HimalaSalt Blog

Grilled Scallops on Himalayan Salt Block

2011-02-06T10:46:00.000-05:00

Watch a short video by Melissa Kushi, showing how to grill scallops on a Himalayan Salt Block. She also shows how to care for your block while heating, what oils to use or what to avoid, and how to prolong the life of your salt plate.

Himalayan Salt Tapas Plates for Entertaining

2011-01-30T15:07:00.005-05:00

Himalayan salt can be made into myriad objects, and HimalaSalt's 4x4x.5" tapas plates are by far the most gorgeous, everyday friendly piece of salt serving ware that we've yet to use.

For entertaining, the sparkly rosy, pink hues of these nicely sized tiles offer an unlimited range of presentations to impress your friends. From sushi to ice cream, these plates impart the most delicate hint of saltiness without overpowering the food - and, cleanup is a breeze.

Simply wipe clean with a damp cloth, using a scrubby if needed, to remove any dried or crusted food, then dry them off and store for the next party.

Because they're cut thin, these are not suitable for heating and grilling on. For grilling seafood, veggies, and meat, you'll want the 1.5 to 2" plates that can take the heat over and over again.

For easy, fast grilling recipes, check out the cooking videos on HimalaSalt's Youtube Channel

Watch Grilling Scallops on Himalayan Salt Slab!

Himalayan Salt Stone Massage; HimalaRose How-To!

2010-11-05T14:46:00.000-04:00

Brian Skerry reveals ocean's glory -- and horror | Video on TED.com

2010-06-03T10:24:00.000-04:00

Brian Skerry reveals ocean's glory -- and horror | Video on TED.com

Organic Watermelon Skewers on Himalayan Salt Plate - HimalaSalt

2010-05-15T17:15:00.003-04:00

Recipe inspired by: Ferran Adria, El Bulli Restaurant, Spain

You can watch the cooking video of this recipe at HimalaSalt's Youtube Channel.

This delicious and visually stunning dish speaks of warm summer days and elegant, easy entertaining. I especially love and appreciate how these simple, wholesome ingredients can be combined in such a highly creative way for the most gorgeous artistic presentation and sensual flavor combinations. With less than 7 minutes of prep time, it doesn't get any easier than this – and, it reminds me of growing up in the south where salt on watermelon is the standard. In my version of world-renown Chef Ferran Adria's recipe, (often referred to as "the Salvador Dali of the kitchen"), we can now have watermelon on salt. This has become one of my summer favorites.

The subtle layers of flavor pair especially well with summer grilling and wine tasting. To finish the dish after the watermelon has vanished, soak up the remaining olive oil-yuzu, rosemary, and pepper mix with fresh cut sourdough bread.

Instructions:

Chill watermelon and cube to bite size pieces (approx 1 ½" cubes). Cut cherry tomatoes in half and scoop out seeds, set aside for garnish. In a bowl, add olive oil and yuzu or lime juice, and a pinch of HimalaSalt. Whisk with a fork to form an emulsion. Zest the lemon with long curls for visual appeal, set aside for garnish. Pick leaves, buds, and flowers off rosemary, set aside. Chop chives, set aside.

Arrange watermelon cubes on chilled HimalaSalt salt plate, spoon 1 tsp of tomato seeds on top of watermelon cube, drizzle olive oil emulsion over cubes, give about 3-4 grinds of HimalaSalt organic Tellichery pepper, grate the HimalaSalt Zen Cube over each one to fully open flavors. Place bamboo skewers into the center of each cube. Garnish by sprinkling with chives, rosemary leaves and blossoms, and finish with lemon zest.

TOTAL TIME: Less than 7 minutes.
Ingredients

Organic watermelon (seedless if possible)
4 organic cherry tomatoes
1 organic lemon
4 tbsp organic olive oil
Several sprigs organic rosemary with blossoms
HimalaSalt Organic Tellichery Pepper
HimalaSalt Zen Cube for finishing
4 sprigs organic chives
1 tsp Yuzu juice (or substitute fresh lime juice)
HimalaSalt Salt Plate (chilled for one hour in freezer)
Short bamboo skewers (enough for each watermelon cube)

* Prepared by Melissa Kushi

RAW Chilled White Almond & Grape Gazpacho with Rosemary, Lavender & Organic Garlic HimalaSalt

2010-04-21T16:50:00.004-04:00

This recipe is inspired by Chef Jose Andres of Jaleo, Washington DC and the SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills. My version is RAW, VEGAN, AND ORGANIC.

Refreshing, light, pallet cleansing, and super nourishing, it's a great way to introduce raw vegan dishes to your family and friends.

Combine soaked, skinned almonds, garlic, water, and remaining ingredients (except olive oil and garnishes) in food processor. Puree until creamy smooth, add olive oil while blending. Season to taste and refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve in martini glass or decorative bowls. Garnish with a single chive stem and carefully split the peeled grapes 2/3 the way up the center and place on rim of glass or bowl. Drizzle a dollop of olive oil, add a pinch of organic garlic HimalaSalt, and chopped chives.

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes
Ingredients

Yield: 6 servings
1 cup organic almonds, soaked, blanched, and skinned
1 ounce organic garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups spring water
4 ounces freshly pressed organic white grape juice (run through juicer or food processor)
1 1/2 ounces sherry vinegar
½ cup organic extra virgin Spanish olive oil
HimalaSalt and HimalaSalt organic white pepper, to taste
Whole organic chives for garnish
6 peeled grapes (one for each serving as garnish)

Himalayan Salt | Sea Salt | Pink Salt | Himalayan Sea Salt

2009-12-08T19:33:00.001-05:00

HIMALASALT STUDIO SALE DEC 12TH, 10AM-6PM

Himala Salt | Sustainable Sourcing | Organic Peppercorns, Spices, and Artisan Salt Blends

2009-12-08T19:31:00.000-05:00

Himala Salt | Sustainable Sourcing | Organic Peppercorns, Spices, and Artisan Salt Blends

2009-11-22T14:08:00.002-05:00

Mercury in High-Fructose Corn Syrup?

We've known for years that commercial food products are not safe. Now boxed cereal is found to have Mercury... for health and wellbeing, stick to artisan produced, organically grown, heirloom quality, natural foods. Check out what we have available for detoxing at www.himalasalt.com.

Researchers Say 17 Products Tested Had Some Mercury; Industry Group Says Syrup Is Safe

By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News

Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD

Jan. 27, 2009 -- Some foods and drinks rich in high-fructose corn syrup may contain detectable levels of mercury, a new report shows.

The report, published on the web site of the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), shows detectable levels of mercury in 17 out of 55 tested products rich in high-fructose corn syrup.

