Salty

I have been thinking about salt today. It truly is lovely stuff. I haven't yet attained the level of Joe's connoiseurship (he feasts on such a variety that he needs a carousel to hold the choices), but we all need something to aspire to. During the summer I love to sprinkle fleur de sel on melon. Fresh sweet corn wouldn't be the same without a good dose of kosher salt. Some grains of the pyramidlike crystals of Maldon is particulary nice on hardboiled eggs.

Last week I discovered something else that is better with salt: steak. Sure, I know to season a steak, but this was a different experience altogether. Adam sent me an email with a link to "The Steamy Kitchen", a foodblog. The article is about how to turn cheaper Choice steaks into "Gucci" prime steaks. It is funny and informative and I thanked him for bringing it to my attention. It turns out that Adam had bigger plans. So we bought a couple steaks and prepared to grill.

We couldn't find a Choice steak so we picked up two Prime thick cut New York strip steaks. The trick to the Steamy Kitchen method is to coat the steak with salt and let it sit. So I salted and let them sit for about an hour (you rinse before grilling, pat dry, and add pepper). I prepared a bunch of vegetables for roasting (bell peppers, asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, onions, garlic) and Adam prepared the grill. Thanks to Jim Isaacs (the grillmaster!) we now have a firestarting device that doesn't completely freak me out. He mentioned an electric starter during a conversation and we leapt on the idea. Now there are no hot coals to pour out of the chimney starter (as if I would have tried that anyway!). Instead, we use the chimney to hold the hot device after it has done its job. So while I still leave the fire to Adam I think that I could do it on my own now.

I grilled the steaks and we dug in. I had actually hit medium rare (thank you meat thermometer!) and the steaks were...awesome. They were very tender and the salt permeated the meat. If you are sensitive to salt this may not be the best preparation method, but if you like the taste (and, no, it does not taste like a salt lick...in fact I have had fast food fries that were more salty) then it may be perfect for you. I am so glad that we had a lot left over. I cut it into strips and used it for sandwiches. I usually make steak and eggs with leftover steak, but it seemed a shame to risk overcooking it. I think that I made the right decision. I sliced the meat thinly. With a little horseradish mayonnaise, the sandwiches were excellent (if I do say so myself). The steak was still tender and contrasted nicely with some thin sliced toasted bread.

Sadly, that steak is now just a memory. This weekend's salt has mostly come from a downscale source: a bit of junk food. Craving hit and the only thing for me was some root beer and Doritos. I wanted to try one of the collision bags so I got the Zesty Taco and Chipotle Ranch. I must say that the combination is very tasty. The spice gives it a good kick, but it is tongue-tingling, not tearing-up sweating hot (which is good for me--too much heat and I can't taste the food). Ultimately, they are just Doritos, but that is enough to send me down memory lane. When I was a kid, the best combination was Taco Flavor Doritos and Sunkist (I guess it played counterpoint to the grease of the almost burned Tombstone pizza that was de rigueur among the Northside Elementary slumber party set). I guess I should be glad that I didn't decide that Grape Bubble Yum was also necessary. I don't think that my stomach is still so iron-clad. Maybe I will play some Devo or something instead.



The final salt connection for this weekend was actually Friday night's performance of "Hairspray." Adam and I hit the Convocations line-up again and went to the show. It was a lot of fun. We knew the music from Adam's Tony Award winners CD collection and I liked hearing it live. The lead role was played by an understudy and she did a fine job for the most part. I was a bit worried by a few of the opening bars (her girl group uh Oh uh Ohs were a bit off) and she was a little tired in a couple of the last songs and dances. Aside from that it was silly and lively and fun.

The salty part? Well, the humor is a bit off color to be sure. I am not surprised given that "Hairspray" originates with John Waters. I didn't have a problem with it, but I thought that the parents must have had a fun time explaining a few things. I think that the woman sitting next to me had to whisper a couple definitions (or distractions) to the young girls with them. I think that one of the biggest laughs from the audience was in response to a circumcision joke (Adam and I were sort of nonplussed by the degree of hilarity, but to each his own).

I think that I will pop in my copy of the film before turning in for the evening. The musical has had me humming along, but I really think I need to see the classic: Ricki Lake, Divine, and Beatniks!

A couple of my favorite quotes from the film:

Tracy: I'm an integrationist. We shall overcome someday.
Beatnik Chick: Not with that hair, you won't.

Penny Pingleton's mom: "Penny Pingleton, you know you are punished. From now on you're wearing a giant P on your blouse every day to school so that the whole world knows that Penny Pingleton is permanently, positively, punished."

Alliteration humor is awfully awesome. Ah, good times.