Morton Salt from SF Bay not Fit for Consumption

Salt makes the news again, only this time it's not about reducing your intake. It's about avoiding Morton's salt produced in San Francisco Bay. The concerns over impurities, heavy metals, biological wastes, and general pollution have made it useful as road, pool, and industrial salt only. Read their scorecard here, they're ranked as one of the dirtiest/worst facilities in the US.

My question is - if they produce salt for human consumption from the same water, the same location, then what types of "kiln dried, solar evaporation" techniques do they employ to get rid of these toxins? By kiln dried, they likely mean heat treating at 1200 degrees which destroys or burns off any essential trace elements that remain after they've chemically treated it for toxins and extracted all essential minerals but sodium and chloride for sale to heavy industry and pharmaceutical companies.

Read the article on CNN about Morton's Kiln Dried Solar Evaporated salt used for the last 10 years in Hawaii on pork products, then read my article below and decide for yourself.

Our bodies are made of water and minerals. Baseline wellness, regardless of diet and lifestyle, depends upon clean water, air, and a pure source of essential minerals. HimalaSalt provides that without any additives, is completely unrefined, has a profile of 80+ essential trace elements and never undergoes any heat treatment or processing of any sort. Since healthy blood mirrors the alkaline structure of the ancient ocean, and HimalaSalt is the ancient ocean in pure crystaline form, you have a healthier choice for your family.

Know What You are Eating

Common Table Salt is an industrial by-product, stripped by chemical processing of all elements except sodium and chloride - detrimental to health in isolated form. Anti-caking and flow agents are added, yet the FDA Code 21CFR101.100(a)(3), does not require their disclosure to consumers. Table salt comes from the same lots as vacuum-refined industrial salt and is treated with caustic soda or lime to remove all traces of magnesium salts, which are important for health.

Important minerals are removed because they provide large corporations with staggering profits for use in agricultural and industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, ammunitions, and other unsustainable industries.


After extreme chemical processing and heated at up to 1200 degrees, table salt cannot support health and no longer combines with our body fluids. Table salt can also cause a deficiency of important essential trace minerals, which are abundantly present in HimalaSalt.


The fear of salt has arisen from consumer alerts that advise reduced consumption of salt and foods that have a high sodium content. It has more to do with quality vs. quantity. Consumers deserve to know that this is not the whole truth, and the FDA doesn't require salt companies to disclose to the consumer what's inside, like anti-caking and flow agents, mostly derived from aluminum.


Pure salt is essential to life. The body is made from water and minerals, and all critical functions of the body require these essential minerals and trace elements, which are no longer present in table salt or heat treated sea salt. Table salt is in most all processed, packaged foods, including drinks, candy, snacks, ice cream, cheese, processed meats, etc. Eliminating processed foods and table salt from your diet is important for health. By using HimalaSalt, rich with over 80 essential trace elements and high in magnesium, calcium, and iron, you can obtain easily assimilated essential minerals and alkalize your body, which is baseline for wellness.

Sea Salt comes from oceans that in our lifetime, have become heavily polluted. Growing dead zones and the mix of mercury, heavy metals, and toxins from agricultural chemicals, industrial runoff, nuclear waste, raw sewage and more, have compromised all ocean life. HimalaSalt™ has been protected for millions of year in the remote, pristine Himalayas, and is Pre-People, Pre-Pollution. HimalaSalt contains a full spectrum of whole essential minerals and delicious flavor that supports wellbeing and adds delicious flavor to sumptuous meals.

It's important to have essential minerals for health.

When a salt like HimalaSalt, that contains over 80 essential trace elements, is ingested, it immediately works with the saliva (amalese in particular) and begins digestion. The more present in the mouth, the better the digestion, which then continues in the stomach. HimalaSalt has been known to lower blood pressure, decrease water retention, and supports the liver, kidneys and adrenals to work more efficiently. It also can boost the immune system.

Do your body well and use HimalaSalt for optimal mineral absorption, it also opens up the flavor of food, and has signicant health benefits over table salt and sea salt from polluted oceans.