But the researchers aren't telling people to avoid those products or other items containing high-fructose corn syrup, and they aren't sure what form of mercury those products contained.

The Corn Refiners Association stands by high-fructose corn syrup, calling it "safe."

Mercury and High-Fructose Corn Syrup
The new report comes from researchers including David Wallinga, MD, director of the IATP's food and health program. They bought 55 products that list high-fructose corn syrup first or second on their list of ingredients, which means high-fructose corn syrup was a leading ingredient in those products.

Wallinga's team sent samples of those products to a commercial lab, which checked the levels of total mercury in each sample.

"Overall, we found detectable mercury in 17 of 55 samples, or around 31%," write Wallinga and colleagues.

Here is the list of those products:

Quaker Oatmeal to Go bars
Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauce
Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce
Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars
Manwich Gold Sloppy Joe
Market Pantry Grape Jelly
Smucker's Strawberry Jelly
Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry
Hunt's Tomato Ketchup
Wish-Bone Western Sweet & Smooth Dressing
Coca-Cola Classic: no mercury found on a second test
Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt
Minute Maid Berry Punch
Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink
Nesquik Chocolate Milk
Kemps Fat Free Chocolate Milk
Wallinga and colleagues caution that their list was "just a snapshot in time; we only tested one sample of each product. That clearly is not sufficient grounds to give definitive advice to consumers."

Mercury exposure at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. A form of mercury called methylmercury is particularly risky to a baby's developing brain and nervous system, according to background information from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Wallinga points out that the lab only tested for total mercury levels, not methylmercury or other types of mercury. He also notes that the EPA has a "reference dose," or upper limit, for methylmercury intake but not for other forms of mercury.

Where Did the Mercury Come From?
Wallinga's report doesn't prove that the mercury in the tested products came from high-fructose corn syrup, but "I'm hard pressed to say where else it would come from," Wallinga tells WebMD.

Wallinga explains that mercury can be used to make caustic soda, which is one of the products used to make high-fructose corn syrup. That's outdated technology; mercury isn't needed to make caustic soda, notes Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, in a statement emailed to WebMD.

Erickson didn't comment specifically on Wallinga's study. Instead, her statement focuses on a new study published online in Environmental Health, which shows mercury in some samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup tested in 2005.

"This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance," Erickson states. "Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years."

Wallinga agrees about the technological shift away from mercury. "If you just look within the confines of the U.S., yes, about 90% of production now is not using mercury," says Wallinga. "The problem is that we don't actually know where our companies are buying their high-fructose corn syrup from ... it's a global industry."

"For me, the take-home message is really that this is a totally avoidable, unnecessary exposure to mercury," says Wallinga. "We've got a safer, more efficient technology for making these chemicals that are part of the ingredients used to manufacture high-fructose corn syrup."

Mercury's Form Unknown
Like Wallinga's report, the study published in Environmental Health doesn't specify the form of mercury present in the high-fructose corn syrup.

"I would imagine that a good majority of the mercury that is detected would have been in the form of elemental mercury," not methylmercury, toxicologist Carl Winter, PhD, tells WebMD. Winter, who directs the FoodSafe Program at the University of California, Davis, says that methylmercury is "by far the most toxic form of mercury" because methylmercury is better absorbed by the body than other forms of mercury.

"We have a principle in toxicology, which is the dose makes the poison," says Winter. "It's the amount of a chemical, not its presence or absence, that determines the potential for harm, and frankly, I don't see based on their findings that they've made much of a case that this is something that consumers need to worry about."

Besides his academic work, Winter is a volunteer spokesman for the Institute of Food Technologists, a nonprofit scientific society that includes food science and technology professionals in industry, academia, and government. Winter says his work has never been funded by food or chemical industries.

Companies Respond
WebMD contacted the makers of all 17 products that tested positive for mercury in Wallinga's report.

ConAgra Foods, which makes Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe and Hunt's Tomato Ketchup, is "absolutely confident in the safety of our products," ConAgra Foods spokeswoman Stephanie Childs tells WebMD.

Childs notes that "the levels of mercury reported in our ketchup are well below the EPA's safe exposure level. In fact, we estimate that you'd have to eat more than 100 pounds of ketchup per day to even come anywhere near the EPA's safe exposure level in terms of mercury.

A spokeswoman for Kraft Foods, Adrienne Dimopoulos, tells WebMD that Kraft has not had time to review the study's findings. However, "Kraft Foods' highest priority is the safety and quality of our products and the safety of our consumers. All of the ingredients we use are approved and deemed safe for food use by regulatory agencies, including the US FDA."

Amy Reilly, a spokeswoman for Target, which makes Market Pantry Grape Jelly, tells WebMD that Target is carefully evaluating the information and that "Target looks to the Food and Drug Administration to provide guidance on the safety of food additives and ingredients."

An FDA spokesperson wasn't immediately available to comment on Wallinga's report or the study published in Environmental Health.

SOURCES: Dufault, R. Environmental Health, Jan. 26, 2009; online edition. Wallinga, D. "Not So Sweet: Missing Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup." David Wallinga, MD, director, Food and Health Program, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Statement from Audrae Erickson, president, Corn Refiners Association. Carl Winter, PhD, director, FoodSafe Program and Extension Food Toxicologist, department of food science and technology, University of California, Davis. Adrienne Dimopoulos, spokeswoman, Kraft Foods. Amy Reilly, spokeswoman, Target.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=96029

Symptoms of Mercury Toxicity

If a person has 7 or more of these symptoms, there is a significantly increased possibility that mercury toxicity is a major contributing factor.

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Irritability
Anxiety/nervousness, often with difficulty breathing
Restlessness
Exaggerated response to stimulation
Fearfulness
Emotional instability
lack of self-control
fits of anger, with violent, irrational behavior
Loss of self-confidence
Indecision
Shyness or timidity, being easily embarrassed
Loss of memory
Inability to concentrate
Lethargy, drowsiness
Insomnia
Mental depression, despondency
Withdrawal
Suicidal tendencies
Manic-depression
Numbness and tingling of hands, feet, fingers, toes, or lips
Muscle weakness progressing to paralysis
Ataxia
Tremors/trembling of hands, feet, lips, eyelids, or tongue
Incoordination
Myoneural transmission failure resembling Myasthenia Gravis
Multiple Slerosis
HEAD, NECK, ORAL CAVITY DISORDERS
Bleeding gums
Alveolar bone loss
Loosening of teeth
Excessive salivation
Foul breath
Metallic taste
Burning sensation, with tingling of lips, face
Tissue pigmentation (amalgam tattoo of gums)
Leukoplakia
Stomatitus
Ulceration of gingiva, palate, tongue
Dizziness/acute, chronic vertigo
Ringing in ears
Hearing difficulties
Speech and visual impairment
Glaucoma
Restricted, dim vision

