Salt to taste?

Image by Kevin Dooley under Creative Commons licenseSalt has a bad reputation.

Personally, I think it is undeserved.

Food that you don't control yourself tends to have a lot of salt in it. Salt makes things taste better. It is also a preservative. It shouldn't come as a shock that most processed foods are full of it.

...in more ways than one.

Of course, we know that there are health complications that result from excessive salt intake. As a result, we are afraid to add salt to food that we prepare at home.

At the same time, salt is an essential nutrient, necessary for our health. As I mentioned above, it makes food taste better - it is a flavor and aroma enhancer and, as such, is indispensable as a tool in the kitchen.

Recipes often neglect to include measurements for salt. Too often do they simply say, "salt to taste." While different people do have different salt sensitivities, those three words are an open invitation for novice cooks to err on the side of caution. That way lies blandness.

The answer? Use more salt.

If you aren't sure if your food needs it, take a taste of it. Then take another taste, this time adding a few grains of salt. If the second is better, add some salt to the dish and repeat.