Third Review Club meets

Posted: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 8:00 pm

The Third Review Club met recently at First Baptist Church family life center.
President Lindy Dunavant called the meeting to order with 13 members answering roll call with their favorite food dish.
Hazel Williams gave the “thought for the day” and the minutes from the March meeting were read by secretary Pat Kasnow.
After a brief business meeting, the program was presented by Betty Kate Jones on “Salt” in memory of her mother, Kate Jones.
She read “Salt, A World History” by Mark Kurlansky. In the article, salt is described as a substance common to all and is a commodity around the world.
“For most of us, salt is merely a seasoning for food and a dietary concern — either too much or too little. We each have it in shakers near the table, and one of the iconic symbols in American marketing is Morton’s round blue box with a little girl holding an umbrella to protect her from falling salt because ‘when it rains, it pours.’”
Ms. Jones said salt is the only rock that humans eat and that all mammals, not just humans, need it to live.
Chinese have used it to preserve fish for 4,000 years, with records indicating the Chinese were the first to evaporate ocean water to obtain salt.
“Once man learned that salt would preserve food, he was able to travel and live away from his food source. With salt, milk and cream could be made into cheese. Cabbage could become sauerkraut. Cucumbers became pickles. Meat could become ham or bacon, and fish became salt fish. Thus, the people with salt had power over those without,” the article reads.
She said many rulers would use salt as a basis for taxes and salt smuggling became common. Early settlers in the United States often started salts works. The United States is the largest producer of salt today.
The May meeting will be a spring luncheon, held at the home of Nancy Richards on May 11.
Jean Eaker was the hostess for the afternoon.

Published in The Messenger 4.24.12