QUESTION: Do marinades have to have salt? My husband needs to reduce his sodium, so if you have any recipes for salt-free marinades I'd love to have them. Also can you safely baste with your marinade while your food is cooking? And one more thing (to settle a debate): is there a culture that invented marinades? I really enjoy your recipes, so keep up the good work.ANSWER: It sounds like you are having a "flavorful" conversation going on at home, so let me try to "break it down," and "tenderize" the subject. OK, that's my weak attempt at sliding the key marinade function words into a clever answer. Since that didn't work, I'll start over.The truth is that a marinade does two main things: it tenderizes food by breaking down the fibers, and it adds flavor. And let me say right off the bat for your husband's sake that although salt can enhance the flavor of a marinade, it certainly isn't necessary.Three elements are required for marinades to be able to work their magic and achieve their tenderizing, flavorful goals. First, your marinade needs some type of acid. Marinades were conceived in part as a means to tenderize tougher pieces of meat. This still holds true today. An acid marinade will transform an ordinary, inexpensive, lean piece of meat into a tender, juicy, flavor-packed entree. It does this by breaking down the tissue, essentially unwinding the protein strands, allowing more moisture to be absorbed. You can choose from a wide variety of acidic liquids, such as wine, vinegar, buttermilk, fruit juices, etc. Experiment with different acids or combine several for a more complex flavor.The second key element for a magnificent marinade is the addition of herbs and spices. The sky is the limit here — use whatever you have on hand in different combinations that will compliment the food you are cooking. Try adding fresh ginger, different citrus zests, hot or mild peppers, fresh herbs from the garden, garlic (a must for me), and different spices from around the world. You will probably come up with some favorite mixtures, but there are so many potential combinations you could make a different marinade every time you cook.The final requirement is making sure you give your marinade enough time to its job, but you also don't want to over-marinate and have your food turn into mush. This is especially true with seafood. In fact if you keep your food in marinade too long, it will "cook" your food — like seviche.As far as using your marinade as a basting sauce, or for that matter a finishing or side sauce served at the table, the safest solution is to make extra and set it aside in another container before you add raw food.Here are a few other marinade tips:Make sure the food you are marinating is completely covered by the marinade. As a rule of thumb, you will need around Z\x to ¾ cup marinade per pound of meat.I prefer using resealable plastic bags for marinating, but whatever you do, don't use aluminum because it can react to the acids.Try to keep the size of the meat pieces uniform, preferably on the small side. This not only allows for more surface area to come in contact with the flavor agents, but also less time on the grill, which will cut back on flare-ups and burning due to the marinade.Not all foods marinate for the same length of time. Usually 30 minutes is all that is needed for average sized fish and seafood. Poultry that is boneless and skinless and less than eight-ounce portions will be good to go after an hour in the marinade. However, when it comes to beef, pork, lamb, and whole or large poultry pieces, go with the "longer is better" theory. With these items you'll need a marinating time of at least 6 and up to 24 hours (even sometimes up to two days).You know I love food history, so I'm game to answer your question about the origin of marinades. But this culinary item goes back so far and it is so widespread that it is impossible to credit any one culture or region with its discovery. It is known that in the cradle of civilization — ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) — types of kabobs with meat and vegetables were marinated in herbs and spices and then cooked over open fires. The actual term, "marinate," is thought to originally only apply to fish and comes from the Latin word mare, which means "the sea."I'm passing along a few recipes for salt-free marinades; just promise me you'll create your own specialty. Then you can settle the debate by saying that the origin of great marinades is your kitchen.

1 sweet onion, finely chopped1/3 cup lime juice½ cup olive oil¼ cup minced fresh ginger2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme1½ tablespoons ground cumin2 tablespoons chili powder2 to 3 tablespoons red wine4 cloves minced garlic1 teaspoon dried oregano1 teaspoon turmeric1 teaspoon ground pepperCombine all ingredients and mix thoroughly; make 1 hour in advance so it has time for the flavors to blend Marinate meats for 6 to 24 hours depending on size. Marinade can easily be doubled or tripled if needed.

½ cup dry white wine2 green onions, finely chopped½ cup orange juice¼ cup extra virgin olive oil1 tablespoon lime juice2 cloves garlic, minced2 tablespoons honey¼ teaspoon white pepper¼ teaspoon hot sauce (optional)Combine all ingredients in a glass container and mix well. Add fish and marinate for about 30 minutes.

1 cup crushed pineapple with juice½ cup white wine1/3 cup honey1/3 cup balsamic vinegar5 cloves garlic, minced2 teaspoon ginger powder½ teaspoon ground allspice1 teaspoon dry mustardMix all ingredients together and marinade boneless, skinless chicken for about 1 hour.Marinade pork or large poultry pieces 6 to 12 hours.