Put Down the Pepper Grinder, Ma'am

Because black pepper should be treated like cloves or cinnamon

A recent Google search returned more than 468 million hits for the phrase “salt and pepper.” Even accounting for references to hair color, it suggests the two ingredients enjoy a cozy relationship. Too cozy, I’d say: Over the years, I’ve moved away from robotically adding salt and pepper to every savory dish I cook.

Salt, while it obviously has a recognizable flavor that can stand on its own (on a pretzel, for example), is generally used to heighten, balance, and round out other flavors.