Growing up in Montréal was a gastronomic delight. Like most other cities in North America, there was a great variety of ethnic foods, but this city's French flavor seemed to demand more of its restaurants. One day my older brother dragged me over to see a new restaurant that had just opened. It was the city's first pizzeria and he thought that the sign in the window was hilarious. There in all its colorful neon splendor was a large sign that blared "Genuine Italian Pizza - Just like in New York!!" On a smaller printed sign in a corner of the window I read the ingredients: anchovies, capers, mozzarella, prosciutto and then glanced up to my brother for an explanation of each. Real Italian pizza - just like in New York.

Earlier this week, New York Assemblyman Felix Ortiz introduced Bill A10129 stating that “No owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food for consumption by customers of such restaurant, including food prepared to be consumed on the premises of such restaurant or off of such premises.” The penalty for each infraction will be $1,000.

How would such a bill affect New York's famous pizza? Could they still say real Italian pizza - just like in New York? Salt is an integral part of almost every ingredient in pizza. Salt has to be added to the dough in order to condition it so that it will be pliable enough to be stretched, tossed in the air and twirled into a pizza. Omit the salt and the dough will contract back into a ball of tough rubber. Salt has to be added to the tomato sauce in order to moderate the mild bitterness that is normally found in all tomatoes. That is why a slice of fresh tomato tastes so much better with a smidge of salt. Mozzarella, like all other cheese is cured with salt. Both anchovies and capers are packed in salt (at least the best ones are). Salt is also used to cure prosciutto and is the reason that trichinosis has never been found in this type of Italian ham. Can anyone imagine Italian sausages and any type of edible olives made without salt?

Without salt, all dressed would mean a crustless pizza topped with the emperor’s clothes. Is that real Italian pizza? Of course not - so why change it? What's wrong with Italian pizza? Is it making Italians ill? Does pizza give Italians hypertension?

In fact, Italians eat far more salt than we do here. Aside from olives, which can only be consumed if the bitterness is removed by soaking in brine for almost a month, there is Parmesan - the king of cheeses, which happens to be cured for 20 days in saturated salt brine baths, Gorgonzola cheese whose blue mold will only grow in a high salt medium, bacalla or salt cod, bottarga or salted tuna row, and anchovies, capers, salami, etc. etc. etc. Yet, Italians have amongst the best cardiovascular figures in the world because they eat a balanced diet, replete with salads and vegetables. In fact there have been several publications attributing the decline of disease to the consumption of vegetables and fruit. In North America, of course, there is full access to vegetables and fruits, however, our leaders prefer to hype approaches based on magic bullets, such as salt reduction, instead of promoting a balanced diet that every nutritionist knows will be far more effective. Assemblyman Felix Ortiz' bill is just such an example. Had Ortiz looked into the matter a little more deeply, he would have learned that salt is an essential nutrient and that the medical and scientific literature demonstrates that low salt intakes can lead to a cascade of negative health impacts including increased stress, reduced cognition and metabolic syndrome.

But man does not live by pizza alone. How will a ban on salt affect other foods in New York? How would New York's famous deli's such as Katz' or the Stage fare? Pastrami, corned beef and dill pickles will have to go by the wayside - no question. A Reuben sandwich will be no different than a skinless frankfurter without any meat in it. Well, maybe New York can live without deli's.

What about Italian restaurants? There may not be pizza but what about prosciutto e melone? Perhaps that can be changed to melone e melone and be served as a dessert instead as an appetizer? Spaghetti bolognese might work if the bolognese sauce and the parmesan cheese are left out; but plain spaghetti boiled in unsalted water will have to fill both sides of the menu page. You might try Chinese or Japanese foods, but without the vast array of soy-based sauces, what will they taste like? How’s about....Mexican....Tunisian.....Indian....? There must be something? Hmmm....got it! New York will no longer out be dubbed the Big Apple. Henceforth, New York will be known as the Big Boiled Egg.

What does the future hold for New York? Don’t be surprised if you see notices affixed to the walls of post offices declaring, “The authorities are offering a reward of $50,000 leading to the arrest of the owners of Pizza Romano, the illegal restaurant operation that has openly defied Bill A10129. Every time police close in on them, these fly-by-night operators close up shop and open elsewhere. They can be easily identified by the sign in their window, “Genuine Italian Pizza – Just Like in Montreal!!””