Spices

Feeling ALL Kinds of Salty: Why You Need Cornish Sea Salt Company Salts in Your Life

July 9, 2022 By Joi Sigers

Freshly Cut Avocado with Cornish Lemon & Thyme Sea Salt

My name is Joi (“Joy”) and I am an Amazon addict. Not complaining. Not bragging. Certainly NOT looking for intervention… just merely and merrily stating a fact. There are many reasons for this happy addiction (I love buying things for my large family, I’m an avid reader, I collect old movies on dvd…) but the main thing I use Amazon for these days – as in right up there with books – is for salts, seasonings, and other food items I can’t get in stores.

Seriously, using Amazon for food-related goodies is one of the absolutely most enjoyable rabbit holes you’ll ever find.

It’s all in keeping with something I’ve always preached, to be a good cook…

You need a passion for it.
You need to practice regularly – and, not only with food(s) you’ve never made before, but with those you regularly make. You can always find new tricks, tweaks, and tools to make regular meals more enjoyable and maybe EVEN tastier.
Get creative! Never be as boring, predictable, or stale and for crying out loud, never be average.
Your food will only be as good as the tools you surround yourself with. Make sure your knives, pans, pots, blenders, mixers, etc are all in tip top shape.
Use the best ingredients you can afford. Some items are simply WORTH paying more for – garlic powder and vanilla come to mind.
Life (and a kitchen) without seasoning and spice is BORING!

The outrageously delicious and crazy fun salts I want to tell you about today tick off quite a few of the aforementioned requirements. They’re also very affordable and, if I can get super girly for a hot minute, they look amazing sitting on the counter.

Well, they do.

Using different salts, peppers, seasonings, oils, vinegars, and sauces is a huge passion (obsession) of mine. I just counted and we currently have 12 salts in our kitchen. TWELVE! If I were to use full disclosure, there are about to be thirteen (more about the one on the way in a minute).

I recently came across a company who really knows their salt and they have a fan for life. I first spied the Cornish Sea Salt Company on Amazon about a month ago when I was (as I can often be found doing) shopping for fun salt blends.

(Salty Conversation Continued Below…)

Cornish Sea Salt Company Salt & Peppery Blend

The first one of their blends I saw and ordered is pictured above, the Salt & Peppery blend (Amazon link). The Cornish sea salt is accompanied by four wonderful peppers and the result is a beautiful and delicious thing. I’ve used (and loved) this blend on burgers, eggs, bacon, chicken, baked potatoes, fried potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, pinto beans… basically anyplace I’d add regular salt and pepper together, this allows me to add them at once in a knock-out blend that brings even more flavor to the moment. Used as a finishing touch, it adds a great deal to the food’s presentation – in addition to tasting fantastic.

When I saw that they had another blend, Fresh & Zesty: Lemon, Thyme & Cornish Sea Salt (Amazon link), I ordered a tub immediately.

The tubs may look small, but these salt blends last a really long time. The flavor is so concentrated, it hardly takes any at all to make a big impact.

I knew the minute I smelled the Lemon, Thyme & Cornish Sea Salt blend that I had another winner on my hands. I’ve used this one on pasta, garlic toast, hummus, salmon (it’s amazing in salmon patties!), shrimp, and other fish. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is also one of the simplest, on freshly cut avocado. The flavors it brings to the avocado party are unbelievable.

Remember when I said I currently had 12 different salts in my kitchen and they were about to be joined by salt number 13? Well, we can blame the Cornish Sea Salt Company for this one, too! They have another blend that sounds as wonderful as these two… Cornish Roasted Garlic Sea Salt (Amazon link) and it is sitting in my Amazon cart as we speak.

I honestly cannot wait to get creative with this one. I mean, are you kidding me? Garlic!? The possibilities are endless.

