I think the best bet would be following recipes. That means finding recipes that minimize ‘to taste’ instructions. A lot can be done by look and texture, so you can be decent enough for anyone who’s not a snob. Also, err on the side of too little salt and put some on the table.

Absolutely, and just to expand on why they can be wildly inaccurate. Local governments have different ways of updating assessments. Most are simply small increases to the assessment every year. Small enough that they haven’t kept up with the market. If you watch, there are usually huge jumps on assessed value when a property sells because that sale value (aka market value) gets recorded as the assessed value.

Connecticut, Arkansas, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia