Last November, Merrill and I and our friend Sharelle pored over the lunch menu at Sitka & Spruce in Seattle. And we all immediately homed in on the strangest item on the menu: yogurt with toasted quinoa, dates, almonds, and rose salt. The dish -- the clear winner on our crowded table -- was like a Turkish recipe in a West Coast cloak. At home, without rose salt, a little digging in my pantry produced a jar of olive salt, which worked beautifully. A good flaky sea salt will work just fine, as well.

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