GASTROINTESTINAL EFFECTS
Food sensitivities, especially to milk and eggs
Abdominal cramps, colitis, diverticulitis or other G.I. complaints
Chronic diarrhea/constipation

CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS
Abnormal heart rhythm
Characteristic findings on EKG
Abnormal changes in the S-T segment and/or lower
Broadened P wave
Unexplained elevated serum triglyceride
Unexplained elevated cholesterol
Abnormal blood pressure, either high or low

IMMUNOLOGIC
Repeated infections
Viral and fungal
Myobacterial
Candida and other yeast infections
Cancer
Autoimmune disorders
Arthritis
Lupis erythematosus (LE)
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Scleroderma
Amyolateral sclerosis (ALS)
Hypothyroidism

SYSTEMIC EFFECTS
Chronic headaches
Allergies
Severe dermatitus
Unexplained reactivity
Thyroid disturbance
Subnormal body temperature
Cold, clammy skin, especially hands and feer
Excessive perspiration, with frequent night sweats
Unexplained sensory symptoms, including pain
Unexpalined numbness or burning sensations
Unexplained anemia
G-6-PD deficiency
Chronic kidney disease
Nephrotic syndrome
Receiving renal dialysis
Kidney infection
Adrenal disease
General fatigue
Loss of appetite, with or without weight loss
Loss of weight
Hypoglycemia

http://www.icnr.com/uam/MercuryToxicitySymptoms.html

Virtually all sodas have high fructose corn syrup:

Mountain Dew lists its ingredients as:
Carbonated water
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
Concentrated orange juice and other natural flavors
Citric acid
Sodium benzoate (preserves freshness)
Caffeine (55.2 mg per 12 oz.)
Sodium citrate
Gum arabic
Erythorbic acid (preserves freshness)
Calcium disodium EDTA (to protect flavor)
Brominated vegetable oil
Yellow 5

...as well as most cereals:

Kellogg's Corn Flakes

Serving Size 1 cup (28g)

Amount per serving
Calories 101 Calories from Fat 1
Hide Daily Values % Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 202mg 8%
Total Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugars 3g
Protein 2g

Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 10%
Calcium 0% Iron 45%
Thiamin 40% Riboflavin 43%
Niacin 34% Vitamin B6 48%
Vitamin B12 44% Folic Acid 31%
Vitamin D 11% Potassium 1%
Phosphorus 1% Magnesium 1%
Copper 2% %
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Show Daily Values Description:

Cereals ready-to-eat, KELLOGG, KELLOGG'S Corn Flakes

Ingredients:

MILLEDCORN, SUGAR, MALT FLAVORING, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SALT, IRON,NIACINAMIDE, SODIUM ASCORBATE AND ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), PYRIDOXINEHYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMINHYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMINB12, AND VITAMIN D. TO MAINTAIN QUALITY, BHT HAS BEEN ADDED TO THEPACKAGING.

Raisin Bran Cereal

Post Foods, LLC show contact info Ingredients:

Whole Grain Wheat, Raisins, Wheat Bran, Sugar*, Corn Syrup, Salt, Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour. Vitamins and Minerals: Reduced Iron, Niacinamide, Zinc Oxide (Source of Zinc)Vitamin B6, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)Folic Acid, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D.

Post's website: http://www.postcereals.com/cereals/post_raisin_bran/#nutrition

On Post's website, they state, "Sugars on the Nutrition Facts panel include naturally occuring sugars such as fructose in fruit and lactose in dairy products as sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup.

Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury
Wednesday, January 28, 2009; 12:00 AM

MONDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, which was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient, according to two new U.S. studies.

HFCS has replaced sugar as the sweetener in many beverages and foods such as breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups and condiments. On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

In the first study, published in current issue of Environmental Health, researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS.

And in the second study, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), a non-profit watchdog group, found that nearly one in three of 55 brand-name foods contained mercury. The chemical was found most commonly in HFCS-containing dairy products, dressings and condiments.

But an organization representing the refiners is disputing the results published in Environmental Health.

"This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance," said Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, in a statement. "Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years. These mercury-free re-agents perform important functions, including adjusting pH balances."

However, the IATP told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that four plants in Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio and West Virginia still use "mercury-cell" technology that can lead to contamination.

IATP's Ben Lilliston also told HealthDay that the Environmental Health findings were based on information gathered by the FDA in 2005.

And the group's own study, while not peer-reviewed, was based on products "bought off the shelf in the autumn of 2008," Lilliston added.

The use of mercury-contaminated caustic soda in the production of HFCS is common. The contamination occurs when mercury cells are used to produce caustic soda.

"The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients," Wallinga said in his prepared statement.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831.html

2009-11-06T15:51:00.013-05:00

Another Un-Truth About Salt in Food. They Just Don't Get It!

In commenting on the article below, I'd like to point out that while science is spending LOTS of money experimenting with trying to "layer" high salt and low salt fractions in food (with common table salt), they are missing the boat entirely. If they simply used a high-quality, high-mineral salt, such as HimalaSalt, that the body can assimilate, unlike table salt, it would mean improved health for consumers, truthful education about the differences between and hence perils of common table salt vs. HimalaSalt. Curbing spending on wasteful studies might put $$ to feeding the hungry, tackling environmental challenges, and evolving education...?

I feel really passionate about the salt issue, not just because I have a salt company, nor because I'm a salt authority, but because I've got customers across the country using HimalaSalt that have lowered their blood pressure, have been able as Celiac's patients to finally enjoy a gluten-free delicious salt once again, and I've seen first hand how people's lives have changed for the better.

I also feel very passionate about the environment - and the 1,000+ chemicals that are used to strip table salt of its mineral base, leaving only sodium and chloride, detrimental to health in isolated form, is poisoning our air, water, and soil. Is this really what you want to feed your family? Didn't think so.

If you're ready to switch, or to just dabble, now's a good time. We are having a huge holiday sale through November with free shipping.

If you've had a life changing experience, tell me about it, I'd really like to hear from you. Melissa Kushi, Great Barrington, MA November 6, 2009

Smart salt distribution can cut salt without extra additives
By Stephen Daniells, 06-Nov-2009

Dutch scientists have developed a new technology to enable up to 25 per cent reduction of salt in food products without loss of taste or adding other additives.

Scientists at Top Institute Food and Nutrition (TIFN) in the Netherlands have developed a technique to reduce salt without adding sodium substitutes, or taste or aroma additives.