Bourbon Lemonade with Organic Cubeb Peppercorns

At the Route 7 Grill in Great Barrington, MA, the chef/owner, Lester Blumenthal is a great guy, and his place has also been named as one of "America's Best Farm to Table Restaurant" by Gourmet Magazine. They use local, seasonal ingredients, and you'll find Windy Hill Apples, true treasures, in their Apple Crisp.

On the afternoon I went to shoot the photos for some of the delicious recipes they've created using HimalaSalt products (they're on a different computer, will upload later), there was a large urn of fresh Bourbon Lemonade with a sort of misty glow around it, calling out. It was snowing, we were under winter storm warning, but what the heck, I'd be warm. The photo shoot turned into laughter and food musings.

Their Bourbon Lemonade, which I was lucky enough to sample, is made with Meyers Lemons, peeled and layered up to the top of the spouted urn, then filled with high quality bourbon. After it sits for about 5-8 hours, it ready to tap. I've used my cubeb pepper in rosemary martinis, ginger martinis, but in the lemonade, the earthy spice set the perfect tone taming the tart and sweet for just the right flavor.

Moving on...we made margueritas, rimmed in fresh lime with HimalaSalt, which made the snow seem to go away. More photos and bev recipes coming.

What are Organic Heirloom Foods?

Heirloom Crop Varieties

According to Seed Savers Exchange (a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving rare plant varieties), an heirloom plant is “any garden plant that has a history of being passed down within a family.” iv While some argue that an heirloom variety must be at least 50 to 100 years old, all agree that heirloom fruits and vegetables are unique plant varieties which are genetically distinct from the commercial varieties popularized by industrial agriculture.

Sustainable farmers who grow heirloom fruits and vegetables help to preserve genetic diversity by ensuring that these unique plant varieties are not completely replaced by the few commercial varieties that are mass-produced by industrial agriculture. They also preserve delicious, unique and interesting kinds of fruits, vegetables and grains that add color and flavor to meals that everyone can enjoy.

Shade-Grown, Hand-Harvested Heirloom Pepper from the 1500s Spice Trade

HimalaSalt's Organic Heirloom Long Pepper is shade grown in Bali and hand-harvested in the monsoon forest. This uniquely shaped and flavored peppercorn has delicious notes of cardamom, nutmeg, and a hint of chocolate aroma. This highly prized heirloom is exquisite ground heavily in melted garlic butter as a dip for steamed artichokes, works beautifully to bring out flavors in fish, game, and vegetable grills, and is heavenly in the most delicate sauces, soups, stews, and for flavoring clear broth. See our mouth watering Organic Long Pepper Ice Cream recipe created by Chef Creighton Peet.

An heirloom from the 1500s spice trade, our Long pepper is sustainably grown and harvested. Our heirloom crops help to preserve the threatened regional biodiversity and traditional cultures of Indonesia, and are certified organic, kosher, and green-e.Packaged in a refillable, recyclable grinder, while 5% of profits go to the environment and source community.

Check out our HimalaSalt organic Cubeb Pepper, also a sustainably grown heirloom from the 1500s spice trade. Cubeb is traditionally used in SE Asian cuisine, however our create local chefs have used it in Ginger Cubeb Madelines, topped with ice cream, fresh fruit, or a HimalaSalted caramel drizzle (made with agave instead of sugar).

For those of you who are pepper afficianados, you'll find you can't cook the same without our complete set of 7 100% organic peppercorn grinders, pink from Brazil, freeze-dried green from India, long from Bali, cubeb from Java, Tellichery from Malibar, and white from Muntok.

HimalaSalt joins Brighter Planet’s 350 Challenge


The 350 Challenge is a small way to show your support to fight climate change. The more bloggers that get the badge, the better. Thousands of readers will know that the climate movement is spreading far beyond the typical “environmental” realm and into the norm.

Who is Brighter Planet?

Brighter Planet is a Vermont start-up committed to fighting climate change and building a clean-energy future. Borne out of a Middlebury College classroom, we are dedicated to demonstrating how small actions can lead to meaningful change. Through our products, services and expertise, we help you to reduce greenhouse gas-emitting activities, expand your use of green technologies, and build renewable energy projects.

