Black Salt and the Wonderful Finds at Home Goods

Snow Day Monday!

You know why it was a snow day? Because I took the time to pack lunches for all of us, making cabbage and noodles last night for the adults around here. Honestly, the cancellation of school worked out well. . . see the X-Games finished up last night and the kids really wanted to see Shawn White win for the 6th time so they were up very late.

I'm off dinner duty tonight because I have to work this evening - presentation across town. The husband will be in charge for the evening. Tomato Soup and Noodles is scheduled but I'm not betting any money on what he will actually make. I can tell you this - it's always kid friendly and they will all eat it.

Because I can't actually give you a recipe for today I wanted to focus on one of my favorite places for for "food finds". Treasures really. TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Home Goods are all owned by the same company. Whether it's a stand alone store (Home Goods) or the little back corner near housewares, the food section always has unusual and high end little treats for significant discount. I will admit that I will sometimes go into the store for something we need (for example, a pair of sweatpants or gloves for one of us) and actually avoid this special section.  I can do serious damage in matter of minutes.

We were there Friday night for a necessity and I somehow was lured into that section. I bought two beautiful hand made glasses made from recycled materials that are going to lead to a quest to check every one of the stores in the tri county area to make my own complete set.

There was also a vast array of olive oils. As you may know right now I'm completely stocked on olive oil and even have some new Black Truffle Oil but it was hard to resist the hand painted ceramic containers that some of the olive oil came in. They were works of art.

This is the find I wanted to show you today though. It's Hiw Kai Black Lava Sea Salt. I have to say it tempted me for a variety of reasons. Here's the list: 1. I have never had black sea salt before and I have a stock of sea salt here, 2. I think the color of the salt will look really dope in some dishes for contrast. I'm thinking about how this will look in a salad with grapefruit and avocado, 3. Look at the cute little jar. . . it looks great hanging out on a shelf as a decor item rather than a seasoning and 4. I'm already thinking about how to re-purpose this jar at a later date.

I kind of have an obsession (okay maybe it's not "kind of" but truly just that) with spice containers. I like what's in them, of course and believe that they should be showcased. For instance, I have an old wood rack that came with a spice set from McCormick's years ago that I decorated with bottle caps from beers and glass bottles of soda. The spices have changed over time but the rack remains a focal point in our kitchen. All the makeshift ledges on the door casings are "shelves" for an assortment of old spice jars and tins from a variety of manufacturers. The spices are long gone but the jars are a peek into a vintage kitchen.

This is one of my treasured favorites right here.

Griffiths Milk Glass Spice Jars and Metal Rack

They (whoever the "they" are) say that "Variety is the spice of life" and I would have to agree. Herbs and seasonings can make or break a dish that you work hard on. Too much is overpowering but a careful subtle addition can make for a delicate nuance that enhances the flavors.