Cooking with herbs

Celebrity chefs say people eat with their eyes first.  Then, they serve up a deliciously crafted work of art on a plate.  It may be true, but most of us use our senses of smell and taste to satisfy hunger.

Lots of people turn to salt as a fast flavor-fix for food.  Table salt is 40 percent sodium, which is an important mineral for the human body.  Problems arise when salt is overused, especially to add flavor to bland foods and low-fat recipes.  Excessive sodium in the diet is linked to high blood pressure, which can result in heart disease, kidney failure and stroke. Even though salt serves as the major source of sodium in the diet, the recommended maximum daily intake is just 2,400 milligrams or about 1 teaspoon. This includes what you cook with, add at the table and added by the manufacturer of most all food products.