How to Make Everything Taste Better

Do you read Diane Rossen Worthington's books? She has great ideas about maintaining a dry, frozen, and refrigerated pantry that will enable you to create simple meals with lots of flavor all the time. One of her best ideas involves making and keeping flavor enhancers to make even simple things really shine. This recipe for seasoning salt is great, but the yield is HUGE. I like to give some to all of my friends who cook and it is still a challenge to use all of it in six months. This recipe and all of Worthington's books are GREAT for CSA Life. Seriously Simple seasoning salt, a little olive oil, and red pepper flakes can elevate the humblest poached or steamed vegetable to a delight. Even better, this takes about ten minutes to prepare and can be stored at room temperature in anairtight container for six months. (CONFESSION, I used it for over a year the first time I made it). Yield: 3-1/2 cups

30 garlic cloves, peeled, ends cut off

2 cups kosher salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian Paprika (Spanish Pimenton Dulce is likely better, but not as widely available)

3 tablespoons good quality chile powder

2 tablespoons ground white pepper

2 tablespoons celery seed

1 tablespoon ground ginger (BTW, after my mom's stroke, she kept buying ground ginger, when fresh was called for. DON'T buy any. I have a lifetime supply and it doesn't keep.)

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon dried dill

1. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the garlic cloves until finely minced.

2. In a large measuring cup, combine all the remaining ingredients and add to the garlic. Pulse off and on until completely blended. Use a rubber spatula to move the ingredients around. Transfer some of the salt to a small container with a shaker on top, and the remaining salt to an airtight container.

- Jet Doye