What affiliation do you have with 350.org?


Brighter Planet's 350 Challenge is inspired by Bill McKibben’s awareness campaign about the importance of the number 350, the parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere that we must aim for if we want to keep the planet relatively safe. Bill is on our advisory board and the 350 crew are some of our dearest friends from Middlebury College. The 350 Challenge is a way that we can help bloggers spread the word. To learn more, listen to the podcast about the 350 campaign that we did with Bill.

Why carbon offsets?

Carbon offsets play a crucial role in building a sustainable society. Many renewable energy projects are well suited to produce energy and meet stringent standards, but lack sufficient financing. Carbon offsets fill that void by investing in these projects.

What kind of offset projects are they supporting?

Our renewable energy projects in communities across the U.S. decrease our national dependence on carbon-emitting “dirty” energy sources like coal burning power plants. Some are wind power in public school districts or open lands and others are cow power on family farms. They all meet Brighter Planet’s stringent project standards. Learn more about our projects…

How exactly do I install the badge on my blog?

find out here http://350.brighterplanet.com/ how to upload your badge.

Top 20 Consumer Trends Forecasted for 2009

Sustainable Food News January 6, 2009 Top 10 Consumer Trends Forecasted for 2009 1) Buying old is new Materialism goes gauche. Bragging rights on trading possessions will trump shelling out for new purchases with thrift shops and online exchange sites enjoying a huge boost. In fact, a recent New York Times story revealed figures from the Salvation Army and showed that sales have spiked 5 to 15 percent at their stores in recent months. Thriving in this climate: eBay, Craigslist, consignment shops and antique stores. 2) Maintenance and prudence are hip Why replace products when you can upgrade or repair them? The Shoe Service Institute of America says the nations 7,000 repair shops are thriving. Repair services of all kinds will gain popularity as consumers re-heel their shoes, do minor remodeling to their homes - often with an eye to green building, and show greater prudence with auto repair and upkeep. Vintage and used cars will enjoy a new hip factor. Cobblers, mechanics, handymen/women and green building suppliers will experience growth. 3) Home is the New Destination Regional travel and home-based activities and entertainment will rise, even as fuel prices stabilize. While most will skip foreign vacations, old-fashioned camping and road trips will thrive along with visits to local amusements, museums and historical sites. We see gardening (often organic), canning and craft projects replacing more exotic extracurriculars. We predict premium cable channels will lose but Netflix will stay strong, and while external gym memberships will suffer, home gym or low-cost fitness items may gain. Look for increases in popcorn poppers, camping equipment, and family games like Scrabble. 4) Comfort in the Kitchen In uncertain times, Americans will look to the past for comfort and savings. Consumers in ’08 had already begun to reduce their meals eaten outside the home, and in ’09 they’ll fully rediscover their home kitchen. Lower cost staples will experience a new respect including potatoes, carrots, bulk bin items, private label brands, baking staples, and budget meat cuts. According to Nielsen data, consumers watching their food budgets in 2008 helped food retailers increase their sales of store-branded products by 10 percent to more than $81 billion. Shoppers will skip a new Thai recipe that requires uncommon ingredients while staying grounded in mac n’ cheese, casseroles, stews, meat loaves and cakes. 5) The Prioritized Organic Era While current indicators show a minor drop in organic retail sales, there will remain a strong core consumer for organic products, especially in produce, dairy and kids’ food. Organic will show up on school cafeteria menus, in college campus dining halls and even at 7-11 convenience stores. Consumers will prioritize healthier food choices for their kids or choose the organic items often perceived as most beneficial (greens, berries, juices, dairy, etc.). Dr. Alan Greene, (www.drgreene.com), offers a prescription listing the best organic items for parents to pick. There will be a trading down in organic, but often to the private label or bulk bin equivalents, with parents and the ultra health-conscious remaining committed to organic as part of their diet . 6) Imbibing to survive sobering times Social economic anxiety, free time as a result of unemployment, and home dining trends will cause alcohol sales to rise. The localvore trend will intersect and push consumption of local beer, wines and even spirits (as micro-distilleries are popping up around the country). Restaurant alcohol sales will suffer while high value wines from Chile and Argentina will do swimmingly. Even boxed wine (yes – boxed wine which is not all sweet pink stuff any more) will benefit in ’09 with wine cartons experiencing a 40 percent jump in sales in November 2008, according to A.E. Nielson. 7) Preventative Healthcare: The New Rx With national healthcare still a pipe dream, a priority will be placed on staying healthy without insurance. Preventative remedies including vitamins and flu shots will stay strong as consumers try to avoid costly doctors’ visits. Getting enough rest, eating for health and exercising with friends and family will all take priority. Consumers will seek ‘health assurance’ solutions as their health insurance diminishes or evaporates entirely. 8) Nano luxury allowed No new cars or fancy vacations mean consumers will find smaller ways to still enjoy a bit of luxe. Favorite cosmetics brands will do surprisingly well, as consumers justify a new lipstick as a low-cost pick me up, and natural and organic will also be draws as non-toxic cosmetics rise in popularity. According to author Claudia D’Arpizio, cosmetics will be less impacted by the weak 2008 holiday season, growing at 3 percent. Other mini-splurges will include iTunes purchases, inexpensive accessories, home espresso machines and home spa supplies. 9) Conscious consumerism takes hold Living within our means will cause some reevaluation of our spending and our core values. We predict this introspective analysis will yield a clearer sense of what really matters and portend a new era in conscious consumerism. FIG predicts that this trend will play out through very focused and deliberate spending of our dollars. The idea of ‘value’ will not merely be relevant for price. Value will also address what’s weighing on consumer’s minds. Fairly traded? Made in China? Food miles? Carbon imprint? High fructose corn syrup? Safe from E Coli? Consumers are no longer just shopping, they’re voting for change. Retailers who offer up knowledge and assurance with their products will differentiate from the rest of the pack. 10) Lighter Imprint Living A natural byproduct of this New Pragmatism will be the benefits to the environment. As people trade in cars for scooters or bicycle commuting, emissions also get the boot. Consuming less means less packaging, less product transport and less trash. With increased gardening and cooking, these new home stewards will learn to compost, the next revolution to recycling. Compost: a verb and a noun increasingly in our immediate future. Renew is replacing New in 2009.

