I'm a low-salt aficionado because of my husband's congestive heart failure. Overdoing salt has an immediate affect on him -- swollen feet and fluid-filled lungs. Plus he feels rotten for a few days as his body struggles to get rid of the excess. And I think that most processed foods and restaurant food are overly salty to start with. Even before my husband's illness, I couldn't comfortably eat Fritos although I really liked them. They were (and are) so salty that after a few handfuls, my mouth would start to burn. (Now I get the Lighty Salted version every once in a while) That said, salt has been and integral part of our food for thousands of years. There's nothing inherently evil about salt. And there's nothing particularly virtuous about not using salt. Like everything else, it can be abused. There's no argument that many people consume far too much salt. Witness the person in a Chinese restaurant dousing their meal with soy sauce and then sprinkling on a thin layer of table salt. But, except in certain cases, perhaps striving for 800 mgs - 1500 ms per day is too restrictive. And after five years of low sodium eating & cooking, I can say this with all honesty and sincerity -- no matter what anyone says, I really do notice the lack of salt. In some dishes and with some foods, it doesn't make much of a difference. But with other foods, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to overcome the blandness factor. I agree that this study will create a useful dialogue.

No mint with ham for me, I agree that's for lamb, but my DH hates mint sauce. Serve the ham naked, like Ruthanna said. Ham, to my taste, calls for either a mustardy sauce or a fruit, like a cherry sauce. Here's one recipe that sounds yummy, but I used to buy a delicate champagne mustard at up-scale stores. Here's a recipe that I found, can be made well in advance: Ingredients For Champagne Mustard Sauce * 1 tsp. Butter * 1 tsp. Shallots, minced * 1/4 tsp. Garlic, minced * 1/3 cup Champagne * 1/4 cup Whole grain mustard * 2 1/2 cups Cream * squeeze Fresh lemon juice * to taste Salt * to taste Fresh ground black pepper 1 tsp. Fresh parsley, chopped Method: Melt butter in a saucepan, do not brown. Add shallots and garlic, saute briefly. Add champagne, bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/2. Incorporate whole grain mustard and continue to cook. Add cream, bring to a simmer. Cook over medium low heat for 25 - 30 minutes, stirring regularly until sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Finish with parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Makes 2 cups

Hello, just wanted to tell you that I made this recipe (with your help - thank you!!) I cut down the celery to 4 stalks, used an 8 oz jar of relish, left out the hot sauce, used smoked ham cut up fine, added a bit of mayo ....AND IT WAS GREAT! Thank you for all your help! As I noted, I don't cook much and I made these for a party for 40 people. The wraps are all gone, they went quickly, were easy to make and looked nice on the plate. They one thing I was add to the recipe was to make sure you roll the wraps tightly, and "seal" the end with a bit of cream cheese to make sure the wrap stays closed. I cut the wraps about an hour before the party, put them on a platter with sprigs of parsley as garnish, then back in the fridge. T'was easy, good & nice addition to lots of cheese & veggie platters. Thank you again for your advice, it is very much appreciated!

We will be back to shopping in the freezer for brothy soups and seafood chowders after this plays out. Julia's braising makes a CityHam just perfect. Draws out some salt. Made up a dry rub for the ham and for the beans this morning. Bit of a Turkish kick with some spices i have. Toast and warm up in some maple sugar i think. Winging it. I'll take some meat from the hock end for the beans. Biscuit recipes are all over the place. Make them so rarely. One fold and roll out...7 folds and roll out....never roll out, but that is a drop biscuit. (Mom Nelly's method). Rest for an hour, never rest, lol. I do know not to use a thick edge drinking glass and never spin-cut. I'll find something. I only have my EnglishMuffin rings. BigDaddy size. Tin can is fine...like the ones for beans. BananaCream Pie?! Mom Nelly had a Diner and was expert in pies. That was my favorite.