-
-
Subscribe To Bret's Table
-
Archives
What I’ve enjoyed recently …
In Bloom, Saint Paul sports
the largest open hearth in North
America. Everything is cooked
in the hearth or wood-fired oven.
Order the venison tartar and
pheasant boudin blanc. Cocktails
are amazing.
928 7th St W
Saint Paul MN 55102Favorite Places, Barcelona
Favorite Places, Bourgogne
Favorite Places, California
Favorite Places, New York
Favorite Places, Paris
- 142 Crêperie Contemporaine
- Ambassade d'Auvergne
- Aux Merveilleux de Fred
- Benoit
- Bread and Roses
- Breizh Café
- Café Constant
- Chez Janou
- Chez Loulou
- Chocolate Directory, Paris
- Christian Constant
- Du Pain et Des Idées
- Jean-Charles Rochoux
- Jean-Paul Hevin
- La La Pâisserie by Cyril Lignac
- La Maison du Chocolat
- La Tuile a Loup
- Le Chardenoux
- Le MaZenay
- Paris Flea Markets
- Patrick Roger
- Popelini
- Pozzetto
- Stohrer
- Thiercelin
Favorite Places, Provence
Favorite Places, Twin Cities
Favorite Links
- Alice Medrich
- Andrew Zimmern
- Artisan Bread in Fine Minutes a Day
- B.T. McElrath Chocolatier
- Baking Obsession
- Cannelle et Vanille
- Chocolate & Zucchini
- Cookography
- Curious Cook
- David Lebovitz
- David Schmit Photography
- Dorie Greenspan
- Eat the Love, Sweets for the Mouth and Mind
- Eat Well Guide
- eatwild
- Far North Spirits
- Farmette
- French Food and Cook
- French Word-A-Day
- Gale Gand
- HiP Paris Blog
- Hiroko's Kitchen
- Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
- Julia Usher
- Le Pétrin
- Nick Malgieri
- Not Without Salt
- Olli Salumeria
- On Rue Tatin
- Paris Breakfasts
- Purple Pitchfork
- Raghaven Iyer
- Robin Asbell
- Sake Story
- Slow Food
- Smitten Kitchen
- Steamy Kitchen Modern Asia
- Suvir Saran
- Taste Spotting
- The Daily Meal
- The Paris Kitchen
- The Perennial Plate
- These Peas are Hollow
- Wedge Community Co-op
- White on Rice Couple
- Zoë Bakes
A Pinch of Salt!
Chef’s rarely if ever use table salt for any number of reasons including the fact that they cannot pick it up with their fingers. And, you’d never find a line cook reaching for a measuring spoon! They keep a stash of salt in a bowl of some kind and always have it at hand to season and give life to what they may be cooking.
With salts now being harvested throughout the world, each with their own distinct flavor, there is now available a beautiful vessel to store and them close at hand. For anyone who has been to Bret’s Table, you may have noticed such a box, made of oak and always sitting near the cook-top. It’s my salt box handcrafted by my brother Kevin. Kevin has always been great with his hands and for many years has used that talent as a full-time electrician. In his spare time he built himself a workshop to construct and refinish furniture.
Knowing his talent with wood and my love of cooking, I bugged him for years to construct for me a salt box that had three compartments so that my various flavors would be close at hand. He finally came up with a design that has compartments large enough that one can easily retrieve a pinch of salt with their fingers or if baking, spoon out a teaspoon for a favorite cookie recipe.
Over the holidays, our dear friend, Chef Suvir Saran was visiting and noticed the box. He immediately fell in love with it and begged Kevin to make him one as well. From there a business was born. Kevin now constructs boxes made from oak and cherry wood; with one to three compartments – they can be rectangle or round and all made by hand.
Below are just a few examples that he constructs. If you would like purchase a box or need more details about these wonderful kitchen vessels please contact Kevin directly at srkban04@hotmail.com.