I wrote about the sodium in ready made soups weeks ago and how to decrease the sodium content in canned soup by the addition of more water, vegetables and rice to augment the amount of soup thereby reducing the salt per serving. When shortcuts in cooking are mandated, salt's impact on our health can be reduced. But why create the problem in the first place?
Dining out presents a unique sodium conundrum though it shouldn't. Salt might have been added in the kitchen if the request,“no salt added” is not made when ordering. It is my body not yours. High blood pressure is on the rise as we age. It is in everything- excluding fresh produce. Additives are one thing; salt, quite another. Restaurants need to listen.
Years ago while dining out at a Jack Astor's, I ordered french fries, an uncommon side for me , with my entree. One fry was all it took to begin the headache. I spoke to the server then the manager who arrived on scene with another order of fries. Nothing was different. Head office's rules were being followed not mine. Common sense did not win that evening. The argument failed.We did not return.
A customer request for no added salt is no joke. Over the years I have noticed salt's inclusion, to excess, in simple meals that have been salted to excess prior to cooking. Those instances are beyond the cook's control perhaps but not mine. I enjoy cooking but dining out is a welcome change, a special occasion that I treasure. Please leave the diner's food alone. Salting is very personal and dangerous to health. It is my decision not yours.
Food is medicine. Salt reduction is about health not just taste. Do not ignore this simple reminder. As a customer, refusing the dish brought to the table has eliminated your profit margin, already low, I imagine. The competition is fierce but I will go elsewhere. This should not be a journey of discovery. I want to relax and be happy. (A hot dog fills me up just as well and is much cheaper - at home.) I am a good cook but today you're it!
When ordering fish and chips, no salt added, lightly done are expectations - simple and direct. It's my prerogative, is it not? It is about my health nothing more. Over cooking, salting using high heat serve no useful purpose to anyone. My choices are being dismissed. Charbroiled is a euphemism for nicely burnt. (The animals (meat) used to feed us deserve respect for their sacrifice, don't you think? )..
When the sweet potatoes arrived, I was not amused. Fried too long ( burnt around the edges and more) on high heat with added salt, they were returned. I was sad not angry. Even our server had noticed but the cook dismissed her. Did the profit margin for the meal just evaporate at $8 per serving of sweet potatoes? Probably. There is sugar in sweet potatoes, so being mindful of a shorter cooking time and a lower temperature should have been considered. Sweet potatoes fry and bake quicker, too, than their potato cousins, russets, and yellows.
Adjust your heat, Mr Chef, the sugar in this incredible root vegetable, sweet potato, with 25 times the beta carotene of broccoli is a top favourite of mine now. My brilliant 'daughter' introduced me to this delicious addition to my vegetable repertoire, years ago. I was hooked. High heat can and does affect nutrient content, also.
Finding the place which gives value for foods I love and adore is success of the highest order for me. I want to be here. Please do not send me away because of careless preparation, addition of salt and ridiculously high temperatures used. Simple reminders should not be needed. I am not your boss. You are the chef, after all.
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