I read Kitchen Confidential. It was good, but I found the two Ruth Reichl books I read much more interesting. I don't know whether to like or dislike Bourdain as a person, because I don't know him, other than having read one of his books, but he does come across as arrogant. He's funny, though. I tried to like his show, The Taste, when it was first on last year, but it seemed way too much about the judges and not enough about the contestants or their cooking. That being said, I didn't make it past the opening rounds. I guess I've wondered way off topic now. Sorry. Sally

Grainlady's suggestion is a good one. You can explore the cookbooks without paying out any money and you may just discover that you really don't think they're worth investing in at all. I've been dealing with low sodium cooking for about three years now. I started a blog about it last year. If you go to my blog you'll find a section listing low sodium information websites. I'd definitely recommend Low Sodium Cooking.com and MegaHeart.com. http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/ http://www.megaheart.com/ Both the websites also contain recipes, helpful information, and a free newsletter that you can sign up for. Also, both website authors have published low sodium cookbooks. You could make a point of looking for their books. Or just refer to their recipe sections. Grainlady hit on an important concept. Rather than trying new recipes, you can learn to adapt your favorite dishes and still produce tasty meals. Here is a link that might be useful: Low Sodium Cooking Blog

During a big lapse in income -- after the 2008 financial collapse -- I decided to try popping my own popcorn -- something I hadn't done in years. ... instead of buying the expensive microwave stuff. Bought a bag of "small white kernel" popcorn -- 99â -- lasted for 3 months! Cooked it using generous amount of canola oil. When I took that first taste, I was amazed at the rich, buttery flavour ... and I was going to pour melted butter over it. But it didn't need any butter. All I added was fresh-ground sea salt. Yummmm.... There's been no turning back (to microwave) since that first bite! I know it's slow ... but the proof of the pudding is .... .

Martha, I enjoyed reading your blog about your cookbook club. Sounds like y'all have great fun and super road trips! (Click on photo to see full recipe) I made this recipe the month that we had a brunch theme. It is from the Birmingham Junior League Tables of Content cookbook. If you need a meat to pair with it, try Millionaire Bacon. I first ate Millionaire Bacon at Fred's Coffee Shop in Sausalito, CA. It was divine. I use the recipe below from BaconToday.com, except I cut back on the cayenne and black pepper. I probably only use 1/2 teaspoon of each. And, 5 Tablespoons of brown sugar will only cover a bit over a 1/2 lb of bacon for me. Millionaire Bacon 1 pound of thick-cut bacon 5 tbsp packed brown sugar 1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper 1 tsp. Black Pepper Directions: Line a baking pan with foil. Combine all of your spices and sugar together into a bowl and mix thoroughly. If you want your bacon more coated in sweet and spicy flavor, add more ingredients to your liking. Apply liberally to each strip of bacon by taking each strip and hand rubbing them. Bake until crisp for 20- 30 minutes (depending upon your crispy liking). Please let your bacon cool a little after you’ve made this recipe. NOTE from bbstx: Keep a close eye on the bacon after about the 15 minute mark. The ends will burn. I sometimes cover the ends with strips of foil to prevent burning. Do not attempt to drain this bacon on paper towels. You will end up picking little pieces of paper off the very sticky bacon - or, if you're like me, you'll get frustrated and just eat the little giblets of paper!