How Do You Store Your Zen Cube?

The Ultimate Finishing Salt!

My HimalaSalt Zen Cube that comes with a stainless steel Inox Italian grater has gotten a lot of buzz lately. AOL picked it as one of the top food gifts for the holidays, people have been blogging about it like crazy, and Phil Lempert, the Food Guru reviewed it on The Today Show, voting it one of the coolest products he's seen in a long time!

Why is it so cool? It's gorgeous to look at, to hold, to grate, and especially to taste the super fine powder akin to powdered sugar, that you get when you grate a fine dusting over all sorts of dishes, including and especially, desserts. The flavor of the salt really blossoms when you grate it, you get to taste the sweet, salty, all the subtle nuances of the essential trace elements... this is what salt is supposed to taste like... no tongue burning here.

It's artisan carved from the purest selected pink Himalayan sea salt crystals, the HimalaSalt Zen Cube brings elegance, tranquility, and a bit of zen fun to your meals, in addition to being the perfect finishing salt for edamame, salads, steamed greens, pastas, bread dipped in oils, and more! Grater made of high grade Italian stainless. Each cube is hand-carved and varies in size, yet each one weighs approximately 1lb.

How Do You Store It?

Alot of people have very fairly asked me that question. It comes in a low-footprint cello bag with an insert card explaining the product, however what do you do with it after you take it out of the package?

A very creative gallery own in NYC placed 12 of them, one at each place setting for a dinner party, and added the extra sensory touch of a bouquet garni of fresh herbs and edible flowers, with the grater leaning on the back, his guests went crazy, even better, he gave it to each one as a gift to take home. On the homefront, I place mine on several different small plates, depending upon how I'm setting the table.

