It's been said that the thing that separates restaurant food from home cooking is seasoning. Diners may not want to know exactly how much salt goes into their food, but you can be sure that salt has a lot to do with why it tastes so good.  

Salt makes food taste better - it intensifies flavors and awakens the taste buds.

Kitty Keller in Spain

Mrs. Dash has nothing on Kitty Keller!

Lemon Pepper seems like a very 1950's flavor to us. It's also probably true that if anyone has Lemon Pepper in their spice drawer, it's from the 1950's. But when our friend Kitty Keller told us she wanted to revive this comfort food classic and that she wanted to put the emphasis on the salt, we were intrigued. 

She uses a great Spanish sea salt and combines it with dried lemon peel, lemon oil, cracked black pepper and a dash of citric acid to amplify the citrus notes. We first tasted it on a batch of perfectly crispy french fries fresh out of the oil - we were immediately convinced! The lemon flavor really sings and the heat from the pepper is a nice counterpoint.

Once we set our team loose on this product, the ideas really started to flow. It makes a wonderful finishing salt for pork loin; use this to season once the loin is sliced. We seasoned bread cubes destined for the oven to become some excellent croutons. We love it in popcorn with good extra virgin olive oil, instead of butter.

It's also great with seafood - season the fish and the flour for dredging filets of sole before pan-roasting. This works well with pan-fried tofu as well.  

Lastly, dip radishes into soft butter and Lemon Pepper Salt for an easy hors d'oeuvres with cocktails. 

Order a jar of Lemon Pepper Salt from K.L. Keller for $10.00

If you've ever had the privilege of traveling to Tuscany, you'll likely remember the simplicity of the cuisine. They don't follow a lot of trends...it's about fire-grilled steaks, meltingly tender beans with extra virgin olive oil, slow-roasted potatoes and long-cooked vegetables. And the preferred seasoning is rarely more than salt and a few herbs. Kitty Keller developed the Tuscan Herb Salt to help bring those flavors into your kitchen, whether you're in Florence (Alabama) or Siena (New York).

It all begins with a fine Spanish sea salt, to which the quintessential Tuscan herbs are added: rosemary, marjoram, oregano and thyme. Lemon peel and chili flakes brighten the mix. The real secret to this incredible mix is the dried tomato; sun-ripened tomatoes are dried and pulverized, giving this mix a lovely richness and delicate sweetness.

It almost goes without saying that this salt is a steak's best friend. Season a ribeye about 30 minutes before you head to the grill to allow the seasoning to permeate the meat. We also love to season halved tomatoes before a slow-roast - a couple of hours in a 200 degree oven is all it takes.

This particular mix is great with summer vegetables like zucchini and eggplant. Season thin shavings of zucchini and serve raw with olives, fresh parsley and toasted almonds. For eggplant, take the opportunity to double-season! Season sliced eggplant and breadcrumbs with Tuscan Herb Salt before oven-roasting on a pre-heated, oiled sheet pan...you'll get that crispy texture without frying!

If you're making homemade pizza, double the dough recipe and bake a focaccia liberally seasoned with Tuscan Herb Salt and your best extra virgin olive oil. Try the same if you're making crostini.

And while you'd never see it in Tuscany, a filet of salmon does nicely with a shower of Tuscan Herb Salt.

Order a jar of Tuscan Herb Salt from K.L. Keller for $10.00