I hope you’ll give these salts a try – they’re outstanding! ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Fresh & Zesty: Lemon, Thyme & Cornish Sea Salt (Amazon link)

How to Use Peppercorns to Add Flavor to Your Recipes and Food

May 4, 2022 By Joi Sigers

Black Peppercorns.. So Much Flavor!

I’ve always been one of Black Pepper’s biggest fans. This glorious spice, often taken for granted, can take the ordinary into the spectacular. If you don’t believe me, just ask mashed potatoes.

I guess that’s why I talk about pepper so much – to make sure it isn’t overlooked or slighted in the least. There’ll be no taking pepper for granted on my watch!

When I first fell madly in love with cooking, the little red and white tin of pre-ground pepper was my mainstay. In fact, we had a thing going for years. I’d buy big tins of ground pepper and fill my salt and pepper shakers for daily use and whip out my red and white tin for cooking.

Then, one fateful day, my culinary world opened up. While in the grocery store, browsing a favorite aisle (the spice aisle – where I could spend hours), I saw peppercorns and peppercorn grinders. I noticed that, like people, peppercorns came in a beautiful array of colors – black, pink, white, and even green.

Mind, blown.

I rounded up every peppercorn and grinder in sight and headed home to play with my new toys. It’s a process I’ve repeated hundreds of times since.

Using different peppercorns for different dishes really adds exciting and fun layers of flavor.

A quick rundown of the different peppercorn flavors:

Green peppercorns have a sharp, fresh flavor. Some of the best dishes to use green peppercorns with are vegetable dishes and salad dressings. A good way to remember this is to think of the green… green peppercorns = eating green = vegetables.

Pink peppercorns may have the most distinctive and unique flavor of all the peppercorns. These little beauties have a delicate, fragrant flavor that’s somehow both sweet and spicy at the same time. I love the color pink peppercorns bring, literally, to the table. While they go with everything imaginable, most people prefer them with sweet foods and fruit. They’re all kinds of delicious on cantaloupe and watermelon.

White peppercorns are mostly used when a cook doesn’t want any black specks whatsoever in their dish. Me? I live for the black specks, but I can see wanting a special cheese sauce or cream to be solid and universal in color. White peppercorns give a taste that’s very similar to black peppercorns.

And last, but in NO way least, the star of the peppercorns world, Black Peppercorns. Black peppercorns can be used with absolutely anything you dream up in your kitchen. Eggs, potatoes, meats, vegetables, fish, etc.

Black pepper begins to lose some of its flavor as soon as it’s ground, which is why using peppercorns with your own grinder is preferable for cooking and eating.

Tellicherry Peppercorns are rock stars in the peppercorn world. These black peppercorns are left on the vine longer and allowed to over-ripen. They are bigger in both size and flavor.

I first sought out Tellicherry Black Peppercorns when I read that they were one of Colonel Sanders’ secret ingredients in his fried chicken. I figured that if they were the Colonel’s “go to” peppercorn, I had to try them out. I’ve bought them religiously since.

In addition to a grinder filled with only black peppercorns, I always have a grinder filled with a combination of all colors of peppercorns. This colorful blend is excellent for stews, soups, eggs, and countless other kitchen regulars.

Rachael Ray Fancy Boy Peppercorn Grinders

Rachael Ray’s Fancy Boy Grinders (Amazon link) are something I would be lost without. I’ve written at least one Fancy Boy Grinders Review on Get Cooking.

Unfortunately, they can be tough to find in stores (although her Pink Himalayan Salt Fancy Boy Grinder is pretty easy to find). Fancy Boy Grinders can be found on Amazon easily enough (just click the link to check them out).

Rachael Ray’s Fancy Boy Peppercorn Grinders:

Shopping for Peppercorns

Your grocery store may or may not have peppercorns available in all of the available peppercorn colors. If they come up short, always keep Amazon in mind. Peppercorns on Amazon are available in bulk, meaning you won’t run out any time soon and you can find unlimited colors and blend combinations, including the Rainbow Peppercorn Blend (both links are Amazon links).

