Q:--Barbara Goldberg "Is the idea of cooking and serving on salt blocks new?"

A:--Mark Bitterman "It's less than a decade old. Its discovery is a little shrouded in mystery. I think there was some opportunistic cooking maybe on salt stones in ages past. But in terms of salt-block cooking the way we think of it now, all evidence I have is that it's an American invention."

(This article can be found on Reuters and Yahoo News! 07/23/14) (Barbara Goldberg, Chicago Tribune)

"The salt expert gives lessons on cooking with salt bricks, which adds a sublte saltiness and can get hot enough on a grill to sear steak." (Food & Wine)

"If the subject of salt is intriguing to you, as it is to me, here are some books available on the subject: Mark Bittman. Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral. And also Salt Block Cooking: 70 Recipes for Grilling, Chilling, Searing and Serving on Himalayan Salt Blocks. Bittman is an expert on salt and tells the tale beautifully." (Lou Jane Temple, Kansas City Star)

"SALT BLOCK COOKING follows up on the author's prior 2010 introduction to the concept in SALTED and provides a powerful account on how to use Himalayan salt blocks for grilling, baking, and cooking. Some seventy recipes are used to display all the basics of using salt blocks to maximum advantage , and include everything you need to know about the process, from shopping for a block and maintaining one to healing, cooling and serving all kinds of foods. A 'must' for any cookbook collection looking for the basics on salt block use" (James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review)

"Good read. Salt Block Cooking by Mark Bitterman is the home cook's guide to a technique once only practiced by top chefs. Himalayan salt blocks are sold at specialty retail stores around the world, including The Spice & Tea Exchange, 309 N. Park Ave. in Winter Park.

This book is the first to address salt-block cooking and includes 70 recipes designed for this reusable cooking tool. The process involves heating the blocks and cooking meat or seafood directly on the surface. When not used for food preparation, the blocks make nifty serving platters for cold and room-temperature items.

Bitterman is an expert on culinary salt, chocolate and cocktail bitters. He won a James Beard Award for his first book, Salted." (Heather McPherson, Orlando Sentinel)