Jade. Salt. Pepper. Flavoring food and a reminder of Ojai Grandma.

My grandmother on my mother's side was quite the world traveler, it wasn't uncommon to be getting postcards from Thailand, Germany, or the Arctic from her. Her home was a literal museum of maps carved from ivory, abalone jewelry, paintings from the Middle East, and books from antique book shops from who knows what corner of Europe.

She was one of the first American's let into China in order to explore it after it had securely cut out Americans for nearly 60 years. She was able to see a country that had not prepared itself for the tourist droves that grow larger with every passing year.

There she found a small jade bowl. A trinket that sat on a display shelf for years. Eventually it passed down to me where I kept it on a display shelf for years myself in my bedroom where no one ever really saw it.

Finally though, I've given it use and a place where it can display itself. I keep it in the kitchen.
It contains a good amount of kosher salt mixed with ground Tasmanian pepper and pink pepper. The earthy, pungent flavor of the Tasmanian pepper, and the subtle fruitiness of the pink pepper give a nice balance of flavor. So any dish that needs just a quick pinch of salt and pepper, I just pop the lid off the jar and grab what I need, without fussing into the cabinets.

Beautiful, practical, and a wonderful and constant reminder of my Ojai Grandma - A woman who explored the world, made me fresh orange juice and Lucky Charms in the morning, and was a beautiful, stubborn, loving person who loved her toast burnt to a crisp.