Salt Block Cooking: 70 Recipes for Grilling, Chilling, Searing, and Serving on Himalayan Salt Blocks (Volume 1) (Bitterman's)

I have to be honest...When I first saw this book, I thought, "What the hell is this?" But I'm glad my curiosity drove me to get this book. The author walks you through the science of salt block cooking and delivers incredible recipes for beginners like me and advanced cooks like my wife. I’ve used it for everything from grilled shrimp to grilled artichokes, and somehow the salt block always manages to elevate the taste. The takeaway...this is the salt block bible and worth a read.

I purchased this as a gift to a family member, to which we also gifted a salt block to start with! I have one of my own and will have to purchase my own copy of this book as well at a later date. This book is not only great for showing you some great cooking ideas for your salt block, but it also if very informative as well. The information contained within this book describe the origin of your salt block, the process it undertook before reaching you, specific instructions on how to use your salt block and the many various types of heating sources, cleaning and caring of your salt block, and storage and what you can do with your salt block once it ceases to be useful as a cooking utensil! This book has it all! It is a great book for the beginners of salt block cooking and for those experienced as well! Happy Journey!

I really enjoyed the book as a neophyte to salt block cooking, great tips on prepping and tempering a new black and great variety of recipes for hot, cold, serving and curing. The author comes off a bit pretentious with some passages, referring to not being able to use a cooking block to serve; the only thing I got from this was an aesthetic point of view. One recipe prequels with greeting guests in a “white button-down shirt, cuff links, seersucker, bow tie, silk socks, saddle shoes..” Kind of destroyed the mood of good fun and love of cooking with an elitist attitude, but overall a worthwhile read.

I bought this as a gift to my son for his birthday. He loves to grill out. I thought this book and a salt block would be a new challenge. I just it to him two days ago. So while he’s not used it yet, it is well written, beautiful pictures and the recipes look good.

Very nice cookbook with concise instructions and pictures. Includes detailed tips on prepping and tempering a new salt block plus offers a variety of recipes for hot, cold, serving and curing. Bought the book along with a salt block and serving tray.

I got this as part of a gift to my mother. I got her a large salt block for mother's day since she is an avid cook, and it seemed like a neat thing to cook with. Immediately upon opening it, she started putting some cut in half cherry tomatoes on it, and within seconds they were infused with salt! If you're getting a salt block for someone that's never had one before, this book is definitely a necessary addition. It has some helpful tips on cleaning and taking care of the salt block. It also has some great recipes and gives the cook ideas for new ways to use it. If you know someone who is an avid cook, a salt block and this book is a great gift!

I've been aware of salt blocks for cooking for a few years now. However, they were too pricey for us to want to ship them into where we live. We have just found some at a reasonable price in Idaho USA and we are taking a few home with us. Salt Block Cooking gets off to strong start. Mark Bitterman explains that they are just for cooking but they can also be used for other purposes like serving, and freezing. He does an excellent job of explaining how to heat treat the block(s) before their first use. More importantly he delves into why this must be done slowly and properly. He explains what differences can be expected with cooking different kinds of foods at high versus lower heats (foods absorb more salt at lower heats). He also gets into cleaning methods. He also discusses accessories like using extreme heat resistant gloves or mitts rather than just run of the mill oven mitts. Part of the reason for this is he has a section for cooking foods BETWEEN 2 salt blocks. I would have given this book a higher rating if he had a) more recipes and b) better recipes. That is not to say that he does not have some good recipes. He does. When I look at the first one half of his recipes I found myself saying - Yes - I would do that. By the time I got into the last one half of his recipes I found myself saying I would never bother doing that. The book is worth having to get you going safely with salt blocks along with the knowledge of how to treat them and use them. I am sure many people could adapt some of the Authors recipes to their own cooking preferences and tastes. Finally, It is worth mentioning. Salt Blocks used for cooking will not last forever and this is discussed in the book. When they eventually crumble into unusable piece they can be hammered or crushed into salt for cooking or grinding onto foods. Himalayan Pink Salt is often called the Purest Salt on Earth. It has 80 trace mineral elements into in a very close balance to what is found in your body.

This book is amazing! The recipes are easy to follow and the writing is excellent. Mark Bitterman writes with style and humor. He gives a lot of information about salt block cooking and it's an excellent read. I made two recipes - the caramel candy and the salt sopped chocolate covered cherries. All I can say is - wow! My guests at Christmas were impressed with both candy recipes. After reading the book, I bought salt shot glasses to try some of those recipes. I plan on making a lot more with this book.