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March 11, 2010

New York Legislator Moves to Outlaw Salt

Posted by Gregory of Yardale at March 11, 2010 10:29 AM

New York Legislator Felix Ortiz, --- a Democrat, natch --- is sponsoring a bill making it illegal for restaurants to add salt to any food prepared in the restaurant. Naturally, this is being pushed for nanny-state health reasons, and is being opposed because of obstructionist white racist neanderthal teabaggers who fear change.

Or, maybe because it's a stupid idea and Felix Ortiz is a clueless dumbass.

Regardless of the intent, and accepting its sponsor's claim that it is part of his campaign to improve the public's health, the bill exhibits profound ignorance not only of matters of taste -- literally -- but also of the chemistry of cooking.

In food scientist Shirley O. Corriher's "CookWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking," she writes that even the minimal salt used in baking -- as little as one-third of a teaspoon per cup of flour -- plays four crucial roles in the development of dough: It enhances flavor, controls bacteria, slows yeast activity and strengthens dough by tightening gluten.

What can you expect from people who believe that carbon dioxide is pollution? You know what else they should outlaw? Fire. How many people are going to have to die in fires before fire is outlawed. Fire ... bad. It's science, people!