This past week, I went to the theater to see “Marley & Me,” a New York Times best-

selling book turned into a movie about a man who buys his wife a puppy in order to slow her urge to have a family. The dog of course becomes part of the family and is loved even though he has the moniker of being “the world's worst dog.”

I sniffled throughout the movie not because it was heartrendingly sad, but because it reminded me of my family's last pet. He was my father's hunting companion, my mother's taste tester and my partner in crime.

Toward the end of the movie, I could not stop the tears from flowing, so I put my tissue away and let them stream down my face. I left the theater with a discernible taste in my mouth.

Salt.

Originally the highest regarded and most expensive of flavorings, it sat at the center of only the most distinguished tables in medieval times. In those days, salt was contained in a weighted receptacle called a salt cellar. Any spillage was deemed unlucky because it was so expensive.

Throwing a pinch of the spilled salt over your left shoulder is said to ward off evil spirits because it is thought of as a symbol of purity.

The costly preservative was also used as a type of taxable currency. Roman soldiers were given part of their “salary” in salt, derived from the Latin “salarium.”

The price of salt did not decrease until the 19th century when it became commercially manufactured from brines and rock salt instead of evaporated sea water.

Salt deposits are mined throughout the world from dried up salt lakes. Coarse rock salt, crystal rock salt and table salt are all from the earth and vary in grind size. Coarse rock salt is gray and not as refined; typically used in making ice cream and as a base for cooking oysters and clams.

Crystal salt is better for dry curing meat and fish. Table salt is the finest ground of the salts but lacks some of the flavor due to the addition of anti-caking agents like magnesium carbonate.

Sea salts tend to be more expensive because they are usually unrefined and processed the old-fashioned way by wind or sun evaporation. English Essex sea salt is flaky and very salty tasting. Brittany sea salt is very favorable for cooking because of its delicate flavor.

The rarest of the salts is the French Fleur de sel, which can only be manually harvested from certain salt marshes between the months of June to September.

Iodized salt is table salt with the addition of iodine, which aids in the prevention of hyperthyroidism.

Kosher salt is widely used in most restaurants because of its coarse texture, forward flavor and lack of additives.

A helpful hint that can reduce an overly salty sauce, soup or stew is to cook a few slices of raw potato in the same pot to absorb the extra salt. Remember to remove the raw slices after the seasoning is to your liking.

Salt should not be added to a roast until it is almost finished. An early addition would cause the juices to seep out leaving a tougher piece of meat.

Cooking whole fish can sometimes be a daunting task, but by using a salt crust, it will come out perfect every time. Start with two, one pound whole-dressed fish, having scales and entrails removed, and place herbs like parsley, thyme or bay leaves inside fish cavity.

Season both with garlic, pepper and a squeeze of lemon. In a bowl, whisk or beat two egg whites to a soft peak stage (starts to hold its shape) then fold in one cup of Kosher salt. Place a thin layer of the salt mix on an aluminum wrapped cooking sheet then put the seasoned fish on top.

Pour the remaining salt mixture evenly over both of the fish, pat it on like a shell, and place in a 450 degree preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven, crack salt crust, remove fish skin, and serve.

All of the moisture and flavor will have been locked in leaving an extremely tender piece of fish.

I experimented with tilapia and at $2.82 per pound for a whole fish I could not complain. One fish per person with accompaniments is ample.

The phrase “salt of the earth” pertains to those who exemplify true goodness. The last chapter of the aforementioned book summed it up best by saying that “he (Marley) taught us the art of unqualified love. How to give it, how to accept it. Where there is that, most of the other pieces fall into place.”

It may seem odd to honor a family pet with a column about salt, but I can't think of a higher compliment.

Valerie Usowski, an Auburn native, is the banquet manager at the Auburn Holiday Inn and a

Culinary Institute of America graduate