Thanks, Emily and bigwino. You should know that I am completely inexperienced on the subject. I read that color preservation was one of the main rationales for using nitrate, but I have seen many references also that it is a protection against spoilage. For example, from Paul Bertolli, who provides an extensive discussion of all sorts of salumi curing in his book, Cooking by Hand: "Today the use of nitrate and nitrite is still widely considered to be an essential element of the curing process for aesthetic reasons, for safety, and for its functional effectiveness." Thank you both for clarifying the salt and washing issues. I didn't really think there was a mistake by the publishers, but I was surprised to see such different approaches re: nitrite and washing online and in print.