Peppercorn Grinders

When it comes to peppercorn grinders, my three favorite places to shop are Amazon (See Amazon Peppercorn Grinders), TJ Maxx, and Target. Kitchen supply stores are also a great place to check – but they can be pretty pricey.

Wherever you find your peppercorns and peppercorn grinders, just be sure to mix things up and experiment with different varieties of peppercorns.

You’ll be amazed at all the different flavors they bring to the table!

Buttery Rice Pilaf with Turmeric and Seasoned Salt

December 8, 2016 By Joi Sigers

One of my favorite spices is Turmeric – love the color, love the taste, and love the health benefits. It pairs beautifully with chicken and just about any vegetable you can think of (especially cauliflower). Another favorite vehicle for adding turmeric to our meals is rice – truth be told, rice is a beautiful blank canvas for bringing any spice you can think of into your presence.

This Buttery Rice Pilaf recipe is absolutely delicious on its own – without any spices or herbs whatsoever. But it’s also a wonderful “blank canvas” for bringing any extra flavors to the meal you’ve got in mind. When I’m serving the Rice Pilaf with a main attraction that’s packed with flavor, I go with the “co-star” approach, leaving it unadorned with any spices or herbs. Seriously, the buttery flavor makes it a delicious side dish or co-star.

Other times, this Rice Pilaf IS the star and takes center stage. When she’s in the spotlight, you can adorn her any way you like – there are no rules, here. You simply prepare the Rice Pilaf as the recipe states, then right before bringing it off of the burner, add the spices of your choosing. Go slow, though, as you can always add more but you can never add less.

It’s worth noting, again, that this Rice Pilaf is amazing as it is (pre-spices) – with just a little Kosher salt. Taste before adding spices – you just may want the buttery version unadorned.

Tips for Rice Pilaf Success:

You could, conceivably, use a vegetarian broth in place of the chicken broth for this recipe. Unfortunately, veggie broth doesn’t have the same amount of flavor that chicken broth does, so I hardly ever recommend substituting it for its more flavorful cousin. However, in this case, the generous (obscene?) amount of butter has its back.
After the cooking process, fluff the rice pilaf with a fork instead of a spoon. Why? A spoon or spatula (or even my beloved Rachael Ray Spoonula – Amazon link) leads to more of a mashing than a fluffing… and, as we all know, rice is all about the fluff.
Real butter is better than margarine here – and, really, just about everywhere.
You can easily add onion to rice pilaf – I don’t when making this particular rice pilaf because… well.. because butter. I don’t want onion competing with butter in this dish because we all know what a competitor onion is. If you want to add 1/2 an onion, do so at the beginning. Add your pasta to the butter, then add your chopped onion and stir.
Speaking of onions, if you want a hint of onion, go with shallots. One of my sons-in-law isn’t a big onion fan, so when I know he’ll be eating a certain meal, I use shallots instead of onions. They aren’t quite as “competitive” with the other flavors.
If you’re serving more than 4 and this is the main dish, double the recipe. It doubles beautifully.

Review: Montana Mex Seasoned Salts: Picante, Sweet, and Chile

April 25, 2016 By Joi Sigers

Montana Mex Seasoned Sea Salts Are Out of This World

There are few things that excite me more than finding a great new cooking ingredient or food. I’m always on the lookout for my next great kitchen obsession because, as far as I’m concerned you can never have too many. They keep cooking fun and exciting and make your meals all kinds of delicious.

A while back,I began using Montana Mex Seasoned Sea Salts and it recently occurred to me, I literally can’t imagine my kitchen without them. These are definitely three items that my kitchen will never, ever be without. Each adds its own variety of flavors and I find myself often using a combination of two – especially in guacamole or on chicken, pork, or eggs.

