I been thinkin' 'bout sumpin' lately ....

[Thumper]

CD mentioned in another post about liking sea salt. Sea salt is about ALL Lynn uses when cooking. It seems to be the Yuppie cooking ingredient of the day from what I can tell. She keeps the tv constantly tuned into cooking shows and that's all they use ... sea salt. Salt is salt to me ... I personally think it's all a bunch of marketing malarkey ... but that's just me ... I eat, I don't cook.

Second subject ... for the past 25-30 years, the popularity of bottled water has exploded. I remember when I worked in Beverly Hills, you just weren't cool unless you had a bottle of Perrier with your dinner. Then it got to the point you could not turn on the TV without seeing some Hollywood type carrying a bottle of water. This morphed into regular drinking water (spring water or "filtered") and you would be hard-pressed to leave the house for 20 minutes without seeing a shit-load of people carrying a bottle of water. Ok, granted, it's convenient as all get-out and we always take bottled water with us on trips ... BUT ... 99% of it is just empty bottles we've refilled from the tap. We've NEVER actually bought bottled water, we just re-use the bottles we accumulate along the way (Lynn gets them free at work, we get free bottles of water in our hotel rooms, etc).

Now here's my question. I grew up in the 50's and I remember when fluoridated water was a big issue and municipalities finally started adding fluoride to the city water supplies. Now don't get me wrong here, because I know personal hygiene is a major factor also ... but I believe tooth decay was drastically reduced by fluoridated water based on my own personal observation over my lifetime and I've known many individuals with terrible tooth decay who have been on well water all their lives. AGAIN, I'm NOT saying anyone on well water has rotten teeth (I know a lot of you are on well water) ... I just can't help but believe fluoridated water helps fight tooth decay and probably helps those with less than favorable personal hygiene.

Now, to the whole point of this post ... or better yet, my question. Iodine deficiency used to be a major problem in this country (and still is in third world countries) until we started adding it to table salt (Iodized Salt). Now that the big trend seems to be sea salt .... if the trend takes off like the bottled water craze, do you think we may slide back into a problem with iodine deficiency at some point in time? Do you think with the HUGE bottled water craze, tooth decay will again be on the rise?

Just wondering what your thoughts are.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I've not gotten in on the sea salt craze. I use mainly kosher salt in all of my cooking. And that mainly because it has no additives.

And here's a BBP story, since you asked. When we were in Bonaire several years ago on vacation we noticed right off the bat (like at the end of the runway we landed on) that there were a lot of wild donkeys around. Come to find out they were from the old slave trade days when they 'mined' salt. Actually it isn't mined at all. Because Bonaire is a big, mostly flat desert island, they flood these humongous flats with ocean water and then over time the sun evaporates the water and what's left is salt. Most of that salt goes to the US and is what we put on roads in the winter. but man, you should see these big salt flats. and get this, there's even living things that live in those salt flats. Amazing stuff.

anyway, that's my salty story and I'm sticking to it.

BKB

[LJ3]

I do "get" the sea salt thing. It's better tasting, to me. I prefer to use a grinder with coarse sea salt. It makes a pretty big difference to me when salting your food before eating it. Notsomuch of a difference when using it as a cooking ingredient.

AND... the intelligentsia has now determined fluoride in your water is a bad thing. I shit you not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation_controversy

[Thumper]

Of COURSE you're into sea salt ... I said it's a Yuppie thing! ;)

Actually, I'm a firm believer in the fact ANY issue will have both detractors and supporters. I remember when the fluoridated water issue was debated when I was a kid growing up in Orlando. The detractors claimed a government conspiracy and we were being used as guinea pigs for some clandestine government experiment.

I'm just curious how this thing will play out in the long run and if anyone has even thought about it in the first place. (both iodine and fluoride)

[Buckrub]

I don't add salt to food.

[Thumper]

Well, I guess someone HAS thought about it. Ummm, 100% natural spring water with natural fluoride???

http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/02/32/54/66/0002325466701_500X500.jpg

http://stopthecrime.net/smartmeters/toxicdrinkingwater/IMG_9608.jpg

[Big Muddy]

I don't add salt to food.

