Improbable Eats

July 16, 2010

Low-Sodium Pickled Beet Salad

For all of you who love the new “Biting Mr. Bittman” series, I have exciting news. I’m expanding it! Yes, it’s true. After consulting with my business development team (aka KMLake), I’ve decided to announce a new, weekly series called Salt-Free My Recipe. It’s like Pimp My Ride but for food. Without salt. And a lot fewer hub caps and decals. But there is a catch – it requires your participation. Just like Mr. Bittman has (unknowingly) been submitting his recipes to Sodium Girl for salt-free transformations, now you can send your favorite dishes to SG for a sodium-free make-over […]

June 17, 2010

Low-Sodium Yakisoba

For the second installment of the new, Biting Mr. Bittman series, I figured I should stop fooling around, take a big risk, and attack a recipe that relies heavily on salt. You know, just in case Mr. Bittman is actually reading this blog–good morning, Mark!–and wants some proof that this Sodium Girl really knows how to cook everything, without salt. So I scoured his recent recipes for a true challenge–searching for a dish that usually comes in a take-out box and that uses a lot of soy sauce–basically, something of Asian origin. And after sifting through asparagus pesto and laid-back […]

June 9, 2010

Biting Mr. Bittman

I’d like to begin this post with an introduction – well, two introductions to be exact. First, let me present to you a new, hopefully weekly section of the blog called “Biting Mr. Bittman.” If you haven’t met him before,then here is my second introduction. Mr. Bittman, or better known to close pals as El Marko – actually, I just made that up, but its a great nickname and he should consider using it – is a pretty famous food writer, if you consider the New York Times a “popular” publication. He pens the food columns Bitten (how clever) and The […]

May 14, 2010

An Altered State of Mind

For some reason, we have no problem buying a pair of pants (that are obviously too long in the leg and trail dangerously past your shoes) and taking them to the local tailor to be shortened, cuffed, and fitted. But when it comes to following a recipe, we seem reticent (if not frightened) to change any detail to fit our needs, as if altering instructions from Julia Child’s cookbook is akin to telling Coco Chanel she got her pantsuit all wrong. But we have to get over that fear for two reasons: (1) adaptation is essential to low sodium cooking and […]

May 3, 2010

Sushi Me

Go ahead. Dig right in and take your pick of the sodium-free sushi you see before you. Handmade by yours truly. I know what you’re thinking. Sushi? But that’s super high in sodium? And you’re right to wonder what I’m doing with a fistful of rice-y rounds as most sushi, that you will find at your favorite neighborhood haunt, does contain an enormous amount of sodium. This is because most nori (or seaweed) is high in sodium and traditional sushi rice is made with water, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Then add in soy sauce for dipping and you’ve got […]

April 23, 2010

It's a Cracker, Jack

I’ve always been quite jealous, when watching TV cooking shows, to see chefs quickly whip up crispy, parmesan wafers, that add an inexplicable flare and crunch to even the most boring dishes. Like a Caesar salad. All it takes is a grater, a block of parm, and a non-stick baking sheet. But due to parmesan’s high sodium content, to make and enjoy this treat also requires a body that is not salt sensitive. So parmesan wafers were out. But as usual, when I’m told no, I become even more obstinate and determined to find a solution. It just so happened […]

February 22, 2010

Dough Re Mi

It may seem quite odd that I would begin this week with a post about something made of flour and water after openly admitting to my inability to bake, rattle, and roll. But I assure you, when it comes to a round ball of dough, I think have a bit more skill, or at least confidence. And in conquering this basic yeast bread, I was able to open the door to a sodium free version of something that I dearly missed: soft-baked pretzels. I am a city girl. I love the rush of busy streets and the buzz of passing […]

February 9, 2010

Cooking with Kaz – The Novel

I’m sure none of you could sleep well last night, awaiting today’s big reveal of Kaz’s five-course, Shojin feast. I think I’m personally working on about four hours of sleep. So let’s jump right in and get to the good stuff. I just can’t wait any longer. Last Friday, I invited three friends over to share in my low sodium, Japanese cooking project and our evening with Kaz couldn’t have been more special. He is one of the warmest people I have ever met and Kaz immediately made himself at home. He regaled us with stories from Japan, LA, and […]

January 29, 2010

Friday Round Up

Well it is almost the weekend and what a great week it was: an interview with Chef Jamie Lauren, a posting on food52.com, and the long-awaited Faux Miso Marinated Cod recipe – I think I’m ready for a nap. So while we wind the week down and get ready to recharge over the weekend, I thought I would dedicate today’s post (and future Friday’s to come) to reader comments, food pornography, and other odds and ends. Let’s start with bacon. One of Sodium Girl’s super readers found a very low sodium brand of the fatty good stuff at Costco and […]

January 28, 2010

A Tale of Two Cods

One of my proudest achievements so far, as a low sodium cook, has been creating a recipe for Faux Miso-Marinated Cod. If you have never experienced the real thing, a two-day, miso/sake/mirin bath gives this already fatty fish a sweet and silky flavor that really does melt in your mouth. I personally believe it is one of the greatest ways to prepare fish. The texture is satisfying and the taste overcomes any remnants of fishy-ness that might displease your palate. It is an utterly decadent dish and as an added bonus, incredibly easy to cook. The problem? Miso contains over […]

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