Speaking to FoodNavigator.com, Professor Rob Hamer, TIFN’s scientific director explained that the ‘smart salt distribution’ technology works by blending a high salt fraction with a low salt fraction. This creates different layers with different salt content.

“It has to do with the ability of people to measure difference rather than absolute levels,” he explained. “By varying layer thickness we could achieve the sensation of 2 per cent bread, for example, while the actual salt level is 1.5 per cent,” he said.

The patented technology is the result of new insights into how consumers perceive the salt taste, said Prof Hamer.

While the technology was initially applied to bread and bakery products, the Dutch manufacturer Vion Food Group has applied it to bacon to produce low-salt rashers, with an eye on the UK market. It could also be applied to cheese or snacks, said TIFN.

“We believe our findings represent a significant breakthrough in the battle to reduce salt intake in the general population,” says Prof Hamer.

“It is not an easy task for the food industry to reduce salt, because there is no real alternative for salt as a tastant. This new technology will enable the food industry to lower the salt content of many products,” he added.

Organic Cubeb Madeleines & HimalaSalted Agave Caramel

2009-02-24T20:33:00.005-05:00

Organic Cubeb Madeleines & HimalaSalted Agave Caramel

A delicate dessert bread, flavored with either lemon or orange, and peppered with Organic Cubeb. The high essential oil content in the cubeb pepper makes it especially aromatic, fragrant, and a delicious balance to ice cream and sweet agave caramel. Ingredients: * 1 1/4 cup organic pastry flour * 1 tsp baking powder, non-aluminum * 2 eggs. organic free-range * 1/2 cup organic powdered sugar * 1 tbs lemon or orange juice * 6 tbs butter, melted * Grated rind of lemon or orange Preparation: Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 12 cup madeleine cake tin. Sift flour and baking powder together. In another mixing bowl, beat eggs and icing sugar together until mixture is thick. Fold in rind and juice (either lemon or orange). Fold in some of the flour mixture and then the melted butter, alternating until both are completely mixed. Let stand for 10 minutes, then spoon into tin. Bake for 15 minutes, and rotate the tin halfway through. Dust with icing sugar before serving. Makes 12 Madeleines.cakes.

Plate with organic ice cream, either dairy, rice dream, or yummy coconut based vegan ice cream, there are so many choices... and drizzle with agave caramel, dusted with a grating of fresh HimalaSalt, using the HimalaSalt Zen Cube & Stainless Grater.

Agave Caramel Sauce

Ingredients
• 1 cup organic agave nectar
• 6 Tbsp organic butter
• 1/2 cup organic heavy whipping cream

NOTE: Be careful making this, caramel bubbles and gets hotter than boiling water! Not safe for kids to make, be sure to have everything ready to go at once. Heat agave moderately on high heat in a large heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. Stir vigorously as it begins to bubble. As soon as it comes to a boil, stop stirring. Add butter, whisk until melted, take the pan off the heat. Slowly add cream, continue to whisk. Note that mixture will bubble up, so be sure to use large pot. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Stores in frig for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving. Makes a little over one cup of sauce. Serve with Organic Ice Cream, Madeleines, use the HimalaSalt Zen Cube & Grater to lightly salt the caramel for exquisite flavor and balance.

2009-02-24T20:20:00.003-05:00

Organic Peaches Poached in Wine & Cubeb Pepper

Ingredients
1 tbsp HimalaSalt Organic Cubeb Peppercorns
1 cup Port Wine
Peel of ½ organic lemon
1 organic vanilla bean
6 organic bay leaves
½ bottle organic red wine
2 ½ tbsp agave nectar
6 ripe organic peaches

Place peppercorns in a square of cheesecloth and the tie securely with string. In a large saucepan, combine the port, lemon peel, vanilla bean, bay leaves, wine, pepper sachet and bring to a boil. Stir in agave and remove from the heat. Add more agave if needed, cover and set aside. Half fill large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Plunge peaches into boiling water and let them sit there for one to two minutes, then rinse them under cold water and peel. Place them in the warm wine over medium heat and bring to simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and cool. Remove fruit from syrup and place it in shallow bowl. Pick out bay leaves to use as garnish. Cut vanilla bean into fine slices for garnish. Set aside in a cool place, (not the frig) until ready to serve. Get your ingredients at www.himalasalt.com

Join Me on Ning!

2009-02-21T09:52:00.001-05:00

The Truth About Salt Campaign

2009-02-17T11:30:00.000-05:00

Sustainable Sourcing LLC, the leader in sustainably sourced seasonings, has launched a campaign to demystify salt, the most widely used and misunderstood seasoning in America. Fear of salt has overshadowed the truth. Table salt is no more than industrial waste and sea salt is contaminated. Primordial salt provides a healthy alternative as it was created 250 million years ago when the world was still pristine. Primordial salt promotes our natural balance.

Since healthy blood mirrors the alkaline structure of the ancient ocean, and HimalaSalt is the ancient ocean in pure crystalline form, you have a healthier choice for your family

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/

Sweet Potatoe Pancakes with HimalaSalt & Organic Pink Peppercorns

2009-01-03T19:39:00.003-05:00

Our lucky chef at Dish Cafe is off on some gorgeous beach, grating his HimalaSalt Zen Cube over fresh mango, while we've got -14 below and a couple feet of snow. When he gets back, we'll get the complete recipe.

However.... I ate every last bite of this incredible dish. The sweet potatoes were grated, held together very lightly with a dusting of flour, and pan fried in extra virgin olive oil, then topped with a fresh cream and organic pink peppercorn sauce... he got the combination perfect on this dish. My son loves this one, it's pure comfort food.

Dish Cafe's Hummus with HimalaSalt & Organic Long Pepper

2009-01-03T19:35:00.003-05:00

I can't wait for the chef to return from holidays! We are waiting for his recipe. He used very few ingredients, all of which were fresh, less tahini than usual, so it had a very light, fresh, and clean texture and rich, flavor, especially topped with grated HimalaSalt and fresh ground Himala Organic Long Pepper.

What's the Eco Footprint of Pure Salt?

2009-01-03T16:13:00.015-05:00

What is Sustainable Sourcing’s® Footprint?

Conscious Business + Responsible Consumerism = Global Activism.
Together, we are Market-Based Social Change.

