I can't believe I finally did it. I made my first batch of flavored salt.

I usually don't reach the execution stage on my kitchen projects. Oh, I'm a great idea person, strong out of the gate, but I peter out after the first turn. I believe it is my fatal flaw. But, this weekend, I rode that pony straight to the barn. 

I've been talking about salt for quite a while on this site. A couple months ago, I bought grey sea salt and Szechuan peppercorns in bulk when I was in San Francisco. And Egyptian basil. And lavendar buds. And a number of other ingredients that will factor into my salt experiments. I also bought whole vanilla beans for only 60 cents each, but this posting isn't about that culinary coup.

A month or so after assembled my base ingredients, I bought a new stainless steel Cuisinart grinder. And, yesterday, while trawling the aisles of TJMaxx, I stumbled upon a copy of Patricia Yeo's Cooking from A to Z for only two bucks. There - on page 13 - are her simple instructions for making Szechuan pepper salt.

As instructive as her short recipe is, Ms. Yeo is not my salt inspiration. No, I have Eric Gower - the Breakaway Cook - to thank for that. Eric has a long list of flavored salts he has created and uses in his cooking. It was he, not she, who planted the seed. Heck, he's the guy who gave me directions to the San Francisco Herb Company. Ms. Yeo's cookbook simply gave me a serendipitous kick in the seat of the pants.

And, now, here I sit, surrounded by an earthy, perfumey aroma, smiling proudly at my very first batch of flavored salt and fantasizing about all the things I can do with it.

Flavor a batch of homemade potato chips ... 

Season a burger ... or shrimp ... or a beautiful block of fresh tuna ... 

Or simply garnish a bright white plate with it ...

I'll be moving on to the Egyptian basil next. And then the dried persimmons.

Connie? Are you out there? Did you find our salt cellars? Girl, I'm on fire over here.....