Besides keeping it dry - yes, you can rinse it quickly and then dry it off and it doesn't melt like you'd think it might, they last a very long time. I've used a small flat plank of polished tree root from Indonesia, a small mango wood rectangular plate (food grade finishing, of course), a slab of salvaged marble (one of my favorites), a Japanese lacquered dish, and some very cool, small pieces of pottery. It doesn't have to be stored airtight, it's there for a visual treat too.

What I've Used It For...

Grating finely over edamame, ice cream, caramel, salads, finishing off grilled fish, watermelon, chocolate ganache, grilled vegetables, rice, beans, cucumbers and raw veggies with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, it's like a meditation or a moment to pause and be grateful for the abundance and blessings I have, to be able to eat the best organic natural foods available, and especially to be able to feed those to my children and friends.

Pure Salt for Pure Bodies.
Salt is essential to life. We carry a replica of Earth's ancient ocean in our blood. HimalaSalt restores this natural alkaline balance, crucial for wellbeing. Hand-harvested and stone ground, its fresh, pure flavor, crystalline structure and gorgeous pink color stems from its naturally high content of essential minerals -- the same ones our bodies are made of, and precisely the ones we require for wellbeing.

· Kosher Passover Certified
· Made by 100% wind and solar energy)
· All Natural, Unrefined, No Additives
· Hand-Harvested from a Protected Source
· Contains whole essential trace elements
· Pristine, unlike sea salt from today's polluted oceans
· 5% of the profits go to the environment!

Thoughtful Quotes About Salt

Here are some salt quotes I've found interesting. When I wrote the definition of "Salt of the Earth" for my packaging, it was one of those moments where I really stopped to think.. salt is truly the essence of life... [Salt of the Earth: those of noble heart, ethical agents of social change. ]

"Salt is the only rock directly consumed by man. It corrodes but preserves, desiccates but is wrested from the water. It has fascinated man for thousands of years not only as a substance he prized and was willing to labour to obtain, but also as a generator of poetic and of mythic meaning. The contradictions it embodies only intensify its power and its links with experience of the sacred." ~Margaret Visser

"Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea." ~Pythagoras

"Bread that this house may never know hunger, salt that life may always have flavor. "
~It's A Wonderful Life,(movie)1946

What Does Market-Based Social Change Mean to You?

"By choosing products that reflect the values of sustainability; preserving and restoring the beauty and abundance of our living earth - you are also supporting companies whose values, combined with those of your own, creating a powerful vehicle for market-based social change. And while this shift is viewed by some as unrealistic or blue-sky, a values-based economy is really the fastest way to reduce global warming, create social change, and promote wellbeing for humanity." - melissa

Question:
What does market-based social change mean to you? What do you to make a difference? Let me know.

Are All Salts Allergen-Free? Look Again...

Allergen-Free Facts About HimalaSalt

HimalaSalt ™ is Allergen-Free

We've received numerous calls from conscientious retailers who care about their customers, as well as consumers who suffer from allergies and sensitivities. They've needed to know if we produce our products on shared equipment that could lead to cross-contamination from know allergens.

HimalaSalt™ is Allergen-Free, and produced in our own Certified Organic, Kosher Passover production facility on equipment that is never shared with any other products or companies. There is no possibility of cross-contact or cross-contamination that can result from products being packaged in a co-packing facility where dry powder fillers are used to pack a long list of foods, including sugar, cornstarch, flour, etc.

What's Missing in HimalaSalt?

The known allergens of milk and dairy, fish and shellfish, tree nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds), peanuts, soybeans, wheat, corn, anti-caking and flow agents, as well as iodine. When Iodine is added to table salt and sea salt, so is its dextrose/corn base.

Our commitment to providing the purest pink Himalayan sea salt available extends to how we care for our production facility - we have a chemical free environment, period. All equipment is washed with natural Ecover Soap and rinsed in hot water, which meets and exceeds our Organic Standards Compliance Plan, as well as State Licensing compliance for a food production facility. We do not store or process any ingredients in our facility that can produce reactions in our consumers.