We are committed to:

The Highest Quality and Social Value: Our naturally pure products are ethically source, artisan made, climate-neutral, and adhere to the strictest quality and purity standards we can devise. We use hand-harvested, naturally processed, organic raw materials that support the wellbeing of our suppliers and customers alike. The Environment: Being 100% wind and solar powered has reduced our footprint and created the equivalent of planting 38 acres of trees annually or preventing 235,600 pounds of greenhouse gases entering into the atmosphere. We also use tree-free, wind-powered, recycled papers with soy/veg inks. We have gone far beyond the requirement to offset our electric use only. We’ve partnered with the Green-e and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to calculate and offset 100% of the company’s annual usage of fossil fuels on our entire operation, including:

· 100% of Ocean freight, Trucking, Travel, Shows
· 100% Package Production, Printing, Marketing
· 100% our entire operation at our Certified Organic, Kosher Passover Certified processing facility in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains of New England.

Force for Change: 5% of our profits support awareness and solutions to global warming, preserving our oceans and biodiversity, and importantly, we support sustainable livelihood and biodiversity programs in regions where our products are sourced.

WE AIM TO LEAVE THE LIGHTEST FOOTPRINT.

Sustainable Sourcing is actively addressing climate change and sustainability, leading the way in avoiding air pollution, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Green-e

The Green-e: Green-e Energy is the nation’s leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy. This consumer-protection program verifies through stringent requirements, monitoring, and audits - superior, certified renewable energy options that result in “Live Metered Hours” of renewable energy that is accounted for and tracked through the power grid. This energy comes from new renewable facilities built since 1997. The Green-e logo is the national symbol for renewable energy excellence. They require stringent consumer and environmental safeguards that builds consumer confidence. When consumers purchase any of our Green-e certified products, they can be assured that we are doing our part to reduce the vulnerability of our nation’s energy infrastructure. Read more about their work at www.green-e.org.

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation

The BEF: A non-profit that provides our renewable energy, the BEF created 581,000 megawatt hours of clean renewable energy in 2007. Enough pollution-free energy to meet the needs of 48,000 US homes for one year. In addition, a percentage of Sustainable Sourcing’s Green Energy fees were used to complete over 50 solar installations on schools and community buildings across the country, contributed to record return of Kokanee salmon through river restoration projects, and the completion of the White Creek Wind Farm in SE Washington, which at 200 megawatts of power capacity, makes White Creek the largest public power wind farm in the country. The BEF puts Sustainable Sourcing’s dollars towards worthy projects from Solar 4R Schools, Sequential Biofuel Station in Eugene, OR, to supporting the operations of over 27 wind and solar energy facilities. Read more about their work at www.b-e-f.org.

“At Sustainable Sourcing, conscious business and caring for the environment is part of our founding mission, and inherent to how we source and make our products. By providing consumers with products that support the values of sustainability, we are creating a powerful vehicle that helps to preserve and restore the beauty and abundance of our living earth. Our sustainable values, combined with those of conscious consumers, has created a partnership for market based social change.” - Melissa Kushi, Founder and President, Sustainable Sourcing, LLC

A Footprint for Market Based Social Change

2009-01-03T16:13:00.010-05:00

What is Sustainable Sourcing’s® Footprint?

Conscious Business + Responsible Consumerism = Global Activism. Together, we are Market-Based Social Change.

We are committed to:

The Highest Quality and Social Value: Our naturally pure products are ethically source, artisan made, climate-neutral, and adhere to the strictest quality and purity standards we can devise. We use hand-harvested, naturally processed, organic raw materials that support the wellbeing of our suppliers and customers alike.

The Environment: Being 100% wind and solar powered has reduced our footprint and created the equivalent of planting 38 acres of trees annually or preventing 235,600 pounds of greenhouse gases entering into the atmosphere. We also use tree-free, wind-powered, recycled papers with soy/veg inks. We have gone far beyond the requirement to offset our electric use only. We’ve partnered with the Green-e and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to calculate and offset 100% of the company’s annual usage of fossil fuels on our entire operation, including:

· 100% of Ocean freight, Trucking, Travel, Shows

· 100% Package Production, Printing, Marketing

· 100% our entire operation at our Certified Organic, Kosher Passover Certified processing facility in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains of New England.

Being a Force for Change: 5% of our profits support awareness and solutions to global warming, preserving our oceans and biodiversity, and importantly, we support sustainable livelihood and biodiversity programs in regions where our products are sourced.

WE AIM TO LEAVE THE LIGHTEST FOOTPRINT.

Sustainable Sourcing is actively addressing climate change and sustainability, leading the way in avoiding air pollution, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Green-e

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation

Norman Rockwell & The Red Lion Inn, Tradition Takes On HimalaSalt, Pink Salt

2009-01-03T15:37:00.006-05:00

Stockbridge, MA, the quintessential New England village, is home to the Norman Rockwell Museum, 4 minutes to Tanglewood-summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Berkshire Theater Festival, Naumkeg, the famous Red Lion Inn, and a lot of very cool people.

Walking into the Red Lion Inn at Christmas, the traditional decorations, greenery and huge tree are enough to turn Scrooge into a holiday lover. Even more surprising was the chef, Brian Alberg is not just cool, he's hip, pierced, goateed, and talented!

Although I don't haven't eaten veal or pork since before middle school, the HimalaSalt Fingerlings and Confit of Baby Vegetables hit the spot on that icy cold day.

3 Peppercorn Encrusted Veal Chop

HimalaSalt Fingerlings & Confit of Baby Vegetables

Created by Chef Brian Alberg, The Red Lion Inn

Stockbridge, MA, home of Norman Rockwell

Serves 4

4 10-12 oz veal rib chops

2 Tbs. Crushed Peppercorn Blend

2 Tsp. HimalaSalt

1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary

Olive oil for searing

Mix salt, peppercorns & rosemary together. Press one side of the chop into the mix to make crust, sear crust side down in hot pan for 3 minutes, turn over and sear the plain side for 3 minutes. Place in 350 degree oven to finish for approximately 10-15 minutes or 130 degree internal temperature.

HimalaSalt Fingerlings

1 lb. fingerling potatoes

4 Tbs. HimalaSalt

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. cracked peppercorns

Coat fingerlings with salt, pepper & oil, roast in 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until tender.

Confit of Baby Vegetables

8 ea. baby turnips

8 ea. baby beets

8 ea. baby carrots

2 garlic cloves

½ sprig rosemary

olive oil to cover

pinch HimalaSalt

Clean, peel & snip tops on the vegetables, put in a non-reactive pot with garlic and rosemary, cover the vegetables with olive oil and simmer 30 minutes. Let cool, store in oil until ready to use, this can be done a day prior to use. To reheat, remove from oil and sauté.