I’d be hard-pressed to pick my absolute favorite, because each brings something different to the party – but if I HAD to choose just one, I’d say the Montana Mex Sweet Seasoned Sea Salt (Amazon link) – it’s slightly sweet and the combination of ginger and orange peal make it a perfect match for fish. Of course, having said that, I wouldn’t take anything for the other two, either. My sweet tooth simply dictates my every culinary emotion, so naturally I’d choose the sweetest of the three if push came to shove.

My husband is actually the one who gets credit for finding these wonderful salts. Every now and then, he hops on Amazon and finds me great new seasonings, salts (he knows I’m obsessed with salts), oils, rice, and other spices. This is one of his best finds – and he’s had many.

Below is a brief description of each, along with a link to that individual salt. The last “bullet point” (the one in bold) is how I, personally, use each particular salt.

Click through each link for more information – take it from me, you’re going to want each one.

Montana Mex Chile Seasoned Sea Salt

An eclectic blend of the finest sweet red chiles and pure sea salt
Flavorful and will become your all-purpose seasoning in no time
Coat your vegetables as you roast or fry
Super simple sprinkle on to hot fries
Sea Salt, new Mexico chile, pasilla negra chile, guajillo chili, ancho chile and rice hul to prevent clumping
Heavenly on sliced avocados – simply add some lime juice, a little black pepper, and the Chile Seasoned Salt for a perfect, healthy snack OR even a sidedish. The Chile Seasoned Sea Salt is also a knock out with fish – cod, catfish, rice, and salmon. It’s also great on fried and scrambled eggs. I’ve also used this one on roasted potatoes and corn on the cob.

{Review Continued Below the Blackened Catfish!}

Blackened Catfish with Montana Mex Chile Seasoned Salt and Sweet Seasoned Salt

Montana Mex Sweet Seasoned Sea Salt

Rub and sear into salmon on the grill
Add to baked goodies
Made from cane sugar, date sugar, sea salt, pasilla negra chili, orange peal, all spice
Aji amarilli chili, cinnamon, ginger, clove, rice hull
This is one of the most unique salt blends I’ve ever had. I’ve used this beauty on fish, roasted asparagus, roasted chickpeas, roasted carrots, and fried apples. I’ve even put it in my oatmeal, Cream of Rice, and grits. I’m over the moon crazy for it. I like a combination of either the Chile Seasoned Sea Salt or the Picante Seasoned Sea Salt with the Sweet on Avocados, eggs, and guacamole.

Montana Mex Picante Seasoned Sea Salt

Rub on steak and sear it like you mean it
Stir into creamy pasta for a little kick
Jalapeno, sea salt, garlic, cilantro, cane sugar
Mexican oregano, rice hull to prevent clumping
This one pairs perfectly with beef and chicken. It gives a little kick while also giving a hint of cilantro. I’ve used this distinctive sea salt on avocados, guacamole, steaks, rice, chicken, and roasted potatoes.

Review: Laguna Salt Company Malted Vinegar Sea Salt (New Obsession!)

March 30, 2016 By Joi Sigers

Laguna Salt Company Malted Vinegar Sea Salt

I told you a little about the Malted Vinegar Sea Salt in my March Eat. Feed. Love. Taste Club Box Review, but I wanted to update you on a few ways I’ve been using it.

The first way I used the Malted Vinegar Sea Salt was with one of the recipes that accompanied the box, Tangy Horseradish Mustard Aioli. AMAZING! I served it with roasted asparagus and carrots and it was a huge hit. Quite frankly, it’s fantastic spread on bread, roast beef sandwiches, ham… any darn place. The combination of garlic, the Malt Vinegar Salt, and Wilder Condiment’s Horseradish Mustard (pictured above) – not to mention the other ingredients – blows me away.

Laguna Salt Company’s Malted Vinegar Sea Salt is all natural sea salt that has been hand crafted and infused with malt vinegar. The tanginess is subtle enough to use anywhere you’d normally use table salt. It adds a little kick without dominating anything you use it on. When I first ventured out and used it in place of traditional sea salt, I was a little nervous. I sprinkled a little into my scrambled eggs one morning and was amazed at how it simply enhanced the flavor without dominating the conversation. I guess I’d expected it to usurp the egg’s authority – which it did not whatsoever!

