olive sea salt

The Recipe:

-First, cut the mozzarella in half and then cut up each half into 1/4' slices and set aside.

-Mix olive oil, pepper, and balsamic vinegar into a large mixing bowl.

-Slice the garlic clove paper thin and add to bowl.

-Pull the rosemary leaves of the stem and add to bowl, then mince the chives, and add to the bowl. Mix well.

-Place the mozzarella into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for 2 to 3 hours. -Wash the tomatoes and then slice them into slices bout 1/4' thick. Arrange them on a platter.

-Pull the mozzarella out of the marinade and arrange on the platter with the tomatoes.

-Using a spoon, drizzle the leftover marinade onto the cheese and tomatoes.

-Roughly chop the basil and sprinkle it over the tomatoes and cheese

- Garnish dish with Nicoise Olive salt.

http://www.secretsalts.com/Niciose-Olive-Sea-Salt.html

Sticky buns Recipe

2008-09-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon rolls with Caramel sea salt.

Cinnamon dough recipe:

- 1 cup water

- .25 oz of dry yeast

- 3 tbl sugar

- 5 cups all purpose flour

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1/4 cup cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp olive oil

- 2 tbl butter

Caramel sauce recipe:

- 2 cups water

- 2.5 cups sugar

- 1 3/4 cup heavy cream

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place 1 cup of luke warm water in a mixing bowl and add yeast, letting it bloom for 3 min. Stir until fully incorporated. Add both sugar and the flour and mix into a dough.

Use olive oil to grease another mixing bowl. Place dough inside and rub remaining oil on top of the dough and let stand covered until the dough doubles in size. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead and roll it out until it is a square that is about 1/4 inch thick.

Melt the butter and brush the dough with some butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon onto the dough. Roll up the dough into a cylinder. Cut the cylinder into 1 inch long portions and turn each on its side, placing onto a buttered 9" by 11" baking dish. Brush the tops of the buns with butter and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and butter on top. Place into a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

While the buns are in the oven, prepare the caramel sauce. Place the sugar and water into a sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Once the mixture starts to boil, brush any crystals off the side of the pan with a basting brush and water. Reduce the mixture until it is a deep cafe brown color, but not burnt. Turn off heat and add the heavy cream and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Take buns out of the oven and let cool for 10 min or until they start to pop out of the pan. Turn the rolls over and spoon caramel sauce over the top.

Garnish with Secret Stash Caramel sea salt. Bon appetito!

http://www.secretsalts.com/Caramel-Sea-Salt.html

Salty Night Cap, or 3.

2008-09-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

Chocolate-chip cupcake, cream cheese-frosting, and Vanilla sea salt.

My best friend on Friday night. Sorry Roz. Your ass was a close second.

I am fanatical about cup-cakes. Not a freak for them per se, but militant and hostile if denied my muffin top. If you already read the post below (of my Sunday wrap), we've come full-circle by way of a rewind to Friday night. That night, I celebrated a good friend's birthday (and for the first time this week, have had more reason to gobble wine than I do on any other given night).

His wonderful girlfriend made her birthday boy moist chocolate-chip cupcakes in place of a candle-strewn cake. OMG. Yet the best part (for me) was that she used our Vanilla finishing salt on top of the homemade cream-cheese frosting. It gets better: she handed me 3 for the road, none of which made it past the Ballard bridge before home. Yes. I was driving. While pummeling 3. Zero regrets.

http://www.secretsalts.com/Vanilla-Sea-Salt.html

La Tomatina Recipe

2008-09-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

If I had a regret, this would be one: not experiencing "La Tomatina," a yearly Spanish festival that resembles a war-strewn zone of splattered tomatoes and thousands of people hucking a gluttonous amount of red globes back-and-forth at each other. Instead, I dedicate this dish to what in another life may very well have been me torpedoing a beefsteak tomato at a random compadre in Bunol, Espana. *Sigh*

Though this recipe could also be titled: "Sunday Salad Simplicity." If it were most characteristic of my current lifestyle, it'd be: "A Healthy Alternative to Friday and Saturday." I am one (of those) who cuts loose on the weekend, falling free out of the work monotony and hum-drum schedule that most weekdays by definition, just are. Even without a 9-5 job, I still manage to stress myself out.

Let's talk food. This recipe is great for 2 reasons. First, it is whip-stick easy to prepare. And secondly, it is ten-fold healthier than most of us were on Friday night.

It calls for:

1/2 pound chicken, skinless light meat, pre-cooked and cut into strips

1 large beefsteak tomato

1 head of broccoli

10 baby carrots

1 hand-full of spinach leaves

2 pinches of Nicoise Olive sea salt

Steam the broccoli and carrots together in a rice pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes or until they are half-way cooked through, yet still retaining a bit of a crunch. Set both aside and let cool. Chop the beefsteak tomato into as many halves as you desire. Cut the chicken into strips if it isn't already part of a left-over dish.* Wash and dry spinach leaves before plating them. Slice baby carrots in half and de-segment the broccoli into small trees. Plate all items together and sprinkle Nicoise Olive sea salt as a garnish. Olive salt is a fantastic substitute for heavy, preservative-laden salad dressings.

*For an even quicker fix to any chicken recipe, use a pre-cooked roasted chicken from the grocery store. They're the ones that doze away all day under the heat lamp till single men buy them.

http://www.secretsalts.com/Niciose-Olive-Sea-Salt.html

www.secretsalts.com

2008-09-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

The photo shoot.

Printing at home .

Hand-by-hand barcode application.

Shooting indoors.

We're officially up and running! After months of dedication and the help of friends (Harley, thank you), our salt launch has become a reality. We couldn't be more excited to share it with you.

Check us out at....

http://www.secretsalts.com/

Homemade Crust

2008-09-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

From Driver to Dough Boy.

Nicoise olive peppercorn salami for me, please.

Truffle-lick-licious. "I saw that."

The only secret I can divulge is .... buttermilk.

Joseph Conrad at Qube

2008-09-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

At work.

Shop talk.

Madras curry fried chicken with lavender honey, frisee, lavender Fleur de sel, and truffle mash potatoes.

Valrhona chocolate trio...

1. Mexican hot chocolate with melted cinnamon and lychee marsh mellows.

2. Chocolate Gianduja cake with star anise caramel, creme fraiche, and Fleur de sel.

3. House-made chocolate and ginger peanut butter cup.

Our friends, Amanda and Matthew.

The Story behind the Salt

2008-09-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

Sushi, (our Thanksgiving).

Janna's roll.

Expert Advice.

Le' prep station (mise en place).

Kung Pai!

Moving can be overwhelming in its own sense, yet even more so to a city that welcomes you without friends. Add that to a city that's characteristically grey 9 months of the year. Seattle is beautiful. Progressive. Green. Socially conscientious. Artistic. Musically-inclined. Entertainingly adventurous. And up-and-coming in the culinary world.

Yet without friends, family, or a dog to walk along the new trail with you, Seattle can be a challenge--- even to the proudest who view themselves as independent. I myself have made very few friends. I've been here for 2 years.

When Joe moved to Seattle from San Francisco and started working as an Executive-Chef, Qube restaurant became his city. His days eventually turned into 90-hour workweeks, leaving him little--- if any --- time outside of the kitchen. He saw Seattle from the inside looking out, a view that more often than not, was clouded by blotchy specks of rainy drizzle. As time went on, he poured his mind, body, and soul into the restaurant. To say he was its backbone is an understatement. He was much more.

Joe quickly grew on me, as people do over time. We worked side-by-side for a year. Many of our adventures took place in the culinary world of Qube restaurant, though just as many took place outside of.

Inside, he taught my taste buds to explore new elements and textures. Day to day, he amazed me with his innate talent and capacity to create beautifully cohesive dishes from scratch. I remember walking into work one day, seeing his giddy smile while he shoved a spoonful of goo in my face. Without an intro and context, I bit into the metal, as receptive as a baby is to a mother's spoon. I got it. I understood Joe. And what he did best.

Outside, he joined a soccer team I created as an outlet for our staff. We all worked hard inside, and often dealt with customers who treated us poorly. Soccer became a sweaty remedy after a negative night's work.

Yet the best part--- for me --- was to see a line cook, a bartender, a server, a sommelier, and a Chef work together outside just as hard as they did inside. We didn't win as many games on the field as we did in the restaurant, though we always consistently matched the challenge. Some even quit smoking to play better.

When soccer season came to an end, our snow season began.

During winter, we became a family who cooked Thanksgiving together and arguably debated over what we loved: food. For turkey day, Joe had hamachi and mackerel flown in from Japan. As untraditional as it was, it was us. Night after night, we cooked pizza at home and stuffed our bellies till the dough sent us to bed.

But most of our days were spent in the restaurant. And what we wanted more than anything was to turn people on to the food and wine we loved.

Looking back, I remember excitedly tearing the bubble wrap off the first chair. Finding a home for its legs made me think of all of the people who would sit in that chair over the next two years. It was a vision, backed by a passion, to be a part of the food and restaurant I believed in. Though many people would sit in that chair, they came and went. What remained constant was a group that had become our family.

The reasons why and circumstances that were out of our control didn't matter after the sad reality sunk in. When the restaurant went out of business, what mattered most was that Joe and I had formed a friendship. That friendship has inspired us to open another door together. Today, that door is Secret Stash Sea Salts, an endeavor that ultimately reflects our passion for good food.

http://www.secretsalts.com/