I don't have a book to recommend, but you might want to order a couple of things from Penzeys. They have some salt free spice mixes that are really good.

Bear in mind I HATE most premixed spice blends, preferring to season stuff by hand with whatever I want to use. Having said that, I can enthusiastically recommend a couple of Penzeys' salt free blends:

'Arizona Dreaming' is a southwest spice blend, heavy on the mild chili and smokiness but not terribly hot. I find it works well on both catfish fillets and chicken. I gave some to one of my co-workers and now her teenage boys can't get enough of the stuff.

'Sunny Spain' is their salt free lemon pepper. If you look at most lemon pepper blends, the first or second ingredient is salt. This stuff is very good on chicken.

And as long as you're ordering from Penzeys, I find their granulated garlic to be of very high quality, much better than supermarket garlic powder. And, if you're ordering any herbs, they're probably of better quality at about the same price or lower than your local supermarket, and they're probably fresher as well. (I just got some of their tarragon--woo, is it good.)

I've only tried those two of their salt free blends, but I gotta say I'm impressed. The link is to their complete list of salt free items.
Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: penzeys salt free

I rely a lot on lemons....and fresh herbs.
Add a half a lemon to the stock pot as well as lots of things like parsley, onions, garlic and flavorful veggies like rutabega.
Linda C

I can recommend - Herbs for the Home - A Definitive Sourcebook to Growing and Using Herbs By Jekka McVicar.

This is one of the best books on Herbs I've seen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Herbs for the Home

Arley, so you're the one who recommended Arizona Dreaming! I knew it was someone from the forum but could not remember who. I put it out on the table, and now my husband uses it on almost everything. He absolutely loves it! So a very belated thanks for the recommendation.

Barb, I second Arley's suggestion regarding checking out Penzeys. They have a wonderful selection of salt free spice blends. So many varieties and so much better than the typical Mrs. Dash blends you get in grocery stores. Along with Arizona Dreaming, my favorites are Sunny Spain and Mural of Flavor.

The book recommended by Ann sounds wonderful. I find I can get away without any salt if I pump up the fresh herbs. I grow a variety during the summer months. I freeze basil leaves, chopped chives, and even cilantro leaves for use all through the year. I dry my own Greek oregano. Without using any particular recipe, I roast or grill chicken and fish that has been marinated in olive oil and a pile of chopped fresh herbs. Our favorite potato salad is olive oil, lemon, chopped red onion, and a bunch of freshly minced parsley. The combo of fresh herbs and lemon (or lime) simply can't be beat.

If you're interested in some super inventive ways to cook without added salt, check out these sites:

The Daily Dish

Low Sodium Blog

Sodium Girl

With Pierre Franey, Craig Claiborne wrote a cookbook with low-salt recipes, Craig Claiborne's Gourmet Diet. About 20 years ago, I gave my copy to a friend who was having some terrible issues with salt. She recently told me it was a life-saver.

It is available on half.com for $0.75 to $1.00 in Very Good condition.

Here is a link that might be useful: Craig Claiborne's Gourmet Diet

I'll give a third recommendation for Penzey's. My girls say I've become a "spice snob", LOL, I don't buy grocery store herbs or spices since I bought that $8 jar of powdered ginger at WalMart and then found the same size jar for less than $3 at Penzey's and it was way better stuff.

Elery loves the Mural of Flavor and I just got a free "Kind Heart" gift box with salt free blends in it, Mural of Flavor, Arizona Dreaming, Forward and 33rd and Galen. All were pretty good.

Annie

4th recommendation for Penzey's. Mural of Flavor on roasted cauliflower is outstanding. Arizona Dreaming on chicken before grilling is pretty darn tasty too.
They do have a lot of blends and I haven't found one I didn't like.
just MHO
Murphy

Great Post. I recently got Ted Allen's The Food You Want To Eat. It is a good cooking book.

Have you checked your local library? There should be a number of low-sodium books there that will inspire you.

I'll also give a thumbs up to Penzey's, and I've also purchased a number of salt-free Mrs. Dash seasoning and grilling mixtures I've been happy with.

You may need to look no farther than your own cookbook collection. A large percentage of my cookbooks have nutritional information in them, so that makes it easier to choose low-sodium recipes, or adjust them accordingly with low-sodium choices - like cooking my own beans instead of using canned beans....

You can also look on-line for low-sodium food charts.

Personally, I find sticking to whole foods with the least amount of preparation a big benefit for avoiding sodium.

-Grainlady

I'm a salt-a-holic, and the only thing that works for me is adding acid and sugar- it makes the same amount of salt taste much saltier.

I'm another Penzey's fan. You should be able to find any type of salt free seasoning there. You might want to check their website for the locations of their stores. I first went to a Penzey's store I noticed while in Madison, WI for my DH's yearly heart biopsy at the VA. I passed it going back and forth to the VA. I got a catalog from them as well as purchased $70+ worth of seasonings. I found out there was a Penzey's about an hour and a half from home. There was a Trader Joe's a couple of doors down from them. I never dreamed these wonderous stores were that close to home. You can sign up for Penzey's catalog to be sent to you. They not only usually have a coupon on the front for a free container of their newest product, they have lots of customer submitted recipes in the catalog and on their website using the different spices.

Thanks everybody for your help. It has been my experience to first get a tried and true recommendation rather than just looking at recipes. I am going to get a catalog from Penzeys though and will check the library. Barb

I am awaiting an order of assorted low salt spices and some grapeseed infused oils

from a company called Wildtree. They are supposed to be very good . Have any of you used or even heard of them?

I'm not a salt-a-holic, but I agree that adding an acid helps to add that punch that salt does. Linda, when you suggest adding half a lemon, do you mean the whole thing, or the juice of half a lemon?

Sally

I love Penzeys too but I usually use the blends that do have salt. However, my favorites do not seem nearly as salty as supermarket blends like Lawry's or Tony C's.
I use a little Northwoods on nearly everything sauteed and dh never complains that it's salty and he basically wants/likes NO salt.
Bicentennial is a little salty too but I love it, particularly on sugared toasted nuts.

I also love Ozark but that is a bit saltier tasting than Northwoods. Dh won't eat that.
I bought their salt free chili powder but found it way too hot for me.

I wanted to add that there are lots of ways in addition to herbs that add great flavor without salt. Fat (of course), smoked foods, (love smoked paprika), garlic, nuts, fruit juice reductions, dried fruits, and browning various elements to caramelize natural sugars- i.e. roasted vegetables or browned meats.

Hi, Barb. Another vote for Penzy's here.

Today, in the Frequent Flyer from Trader Joe's, they featured a little tidbit about 21 Seasoning Salute for $1.99 for a 2.2 oz jar. It says it's a smooth blend of onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato, lemon juice and lemon oil.

Might be worth a try for $1.99.

Smiles,
Sooz