2009-01-03T15:28:00.002-05:00

Pink Salt with a Mission: HimalaSalt and the Zero-Carbon Diet

HimalaSalt Becomes First 100% Climate Neutral Himalayan Sea Salt in Partnership with the Bonneville Environemental Foundation

Great Barrington, MA (PRWEB) -- HimalaSalt promises to be not only sumptiously delicious, gorgeous pink, and full of essential trace minerals, but good for the planet as well. Sustainable Sourcing, LLC, the producer of HimalaSalt has offset their environmental impact in partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

By purchasing Green Tags, or renewable energy credits through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, HimalaSalt is now the first ever natural Himalayan sea salt company in America to be 100% certified Green-e, sustainably packaged, and certified Kosher, with 5% of their profits going to the environment and the source community.

By offsetting the environmental impact and 100% of their energy use, HimalaSalt is creating the equivalent of planting over 38 acres of cool green trees annually, representing an annual savings of over 250,000 lbs of greenhouse gas emmissions (primarily carbon dioxide).

About HimalaSalt
HimalaSalt™ is the first product of Sustainable Sourcing, LLC. It's an extremely pure primordial pink sea salt, sourced from deep within the exotic and remote Himalayas. This rare primordial sea salt of 250 million years ago remains free of impurities, unlike refined table salt or salt from today's widely polluted oceans.

Kushi, who spent years researching the purest source, said, “The sea that produced HimalaSalt is of an utterly pure age, protected from pollution deep within the pristine Himalayas, it's hand-harvested, stone ground, the best available - today’s oceans are incapable of producing a sea salt of this quality.”

Kushi explains, "We carry a replica of Earth's ancient ocean in our blood; HimalaSalt restores the natural alkaline balance crucial to health by providing the essential minerals of which our bodies are made, and require for wellbeing. And just as organic whole foods are best for people and planet, you want your salt to be whole, too."

HimalaSalt is unrefined with no additives, unlike common table salt, which is chemically stripped of all minerals and laced with anti-caking and flow agents, rarely disclosed to consumers (a loophole in the FDA regulations). Table salt is associated with health problems -- whole salt is associated with vitality and wellbeing. Premier chefs around the country have discovered it for other qualities, namely how its rich, deep flavor enhances good food.

About the Founder
Melissa Kushi, a southern farmgirl whose passion for pure foods lead her to the Kushi Institute,the premier macrobiotic center, where she became steeped in Eastern philosophy and wholefoods cooking. She has spent the better part of her adult life traveling the world’s most remote and deeply cultured regions. While she created bamboo micro-industries in rural Africa, replaced coca crops with organic cotton in the jungles of Peru and introduced heirloom soybean seeds to organic farmers in the U.S., she saw clearly that -- as the third word seeks balance for survival, the first world seeks balance for meaning. She created Sustainable Sourcing as a means for nourishing both.

“Promoting renewable energy is a natural extension of our company's mission. From the world's most remote, pristine lands, we ethically source, sustainably package, natural products that are purely delicious and physically nourishing. Being 100% climate-neutral reinforces our commitment to protecting the planet while improving the lives of our customers and our producers," Melissa Kushi explains.

About Bonneville Environmental Foundation
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to restore watershed ecosystems and further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sale of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass. BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for certification and trading. More information is available on the web at www.b-e-f.org.

The Best Duck Confit with HimalaSalt & Organic 4 Pepper Blend

2009-01-03T14:18:00.005-05:00

I haven't had red meat since I was about 9 years old, with the exception of when I was on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota a few years ago, where we were doing an indigenous permaculture project, raising a wind generator, and installing solar panels on a community center for Alex Whiteplume, the leading advocate for legalizing hemp production in the United States. We were in the middle of nowhere, and the food wagon arrived bearing fry bread and buffalo stew. I was starving, I ate it with gratitude, and must have needed it because my brain started working in hyperdrive. It changed my view about eating animal food from time to time, so I tried duck and have been looking for the perfect duck since... luckily I found it almost in my backyard, prepared by celebrated chef William Merelle, at Rouge in West Stockbridge, MA. If you like, or love duck, you have to try this recipe!

William, and Maggie his wife, are a very beautiful people, globally minded, locally rooted, warm and kind with international flair - which shows in their beautiful Provence inspired restaurant.

Duck Confit
Recipe by William Merelle
Chef/Owner Rouge Restaurant

12 Duck legs and 24 Duck Wings
8 oz HimalaSalt
1 bunch Rosemary
1 bunch Thyme
3 ounces Coriander
3 ounces Himala Peppercorn Blend
10 Pieces of Shallot
10 garlic cloves
Puree garlic and shallots in a food processor, add Rosemary and Thyme . Combine coriander, Himalasalt Peppercorns and Himalsalt, puree for one minute. Mix the mixture with the duck on a deep hotel pan, drums standing up. Place in the fridge for 24 hours, then bake for 2 hours at 350.

Let the duck cool off for 4 hours in the fat. Decant the duck from the grease. Oven Bake the Duck at 400 for 10 minutes on a sizzle plate, Or deep fry for 5 minutes. Serve with or without your choice sauce. Serves 10-12 people.

Opening its doors on Bastille day 2002, Rouge Restaurant and Bistro has quickly become Berkshire county's premier dining experience. Chef/Owner William Merelle and his wife Maggie have recently remodeled the 18th century landmark building located on 3 Center Street in the vibrant heart of West Stockbridge, enlarging Rouge and making it even more inviting, delectable, and memorable. In this culinary sanctuary for food and wine lovers alike, the dinner menu offers a full a la carte menu with vegan and vegetarian options while the bar menu features tapas and sandwiches. Visit Rouge.

HimalaSalt Teams with Top Chefs to Create Delicious Recipes

2009-01-03T13:40:00.008-05:00

Creighton Peet, the innovative, lauded Chef at Pearl's Restaurant in Great Barrington, developed this recipe out of his sheer love for my organic Long Pepper. Creighton loves the taste, the aroma, and the warmth it gives to dishes, and how it has surpassed expectations of what pepper can do to food....He was also pretty thrilled to find out that my Long Pepper is an heirloom from the 1500s spice trade, that it is shade grown in the jungle, hand harvested, and that our harvests helps to preserve the regional biodiversity of the monsoon forests as well as the indigenous local culture of our farmers.

Long Pepper is the distant relative to today's mono-cropped black pepper, and it's distinctive flavor and aroma is akin to a heady combination of coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, giving a deep, spicy warmth. It goes well on anything you'd use black pepper on,and here, Creighton raised the bar by creating an exotic, incredibly delicious, gourmet dessert that you can make easily at home.

HimalaSalt Long Pepper Ice Cream

2 cup organic heavy cream

2 cup ½ & ½ (or silk coffee creamer)

½ vanilla bean split

½ teaspoon ground og Himala long pepper

9 each organic egg yolk

¾ cup organic cane sugar

Combine cream, ½ & ½ and vanilla bean. Bring to simmer and let steep 15 min.