I use it regularly on eggs now – as well as a lot of other food.

I’ve sprinkled each of the following with the Malted Vinegar Sea Salt – with perfect results each time:

aioli
pasta salad
blackened catfish (awesome “kick!”)
slaw
scrambled eggs/over-easy eggs
bacon
baked potato
fries

This morning, I tried something that was extra special. I had made fried potatoes with onions for supper last night and had some left over. I decided to “get cute” – something we food bloggers live for – and see if I could achieve a “German Fries” flavor with my beloved Malted Vinegar Sea Salt – without going through the trouble of measuring out vinegar and sugar and without adding bacon to the production. I wanted the jazziness of German Fries without having to strike up the whole band.

Nailed it. Nailed it. Nailed itttttttt.

A little crumbled bacon and chives or green onions on top would have sent it right through the roof.

The Malted Vinegar Sea Salt even exceeded my expectations by providing the flavor I was looking for while avoiding the fuss I wan’t looking for.

Again, here’s the food blogger/foodie in me taking over, but there’s something else I love about this salt. As you may or may not know, I have a total salt obsession. Same with pepper, but this is salt’s big moment.. I have salt boxes in the kitchen with Pink Himalayan Salt, Sea Salt, Kosher Salt, Truffle Salt, and various gourmet salts. I just get a huge Rockette worthy kick out of having “special” salts that most others don’t have. When it comes to this wonderful Malted Vinegar Sea Salt…

BOOM!! It’s deliciously original and unique (literally deliciously) and I’d be lying if I said that didn’t give me the gigglesnorts.

If you find yourself looking for the perfect gift for any cook or foodie in your life, this salt will make you a legend.

I hope you’ll read my Eat. Feed. Love. Taste Club Box Review and give their Taste Club a try. Whether you do right away or not, you can actually go ahead and order the Malted Vinegar Sea Salt (for just $8). You can find recipes on Eat. Feed. Love. for this wonderful salt as well as the other products featured in their Taste Club Boxes.

Review: Fleur de Sel by the Artisan Salt Company

July 28, 2015 By Joi Sigers

Fleur de Sel (“Flower of Salt”)With my reputation as a great salt lover preceding me, I was contacted by Artisanal Foods about doing a review on my food blog. I was sent a beautiful (and I do mean beautiful) jar of Fleur de Sel by Artisan Salt Company (France). Fleur de Sel (Flower of Salt) isn’t just “a sea salt,” it is considered by many chefs around the world to be the best sea salt.

To say I was anxious to get my hands on my own jar is a huge understatement.

Before I get to the rest of the review, allow me to just kind of set the stage for my salt fixation. Like pepper, salt is grossly taken for granted in the kitchen – to the point of ridiculousness. Most disappointments I encounter with food (in restaurants, for example) involves one thing: someone either failed to season the food or the didn’t season it enough.

I have an entire shelf (and she’s a big one) dedicated entirely to different varieties of salt, pepper, dried herbs and spices in my kitchen. This is the most essential part of my kitchen. Yes, I value (greatly!) my pots, pans, mixers, kitchen gadgets, and so on – but they, alone, could never pull together a great tasting meal.

I feel very strongly about starting with great ingredients and believe that salt and pepper should be at the foreground of just about any recipe or meal preparation. When I read a recipe that says, “… add a dash of salt” as though it’s an afterthought, I cringe. When someone says, “salt and pepper, optional” – I know we’ll never be friends.

So there you have it. Spices and seasonings rule my kitchen like royalty and salt and pepper are the King and Queen.