Did you say you quit, as the camp cook, or were fired??? ;)

[Big Skyz]

There won't be an iodine deficiency or rotten teeth. According to the news media and Buckrub we will all be dead from Ebola long before that happens. Cheers.

[Thumper]

Did you say you quit, as the camp cook, or were fired??? ;)

Mr. Muddy, I'm thinkin' maybe he's part British. That HAS to be the blandest food on the planet.

I'll admit I've cut waaaay back on my salt intake through the years. I used to be one of those idiots who picked up a salt shaker and covered my plate before even tasting it. But that was many years ago. Nowadays, either the food is salted while cooking and is good as served ... OR I add salt until it tastes good. But NO salt? ... gag me with a spoon!

[Buckrub]

Well scuse me for not eatin' like you two lard butts. How do you think I keep my svelte figure????

I don't add salt to cooked food. I do add a little occasionally to food as I'm cooking. But most food has way too much natural salt in it already. I'm a heart patient, remember?

Besides, my wonderful grandfather never ate salt. He hated it. I guess I inherited it. There's nothing I eat that salt enhances the flavor of. I just don't like the taste.

Course, if I ate raw fish, I might change my mind.....

[Big Skyz]

Bucky you must really hate popcorn and potato chips!

[Thumper]

I'm a heart patient, remember?

You haven't been a heart patient your whole life! Maybe you needed a little more salt intake when younger. ;)

[Thumper]

Bucky you must really hate popcorn and potato chips!

Or boiled peanuts! ;)

[Buckrub]

I don't put salt on popcorn. I don't eat many potato chips, either. Maybe one or two with a burger on occasion. I don't like salted peanuts either.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I've cut down my salt content just by avoiding processed foods, which have a shitload of salty in them.

Still, when I eat an egg of any kind, it ain't salted if I can't see it.

BKB

[Thumper]

I'm the same way with certain foods Posty. Lynn has done a great job of cutting my salt intake over the years, but certain foods just HAVE to be salted. Like potatoes for example. I also prefer salted butter whereas she uses unsalted butter. I tell her I may as well just spread Wesson Oil on my toast if I want unsalted butter. What's the point? I REALLY like a plain, nicely seasoned steak also (which means salty) ... otherwise, I reach for the steak sauce. Eggs HAVE to be salted, but instead, I usually use Tabasco on them ... as well as butter beans, black-eyed peas, etc.

[Big Skyz]

In reality I rarely add salt to anything except maybe popcorn. I can't stand it without salt. Actually let me clarify that. I rarely add salt to anything at the dinner table. When cooking I will add salt if the recipe calls for it.

[Buckrub]

YOU PUT SALT ON A STEAK??

YOU HEATHEN!!!!

[Chicken Dinner]

Lack of salt is probably why you need to put ketchup on yours. Have you seen how much sodium is in that stuff?


YOU PUT SALT ON A STEAK??

YOU HEATHEN!!!!

[Thumper]

Ditto what CD said. ;)

[Buckrub]

I rarely, if ever, put ketchup. Mostly, grilled mushrooms if I can get 'em.

But I enjoy y'all gettin' all worked up over such silly stuff, especially when all of you have idiosyncracies just as silly. :)

[Thumper]

I rarely, if ever, put ketchup.

Since when? You've ALWAYS admitted to using ketchup on your steak. When did that change?

And silly idiosyncracies??? Sorry ... there ain't NUTTIN' as silly as putting ketchup on a steak! And if you can't get grilled mushrooms? ;)

[Chicken Dinner]

Barry, have you tried smoking any of the kosher salt? That's one of the things I've been reading about and meaning to try. It's supposed to add a really cool flavor to stuff.

(Thump, before you even start - don't.)

[Thumper]

Whaaaaaat?? I was just wondering how you keep it lit? ;)

I ain't never tried salt ... but I will say that whacky-tabacky makes EVERYTHING taste good!

[Chicken Dinner]

I bet it would be good on steak!

[BarryBobPosthole]

I haven't tried it but I've seen smoked salt in the store. Never really thought about smoking my own.

Something else to try! And I'll bet it'd be good in my steak coffee rub. I'm gonna give it a whirl.

BKB