Mix egg yolk and sugar, temper together with cream mixture.

Return to heat and cook stirring frequently until nape.

Strain into a bowl set in ice, cool and freeze in ice cream maker.

Yucca chips

Peel yucca, cut into 5 inch sections, slice laterally on a mandoline to get long rectangular pieces. Fry in deep fryer according to manufacturers instructions, place on paper towel to drain, shave fresh HimalaSalt on to chips while cooling.

Rum Sauce

½ cup Meyers dark rum

½ cup og brown sugar

¼ cup sweetened condensed milk

2 grinds of Himala og long pepper

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Combine rum, sugar and milk stirring constantly until completely dissolved & mixture has come to a boil. Add spices, mix and let cool.

Peel, core and cut pineapple.

Season lightly with HimalaSalt, Long Pepper, a sprinkle of brown sugar and 2-3 tablespoon of olive oil.

Heat grill and grill pineapple until there are good grill marks and the pineapples sugars start to caramelize.

Remove and let cool.

To plate arrange pineapple on a plate, scoop ice cream into center, arrange yucca chips around sticking into the ice cream, shave a little (3-5shaves) HimalaSalt Zen Cube using the Stainless Steel Inox Grater.

HimalaSalt & Pink Peppercorns for Salads and Grilling

2009-01-03T13:35:00.003-05:00

Ingredients

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
HimalaSalt™, fine grain or coarse ground, finely ground
Organic Garlic, finely minced, or organic dehydrated garlic bits
Organic fresh lemon juice
Organic Himala Pink Peppercorns

In a bowl, add organic extra virgin olive oil, HimalaSalt, minced garlic or dehydrated organic garlic bits, add lemon juice and stir. Pour on salad, toss and add pink peppercorns, toss lightly again. Adjust proportions to taste and quantity per number of people served.

For grilling, adjust recipe by using a pinch more HimalaSalt, a bit less lemon, and marinate vegetables or fish for 2 hours before grilling.

Sustainable Sourcing Launches “HimalaSalt Green Gift Kits” Offering Zero-Carbon, Zero-Lanfill Giving

2009-01-03T12:40:00.003-05:00

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA – Holiday 2008. People who want their gifts to reflect their commitment to the environment now have a gorgeous “HimalaSalt Green Gift Kit” to present to their friends and loved ones, thanks to Sustainable Sourcing, LLC, the next generation leader in sustainability practices and the producer of HimalaSalt, the world’s purest salt.

“Our HimalaSalt Green Gift Kits are a treasure chest filled with sumptuously rich, delicious and health-giving products that are ethically-sourced and artisan harvested,” said Melissa Kushi, the social entrepreneur who is founder and president. “We give five percent of the company’s profits to the environment, and our commitment to quality is reflected in our certifications. The products are certified kosher and organic, our box is certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and the shrink wrap is 100% certified compostable EarthFirst PLA. As well, the excelsior is from a sustainable tree program, and everything is made by certified Green-e wind power. It’s a joy for me to present a zero-carbon, zero-landfill gift to conscious consumers,” she adds.

The heart of the deluxe kit is a beautiful pink “Zen Cube” of primordial HimalaSalt, which was created 250 million years ago during a time of pristine environmental integrity. Hand-harvested from a protected region deep within the Himalayas, the salt remains free of impurities. It is slowly stone-ground to retain its full potency of minerals and bright, full flavor. Its rare pink color is owed to its naturally high mineral content. A natural food enhancer, it provides the safest and healthiest alternative to refined table salt and sea salt derived from today's polluted oceans, once pristine and abundant. This kit includes a stainless steel Italian hand grater, three spice refill tins containing pink and green peppercorns and HimalaSalt, a ceramic blade grinder HimalaSalt crystals and Pink Peppercorns.

The Organic Heirloom Pink and Green Peppercorns help preserve the regions where they are sourced. The Pink Peppercorns are from Brazil and are highly prized for their zesty, sweet and citrusy flavor. The Green Peppercorns are from India and offer fresh aromas of lemongrass and bergamot - an earthy bouquet balanced with spicy warmth.

There are seven kits to choose from, containing a global array of Organic Heirloom Long and Cubeb Pepper from the 1500’s spice trade, a rich Four Pepper Blend, White, Tellichery, Pink, Green, and a gorgeous assortment of HimalaSalt products. Prices range from $35.00 to $75.00.

Kushi, who speaks passionately about pure food and ethical business says, “This zero-landfill, zero-carbon green gift kit truly reflects my personal values and commitments to sustainability and the belief that, while consumer culture is harming the planet, it can also help save it.” Melissa explains, "My goal is to create market-based social change by sourcing our products from the most pristine regions on Earth in ways that sustain the Earth, and improve the lives of our consumers and producers, all while sharing my love of quality, pure foods and definitely a sense of global eco-adventure, wellbeing, and social justice."
Available online at www.himalasalt.com, phone 413-528-5141, or email, sale@himalasalt.com for a full product catalog.

HimalaSalt & Pink Peppercorn Chocolate Bark

2009-01-03T12:26:00.004-05:00

Ingredients

1 lb organic chocolate bits, sweetened
1/2 tsp HimalaSalt Fine Grain Himalayan Sea Salt
2 Tablespoon organic shredded coconut
1 Tablespoon raw cacao nibs
2 Tablespoon organic roasted almond slivers
2-3 Tablespoons of HimalaSalt Organic Pink Peppercorns

Melt organic chocolate over double boiler on low flame, add HimalaSalt and stir thoroughly. Prepare cooling dish/pan by sprinkling lightly with coconut, pour in melted chocolate, smooth with pastry blade, and sprinkle remaining ingredients. NOTE: save 1/2 tsp of each for finishing.

Add coconut, cacao nibs, roasted almond slivers, and run a warm spoon or knife through chocolate "marbling" to blend ingredients throughout. Press down lightly with a piece of cellowrap, and add organic pink peppercorns, remainder of almond slivers, coconut, and top with fresh organic orange zest. Let cool and harden completely, (this could take a couple of hours so plan ahead - depending upon how deep your dish is). Run a warmed blade around the edges to loosen, and either cut or break into "bark" chunks. Serve with fresh, cool mint tea in warm weather, or in winter, pair it with sumptious spiced red wine - that recipe will be coming next!

2009-01-03T12:04:00.007-05:00

A Shopping Cart for Social Change?
by Melissa Kushi

Are you aware of the immense power your wallet wields in the natural food store? Beyond the factors of wellbeing, taste and pleasure, do the products you buy resonate with your values, beliefs, and dreams for a better world?

