For the record, I only act that way but what I’m
referring to here is the cornerstone of mankind’s earliest diet. Along with the
occasional captured rodent and harvested fruits, nuts made up a significant
part of the diet as it’s packed with calories and protein and you didn’t have
to plan an elaborate hunting scheme. Just pick, roast and crack. From those
early beginnings all the way up to modern man’s favorite spread, peanut butter,
nuts are here to stay.
But is it a Nut?
Arguably, modern man’s favorite nut isn’t really a nut at
all. The peanut actually belongs to the legume family as like most of the other
legumes, they harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria that benefits both the peanut
plant and the bacteria. In fact, they don’t even grow on trees but are subterranean
“nuts” but unlike other legumes, what we consume are root based and not bush
based.
Early in life I consumed my fair share of peanut butter
and jelly sandwiches or more likely, peanut butter and banana sandwiches, first
with the processed variety of peanut butter that was stable at room temperature
– and it had to be Skippy’s – then later the true variety of peanut butter that
had to be refrigerated and mixed before spreading. Of course, once I hit
college and took several food safety classes, my peanut butter consumption
dropped to a minimum, not because I lost my taste for the gooey stuff but
because peanuts that aren’t stored properly can harbor mold of the Aspergillus species which then produce
aflatoxins which in large doses can cause immediate liver failure but in
chronic low doses can cause liver cancer. Since then, the gooey nut spread I’ve
reached is more likely to be almond butter.
What’s a Drupe?
No, it’s not that dopey kid that sat at the back of the
class that didn’t seem to be mentally present throughout the course of the day.
And it’s not those ancient people who supposedly made Stonehenge. A drupe or
stone fruit has a fleshy outer mesocarp that surrounds a hardened endocarp
(stone or pit) that surrounds a seed. In the case of apricots, plums and
peaches, we consume the fleshy mesocarp, in the case of coffee, we roast the
endocarp and brew it and in the case of that other”nut”, the almond, we consume
the seed. And in the case of the Gochiso Gourmet, I consume it ground to almond
butter, ground and squeezed to almond milk or consume it roasted and seasoned
then added to my morning oatmeal for a little fat and protein with breakfast.
I now enjoy almond butter more than peanut butter not
just because of the absence of aflatoxins but almonds are actually a lot
healthier option since they have very little saturated fat. You notice how
natural peanut butter noticeably hardens in the refrigerator? That’s due to the
higher percentage of saturated fat in peanuts whereas almond butter remains runny
even after refrigeration because of its high polyunsaturated fat content. And
almond butter does have a pleasurably natural sweetness not found in peanut
butter.
Plus almonds don’t just constitute my breakfast faire, I
also always keep a can or two of smoked almonds for my Pea Salad with Smoked
Almonds (http://the-gochiso-gourmet.blogspot.com/2008/03/pease-porridge-hot-pease-porridge-not.html)
and a can of Marcona almonds for my Sauce Romesco. I also keep a package of
toasted sliced almonds for my version of Cucina Restaurant and Wine Bar’s Zucchini
Carpaccio.
Another favorite drupe is the walnut – again, it’s the
seed of a drupe that like the almond contains a considerable amount of
polyunsaturated fats but unlike the almond also has a fair amount of inherent
bitterness. Bitterness that helps balance rich, creamy cheeses or balances the
sweet and sour qualities of a good vinaigrette on a salad especially when the
salad also contains the flesh of drupes like grilled peaches or nectarines. And
while I prefer my chocolate chip cookies without walnuts, I enjoy walnuts added
to dessert crusts and toppings for the contrasting crunch they provide and the
slight bitterness to balance the overt sweet and rich qualities of dessert.
Are There “Real”
Nuts in the Food World?
Other than certain columnists for the Nichi Bei Weekly,
there are “real” nuts in the world such as hazelnuts, chestnuts and acorns.
Botanically speaking, true nuts are fruits with a hard shell and an internal
seed where the shell doesn’t release the seed – it must be liberated by someone
or something. Like the black footed Iberico bellota pig that gorges itself on
acorns or the folks at Nutella who release those hazelnuts to create that
delectable cocoa based spread that’s great on bread, crackers or simply eaten
straight from a spoon!
I personally have never sampled an acorn but do
occasionally indulge on Iberico bellota ham which in my humble opinion is one
step above even the best Prosciutto di Parma or Prosciutto San Danielle since
the fat literally melts in your mouth. And I only say “occasional” because of
the cost – if those Power Ball numbers ever line up, “occasional” will become
“regular”.
With chestnuts, other than simply adding to a stuffing or
cooked with kuromame for the Oshogatsu, I still need create that
Italian dessert, Monte Bianco which is simply a chestnut and chocolate puree
topped with whipped crème to imitate the appearance of Mont Blanc. Especially
since chestnuts are now readily available roasted and peeled. Twenty-something
years ago while I was in graduate school, we still roasted and peeled chestnuts
and every year while peeling, the chestnut skin would invariably find its way
under my fingernail… OUCH!!! Bottled roasted and peeled variety make life so
much simpler… and painless.
Great for the
Hoildays
Since these “nuts’ are flavored with the spices of
Thanksgiving and Christmas, they make great starters when drinks are served,
mini presents for work companions or even “reminders” for party guests who just
don’t know when to leave… “here, take this home with you”… Just pack them in 1
cup portions in festive wrapping. If you don’t have any worthy workplace
companions or if your party guests all know when to leave, just unwrap them and
enjoy yourselves…
Sweet and Savory
Spiced Nuts
3 Tbsp sugar
1 & ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
¾ tsp salt
1 large egg white
2 & ½ cups walnut halves
2 & ½ cups pecan halves
Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in middle. Lightly coat a
sheet pan with non-stick spray.
Whisk together sugar, spices and salt in a small bowl.
Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until frothy, then stir in nuts. Add spice
mixture and toss to coat.
Spread nut mixture in 1 layer in sheet pan. Bake,
stirring once or twice, until dry and well toasted, about 20 minutes. Loosen
nuts from pan, then cool completely.
Nuts keep in an airtight container at room temperature
for 1 week.
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