ArtisanSalt Company Fleur de Sel and Samples

Fleur de Sel and Salt Samples from Artisanal Foods

The first thing I noticed about my jar of Fleur de Sel was the fact that it’s a real beauty. My “royal” shelf is open for the world to see in my kitchen, so I covet pretty, eye-catching containers. This one more than fits the bill. I also realized, right away, that I’ll be able to use and re-use this little jar forever.

Fleur de Sel’s fine, light crystals are as beautiful as the jar they call home. They have a delicate, wonderful flavor along with a high concentration of minerals that makes this possibly the best finishing salt in the salt world.

Fleur de Sel has been gathered on an island off of France’s Atlantic coast, since the seventh century. It is harvested from the sea foam created by winds passing over salt ponds.

The light, unobtrusive… yet unmistakable… sea salt dissolves instantly into your food, not only providing just the right seasoning – but also bringing out the best in that particular food.

Pasta Topped with Fleur de Sel

We’ve been using it religiously on tomatoes, salads, pasta, watermelon, eggs, potatoes… the list goes on and on. I’m not sure why, but I’ve been the most blown away by what Fleur de Sel brings to the party with eggs and pasta dishes. It truly makes scrambled eggs, fried eggs, deviled eggs, omelets, spaghetti, ravioli, and even macaroni and cheese taste better than ever.

Then again, if I’m being honest, I think the same thing when I use it with potatoes or any other vegetable.

This is simply a beautiful artisan salt and I can’t imagine my spice shelf without it.

I 110% recommend heading over to Artisanal Foods and grabbing a jar of Fleur de Sel. It’s just around $15 and, quite frankly, I’d have given that for the reusable jar alone. While on their website, also take a look at the other artisanal salts, spices, seasonings, coffee, vanilla, and so on. They also have a lot of wonderful cheeses that I have my eye on. The Fleur de Sel – or anything else on the website, for that matter – would make an ideal gift for the foodies in your life. You could actually put together a gift basket to end all gift baskets.

Just be sure to grab some Fleur de Self for yourself. Adding special seasonings, spices, and artisanal ingredients to your kitchen keeps your cooking fresh, flavorful, and fun.

Head over to Artisanal Foods and open up a whole new culinary world.

Black Truffle Sea Salt: Fun Way to Kick Up Your Cooking and Wake Up Your Kitchen (Review)

August 8, 2014 By Joi Sigers

Black Truffle SaltSo, what exactly is a truffle anyway? As someone who loves the flavor of truffle salt, it’s something I actually prefer not to think about but a truffle is a strong-smelling underground fungus. It kind of resembles a dark little potato.

Before you zero in on the words “strong-smelling” or “underground fungus,” you should know that truffles are considered to be culinary delicacies. The flavor and aroma are uniquely their own and once you fall under their spell, your fate’s sealed. They also have this cool distinction: Truffles are often found (especially in France) with the aid of trained dogs or pigs.

Pigs!

One of the easiest (and funnest) ways to mix things up in your cooking – while making delicious new discoveries – is to try different ingredients. Truffle salt is one of my favorite ways to add a little originality and freshness to favorite dishes. I wouldn’t recommend substituting regular salt in recipes with truffle salt because of the uniqueness of the taste. Truffle salt is at its best when sprinkled on top of eggs, warm bread, baked potatoes, and fries (truffle fries… mmmmm-good).

My most recent truffle salt order (Amazon) was the adorable Truffle Salt 1.74 Oz, (Amazon link) pictured here. It’s very inexpensive and, trust me, adds a lot of fun to your kitchen. The novelty, alone, kicks things up – way up.

Finest sea salt infused with Italian Black Summer Truffles
Incredibly versatile

Black Truffle Sea Salt (Fascinating flavor!)

I hope you’ll try the Black Truffle Sea Salt soon – I think you’ll love it as much as I do. Be sure to start out easy, though. Truffle Salt is one of those things (think: garlic) that make you think the phrase “a little goes a long way” was coined just for it. Click through either image above or the link for more information.

More Truffle Delicacies on Amazon: