Salt, sweet and light at core of two new cookbooks
Books for Cooks: Pastry chefs know this, and the rest of us should, too: Without salt, sweets don’t sing. That idea is at the heart of Salty Sweets (Harvard Common Press, $19.95) by Christie Matheson, a well-edited collection of recipes handy for Valentine’s Day, or anytime. Salt, when used right, really does draw out the flavors of chocolate, nuts and other ingredients, adding another dimension to desserts that could otherwise just taste . . . sweet.