According to retail grocery buyers that have searched for an Allergen-Free high quality safe salt for their customers, and after researching all popular salts in the natural foods distribution channel, HimalaSalt is the only one that can guarantee production on dedicated use equipment, and in an Allergen-Free environment.

The Skinny on Table Salt

If you or your family suffers from food allergies, it's important to know that HimalaSalt does not contain anti-caking or flow agents, is not heat treated, which destroys essential trace elements, and importantly, is non-iodized. Iodized table salt contains dextrose, which is derived from corn, one of the most common allergens. It is highly recommended to obtain this important element from naturally rich sources, including kelp and sea vegetables. Table salt, as well as many of today's popular sea salts contains anti-caking and flow agents derived from alumino-silicate of sodium or yellow prussiate of soda. These act as desiccants, to which various bleaches have been added, making this salt little more than an industrial waste byproduct. HimalaSalt offers the healthiest alternative, and is unrefined, all natural, with no additives of any kind.

The Truth About Salt - Do You Know What You are Eating?

Know What You are Eating


Are you aware that common Table Salt is an industrial by-product, stripped by chemical processing of all elements except sodium and chloride - detrimental to health in isolated form? Anti-caking and flow agents are added, yet the FDA Code 21CFR101.100(a)(3), does not require their disclosure to consumers. Table salt comes from the same lots as vacuum-refined industrial salt and is treated with caustic soda or lime to remove all traces of magnesium salts, which are important for health.


Important minerals are removed because they provide large corporations with staggering profits for use in agricultural and industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, ammunitions, and other unsustainable industries.


After extreme chemical processing and heated at up to 1200 degrees, table salt cannot support health and no longer combines with our body fluids. Table salt can also cause a deficiency of important essential trace minerals, which are abundantly present in HimalaSalt.

The fear of salt has arisen from consumer alerts that advise reduced consumption of salt and foods that have a high sodium content. It has more to do with quality vs. quantity. Consumers deserve to know that this is not the whole truth, and the FDA doesn't require salt companies to disclose to the consumer what's inside, like anti-caking and flow agents, mostly derived from aluminum.


Pure salt is essential to life. The body is made from water and minerals, and all critical functions of the body require these essential minerals and trace elements, which are no longer present in table salt or heat treated sea salt. Table salt is in most all processed, packaged foods, including drinks, candy, snacks, ice cream, cheese, processed meats, etc. Eliminating processed foods and table salt from your diet is important for health. By using HimalaSalt, rich with over 80 essential trace elements and high in magnesium, calcium, and iron, you can obtain easily assimilated essential minerals and alkalize your body, which is baseline for wellness.



Sea Salt comes from oceans that in our lifetime, have become heavily polluted. Growing dead zones and the mix of mercury, heavy metals, and toxins from agricultural chemicals, industrial runoff, nuclear waste, raw sewage and more, have compromised all ocean life. HimalaSalt™ has been protected for millions of year in the remote, pristine Himalayas, and is Pre-People, Pre-Pollution. HimalaSalt contains a full spectrum of whole essential minerals and delicious flavor that supports wellbeing and adds delicious flavor to sumptuous meals.

It's important to have essential minerals for health.

When a salt like HimalaSalt, that contains over 80 essential trace elements, is ingested, it immediately works with the saliva (amalese in particular) and begins digestion. The more present in the mouth, the better the digestion, which then continues in the stomach. HimalaSalt has been known to lower blood pressure, decrease water retention, and supports the liver, kidneys and adrenals to work more efficiently. It also can boost the immune system.

Do your body well and use HimalaSalt for optimal mineral absorption, it also opens up the flavor of food, and has signicant health benefits over table salt and sea salt from polluted oceans.

Lee Iacocca's "Where Have All the Leaders Gone"

I was sent this excerpt from Lee Iacocca's new book, "Where Have All the Leaders Gone". Ordering now, seems I share every word and have not been able to find an outlet, or to express my rage at what's happened. Another way to question it is.... as the old crumbles, will the new green emerge? I believe so, although sometimes it feels like a seed struggling to sprout through concrete.
Anyway, Lee Iacocca is a gutsy, honest guy who is now on my hero watchlist.


'Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He's now 82 years old and has a new book, 'Where Have All The Leaders Gone?'.

Lee Iacocca Says:

Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder! We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car.


But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'


Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America , not the damned 'Titanic'.


I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'


You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.


The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs.


While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?


I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis!


(Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of leadership, with crisis being the first.)


Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.


On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess, so here's where we stand.


We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.


We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.


We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.


Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy.


Our schools are in trouble.


Our borders are like sieves.


The middle class is being squeezed every which way.


These are times that cry out for leadership.


But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.


Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throwing away our shampoo?


We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.


Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.


Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.


Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?


Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.


I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? - that some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?


Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America . In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World Wars I and II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,'the 'Vietnam War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.


If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a "Call to Action" for people who, like me, believe i n America '. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'



Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It's our country, folks, and it's our future. Our future is at stake.

Gourmet Magazine - November 2008

Gourmet Magazine, a Hearst Publication, chose HimalaSalt's 100% Certified Organic Heirloom Green & Pink Peppercorns in spice tins, along with five other food products, out of thousands, as their favorite top picks for "The Gift of Grub" holiday food gifts.

Diversion Magazine's Top Pick: HimalaSalt

Diversion Mazagine, Hearst Publications - September, 2008

HimalaSalt's Zen Cube with Stainless Inox Grater were chosen by Diversion Magazine, a Hearst Publication, as their favorite food item for September, 2008.

FOOD - SALT DISH - Not all salt comes in a shaker. HimalaSalt is a light pink cube of salt harvested in the Himalayas (which used to be under water), on the border of Pakistan and Kashmir. It is unrefined and all natural. Grate a fine mist as a finishing salt over steamed veggies, salad, fish, and even popcorn. It's also terrific over chocolate. The approximately one-pound cube comes with a stainless Italian (Inox) grater. $15.00. HimalaSalt.com

Grilled Wild Salmon with HimalaSalt & Organic Pink & Green Peppercorns

Chef Michael Ballon of Castle Street Cafe created the most richly satisfying combination using an unusual combination of pears, peppercorns, and spinach. Try this dish, it's incredibly delicious.

Salmon with HimalaSalt, Organic Pink & Green Peppercorns

Braised Pears, and Pear Sauce

Prepared by Chef Michael Ballon of Castle Street Café,

Great Barrington, MA

Serves 4

4 6-8 oz salmon Filets

6 Ripe pears

½ cup pear or Apple juice

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/3 teaspoon Sustainable Sourcing organic pink peppercorns

1/3 teaspoon Sustainable Sourcing organic green peppercorns

¼ cup white wine

1cup spinach leaves

1. Peel 2 of the pears, blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, and then cool in ice water.

Drain well.

2. Puree the cooked pears in a blender with ½ teaspoon ginger. Heat the sauce until warm.

3 Slice the remaining 4 pears unpeeled, and lightly sauté in a little oil with the remaining ½ teaspoon ginger, until soft. Set aside.

4. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet, place the salmon filets in, and sauté for 2 minutes on each side. Cover the pan with a lid as the fish cooks.

5. Add the peppercorns, spinach leaves, cooked and wine, then cook 1 more minute with the lid on, or until fish is cooked.

6. Place some of the pear puree on the bottom of 4 plates, put the cooked pears & spinach mix in the center, and place the salmon on top Serve immediately.

Chef Bio: Chef Michael Ballon opened the Castle Street Cafe in 1989, after 10 years cooking in New York City as Executive Chef at Lavin's , Sofi, Wood's, The New York City Bar Association, and Plum's,. Located in Great Barrington next to the historic Mahaiwe Theater. Michael’s food essays also appear monthly in Berkshire Homestyle Magzine, a regional lifestyle publication distributed in the Berkshires and Albany area. He was voted Berkshire Grown’s chef of the year in 2000.

http://www.castlestreetcafe.com/