By Tracey Ceurvels, contributing writer

Salt and pepper might seem like minor elements to a dish, and many home cooks fall into the ho-hum pattern of using common table salt and black pepper with everything they serve. But, there are so many varieties of salt and pepper that can greatly enhance your cooking. We encourage you to experiment with them and discover the nuances that they’ll add to your food.

Take white pepper, for example. The musty peppercorns taste delightful when added to steak, pork chops and other meat before grilling. Ground black peppercorns can add a piquant flavor to a seafood broth or homemade salad dressing. Pink peppercorns are milder than their counterpart, and more aromatic, offering both flavor and color to mashed potatoes or nearly any side vegetable dish. And, they are ideal for incorporating into lightly colored sauces, so that specks of black pepper aren’t visible. To spice up a dish, try Szechuan peppercorns; rub on meats, add to marinades, or simply grind over a bowl of soup or noodles. Using blends of peppercorns—black, green, pink and white, for example—is also an effortless way to add new dimensions to a dish.

There are so many varieties of salt that this mineral doesn’t have to be a dull addition to a dish. Achieve subtle texture with a coarse sea salt, such as French Fleur de Sel or pyramid-shaped Cyprus Flakes. To make a dish decadent, try truffle salt on eggs, potatoes or poultry for an earthy flavor. If you want to make an impression at your next dinner party, use salt plates and bricks—yes, actual slabs mined from ancient salt deposits buried beneath the Himalayas—to serve appetizers and salads. Or, use them to cook beef or seafood tableside. Heat them on a stovetop, barbeque or in an oven. They won’t melt. Not only are they wonderful presentation pieces, they enhance what you’re serving—a truly unique addition to the dinner table.

There are no wrong ways to implement the many varieties of salt and pepper into your cooking, so use your imagination.

**If you enjoyed this post, visit Tracey’s blog for more of her writing http://thebusyhedonist.com/

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