I grew up on the East Coast where sprinkling salt on roads and sidewalks was as ubiquitous as wearing snow boots and down jackets. East Coasters aren't a bunch of philistines, we just understood the importance of keeping the economy going by moving goods and humans even in the face of Mother Nature's fury.

Salt works, but I don't want to give the impression it is pretty. In snow belt regions, long winters and profligate use of salt meant getting unremoveable moisture stains on leather shoes and boots. A common sight on cars over a few years old was rust stains and bare spots where the salt had eaten into the glossy finish. We proudly called such cars rust buckets. Many people bought old jalopies for use in the winter, sparing nicer cars the indignities of salt rust or fender benders.

One more reason to salt? The chance that icy sidewalks could turn a holiday visit into a long bout of litigation because someone fell on someone else's property. I don't mean to sound like a commercial for the Salt Institute but that grainy spice has its place outside the kitchen.