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Step 1
Swap your iodized salt for kosher. Many chefs prefer kosher salt because of its coarse texture, lack of additives and less astringent flavor (2.5 lbs. for $4).
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Step 2
Keep sea salt on hand for finishing dishes just before serving. Coarser than kosher salt, sea salt is made from evaporated seawater. The result--especially the ultra-premium, hand-raked fleur de sel of Normandy--is delicious. Prices range from a few dollars for 26 oz. to $40 for 2.2 lbs. (1 kilo).
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Step 3
Experiment with out-of-the-ordinary salts. Try black salt (4 oz. for $3), a mineral compound with a sulfur taste that dissipates, in Indian masalas or seafood dishes. Hawaiian pink salt (16 oz. for $4), made from sea salt that oxidizes from contact with the iron into red clay, is tasty sprinkled over mahimahi on the grill.
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Step 1
Start with premium whole black peppercorns. Invest in a pepper mill to grind pepper at home. Hand-grinding your pepper will keep it fresh longer, as ground pepper loses its flavor very quickly. Throw out that powdery pepper that makes you sneeze.
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Step 2
Broaden your taste horizons with white or green peppercorns. Mild white peppercorns are best for light-colored sauces, and green peppercorns, with their fresh and pungent flavor, are often used in brines and marinades.
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Step 3
Put pink peppercorns on your shopping list. These are actually dried berries from the Baies rose plant. Pungent and slightly sweet, they appear in gourmet stores either freeze-dried or packed in brine. They are often used along with white and black peppercorns for a splash of color and as a dusting over finished dishes.
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Step 4
Look for gourmet mixes of whole black, white, pink and green peppercorns.
