metabolising disappointment – and some rosemary sea salt

A couple of years ago, I was interviewing an author for a magazine article when I asked him how he felt about being passed over for literary awards. It was a fair question and one my editor had suggested I ask. But it was also a tough question. Awards are so controversial. A bit of a popularity contest with strange rules and sometimes strange juries. And often with strange results. Of course, I already knew that he must have felt awful. But that’s not what he said. What he did say, stuck with me:

“Over the years, I’ve learned to metabolize disappointment faster.”

Those words came back to me recently as I thought about whether or not I’ve learned to metabolize life’s disappointments any faster. I suppose the truth is that I have. Or at least, I’m trying to get past the losses and failures and heart-breaks more quickly.  I still feel things just as intensely, I’m just a little more used to the rhythm of ups and downs that life keeps offering up. Losses and failures and then moments of glory and joy. Once when I was going through an especially good patch, a close friend warned me, “there will be potholes ahead.” It made me laugh. But it’s so true. There will be potholes ahead…

Faced with potholes, I generally head in one of two places – outside for some rigorous physical activity (lately it’s been cycling) or into my kitchen for a little kitchen therapy.

Here’s the latest kitchen project – flavoured sea salt. You can use a variety of different flavourings – chipotle and lime, rosemary and thyme, lemon and lime, etc. Make your flavoured salt after cooking something else – using the residual heat of the oven to dry the ingredients out, so that you can store the salts. You can use these salts in any savoury dish – think roasted vegetables, focaccia, pizza Bianca…

Rosemary Sea Salt

1/2 cup coarsely ground sea salt
2-3 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 tsp grated lemon rind

Mix the ingredients and spread out onto a baking sheet. After you’ve finished using your oven for something else, turn the oven off and immediately place the baking tray with salt into the oven. Leave it alone without opening the door several hours or overnight before removing. If you didn’t chop your rosemary leaves finely enough previously – you can pulse gently in the food processor before storing.

Another version….

Chipotle Lime Sea Salt

1/2 cup coarsely ground sea salt
1/2 tsp chipotle powder (more if you can stand it)
1 tsp grated lime rind

Mix and spread onto baking sheet. Dry as above.

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