Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes [A Cookbook]

Mark Bitterman

Oct 2010 · Sold by Ten Speed Press

About this ebook

A James Beard Award–winning field guide to artisan salts, with profiles of 80 varieties and 50 recipes that showcase the versatile ingredient. 

In Salted, Bitterman traces the mineral’s history, from humankind’s first salty bite to its use in modern industry to the resurgent interest in artisan salts. Featuring more than 50 recipes that showcase this versatile and marvelous ingredient, Salted also includes a field guide to artisan salts profiling 80 varieties and exploring their dazzling characters, unique stories, production methods, and uses in cooking; plus a quick-reference guide covering over 150 salts.

Salting is one of the more ingrained habits in cooking, and according to Bitterman, all habits need to be questioned. He challenges you to think creatively about salting, promising that by understanding and mastering the principles behind it—and becoming familiar with the primary types of artisanal salts available—you will be better equipped to get the best results for your individual cooking style and personal taste. Whether he’s detailing the glistening staccato crunch of fleur de sel harvested from millennia-old Celtic saltmaking settlements in France or the brooding sizzle of forgotten rock salts transported by the Tauregs across the Sahara, Bitterman’s mission is to encourage us to explore the dazzling world of salt beyond the iodized curtain.

Mark Bitterman is a man truly possessed by salt. As “selmelier” at The Meadow, the internationally recognized artisan-product boutique, Bitterman explains the promise and allure of salt to thousands of visitors from across the country who flock to his showstopping collection. “Salt can be a revelation,” he urges, “no food is more potent, more nutritionally essential, more universal, or more ancient. No other food displays salt’s crystalline beauty, is as varied, or as storied.”

Winner – 2011 James Beard Cookbook Award – Reference & Scholarship Category
IACP Cookbook Award Finalist in two categories

Ratings and reviews

Fabulous writing technique....informative text...all around great read for an oft neglected subject...highly recommended

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About the author

Mark Bitterman is selmelier of The Meadow, in Portland, Oregon, and New York City, which specializes in salt, chocolate, specialty foods, and flowers. He is a leading expert on artisan-made salt and his clientele spans chefs from top restaurants around the country, high-end food manufacturers, specialty retailers, as well as thousands of visitors. He has been recognized as a Local Food Hero by Cooking Light and a Tastemaker in Food & Wine, and his presentations on salt have garnered national broadcast coverage. Mark lives in Portland, Oregon.