Organically grown, fairly traded products have been the benchmark for quality and social justice. However, more companies and consumers alike are now realizing that there are, even with the best of intentions, significant and often unappreciated costs to the planet. For each bag, box, pouch or jar of food produced, consumed and disposed of, there is a huge footprint created in getting those products into your cart.

Why Become a Conscious Consumer

Having worked most of my life in sustainable foods, alternative health, and ethical business models, I've traveled to some of the world's most remote and deeply cultured regions of the planet. Working with indigenous people, I was inspired by their wealth of ancient knowledge, biodiversity and traditional heirloom foods, and firmly believe them to be key to our collective future. I witnessed the devastating effects of adopting a modern refined diet and western consumer habits, and how it eroded their health, culture, and the rich biodiverse regions they inhabit.

Around the globe, I saw how consumer culture is one of the primary forces harming the planet. It became clear that -- as the third world is seeking balance for survival; the first world is seeking balance for meaning. As a social entrepreneur, this is where I believe conscious consumers have the power to bridge the divide and create immense change in the world. But as one person, where do we begin?

From Inspiration into Action

Every time you buy products that are organically grown, fairly traded, and ethically produced in ways that do not compromise the future, you reduce the gap between economy and ecology, people and planet. You are also supporting and improving the lives of producers, helping to preserve their regional biodiversity and culture, and creating a more level economic playing field for some of the poorest people on the planet.

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.

In fact, making conscious choices in the check-out line are some of the most fundamental, yet powerful actions you can take at the most basic, every day level. When you choose to make a change in the world through your food purchases, you are shaping the decisions made in boardrooms around the country.

This is evident from Wal-Mart's inclusion of organics, to the other end of the scale, where Cliff Bar launched their own Cool Commute Program, supporting employees to lessen their environmental impact at home and at work, by offering cash incentives.

At Sustainable Sourcing, we are aiming to leave the lightest footprint by creating a set of strict standards in the sourcing, production and packaging of HimalaSalt. We use 100% recycled, recyclable, refillable, packaging; use methods of ethical sourcing, which includes fairtrade standards with our workers in the Himalayas, we use 5% of our profits for the environment, and the company's fossil fuel footprint is offset by 100% Green-e certified wind power through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The BEF, a non-profit, uses the proceeds of Green Tag purchases to generate new wind energy that goes into the existing power grid, thus lessening our dependence upon fossil fuels.

In fact, our efforts are being recognized this spring by New Hope Natural Media at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, CA March 9-11, 2007, by being chosen as the product most closely aligned with and representative of their new "Ethical Consumerism" category in the Hot Trend Zones.

Without making negative value judgments, there are also a lot of companies touting natural products without social or environmental policies. Products that are poorly designed with only short term profits in mind are destined for the landfill and do not account for the unseen costs to the environment.

Sustainable Sourcing, along with others, are committed to calculating that cost and providing an environmental compensation, viewing it as sort of an energy bank. The cost of doing business, including packaging, production, transportation, refrigeration, warehousing, and distribution requires intense energy resources. We owe it to ourselves and the earth to generate that amount and more of clean, renewable energy, which is then put back into the power grid through non-profits like the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

Most traditional power generation relies on burning fossil fuel. Green Tags are created when wind power or other renewable energy is substituted for traditional power. The result is a shift away from our dependence on burning fossil fuel to produce electricity. Every time we replace existing power with wind, solar or another renewable resource, the electricity pool becomes a little greener, benefiting everyone.

Greening Your Grub

Companies that are making a difference have raised the bar by adopting a set of basic standards. This list, far from exhaustive, is a primer on what to look for in companies whose products you purchase. If they don't measure up, you get to choose whether or not you support them with your purchases:

Quality: Is it Organic, Biodynamic, Indigenous Permaculture, wild-crafted, unprocessed, locally produced, or artisan crafted?

Social Value: Does the company use ethical sourcing and fair trade standards that alleviates child labor, create fair wages and worker equity, with programs that support suppliers, their source community and culture?

Environment: What are your favorite companies doing to reduce their energy use footprint, including using renewable energy in the form of Green Tags to offset carbon use.

Profit: Using a portion of profits to create social change, providing consumers with a vehicle for change, and giving back to their source community.

So what happens when you mix vision, inspiration, and a commitment to the earth as you bring a healthful product to the marketplace? Myself, along with others, have been blessed to discover that the formula can lead success for us all. www.himalasalt.com

2009-01-03T11:40:00.003-05:00

The Benefits of HimalaSalt

HimalaSalt™ is the only pink Himalayan sea salt to be ethically hand harvested, Kosher Passover Certified, made by 100% Green-e Certified Renewable Wind and Solar Energy,
and 5% of the Profits go to the Environment.

Pure salt is the foundation of life, and is key to creating all major elements of the body. Today’s air, water, and soil are increasingly compromised through pollution and toxins. It’s crucial to maintain a natural alkaline condition in order to metabolize and eliminate these substances, and to enjoy the health, wellbeing, and longevity we are naturally meant to enjoy.

More and more people are finding that they feel tired, more susceptible to colds and viruses, and autoimmune diseases are on the rise. Low-level toxicity from myriad sources is challenging our natural capacity to detoxify, which in turn, weakens the body through an overly acidic condition of the blood and tissues. When this happens, a proliferation of yeast, fungus, bacteria, mold and deeper viruses move in, releasing their waste by-products into the cellular fluid which distributes it throughout the body, creating further acidification, leading to disease.

Maintaining a healthy acid-alkaline balance is crucial to wellbeing, supporting health, vitality, and restoring the body's natural ability to heal. Living a natural lifestyle and eating a whole foods diet helps reduce our exposure to toxins, revitalizes our natural energy and vitality, and is better for the planet. However, busy schedules and stressful living often leave little time to prepare the most wholesome foods. If you can relate to this, just remember that the body is mostly made of water and minerals, so while choosing the best quality ingredients you can for food, make sure you are getting pure water and pure minerals, in the form of HimalaSalt, for baseline wellness.

Using HimalaSalt, the finest of all Himalayan sea salts, helps to:

Sharpens vital brain functions, improves mental clarity

Anti-aging; rids the body of acidic wastes that cause degeneration

Peaceful, relaxed quality of energy, better moods, positive thoughts

Ease cramps, constipation, digestive disorders

Regulates and purifies critical body fluid levels

Purifying, detoxifying to the blood

Stronger libido, sexual vitality, more vigor

Essential minerals replenishes vital electrolytes

Nutrients are absorbed more efficiently by the body.

Foods cooked with HimalaSalt taste better, and their nutrients are absorbed better by the body.

It's also good for your pet.