Loomis - Nuts in the kitchen: more than 100 recipes for every taste and occasion

Nuts. Theyre salty, buttery, crunchy, toasty, and simply delicious. For many, theyre one of those fatty, guilty pleasures reserved for rare occasions. As an ingredient they arent taken the least bit seriously, or so I realized when I responded to the question of what project I was currently working on. All I had to say was A book about nuts and laughter and snickers followed. For all of you comedians out there, should you ever need material, look to nuts for the answer. The entire subject is a potential gold mine.

The nut joke is limited mostly to North America, where nuts show up at baseball games or in big bowls in front of the TV. Travel to countries in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe, whose cuisines naturally incorporate or even depend on the nut, and youll encounter an entirely different situation. No jokes, no guiltjust pure and unadulterated pleasure in the eating. And that is the reason for this book.

Its time. We endlessly search for new flavor and texture experiences, and nuts satisfy. And just as important, current scientific and medical research is showing nutritional benefits that are hard to ignore. The role of nuts in the North American and European vegan diet is vital, for they offer a delectable source of protein, minerals, and other nutrients; they provide umami, or the savory sensation that also comes from meat; and they thicken in a similar way to flour and butter.

Im all for laughingafter all, laughter is the best medicine. And snickers dont bother me in the least. In fact, I occasionally feel as though Ive had the last laugh. Why wouldnt I? In the course of working on this book I traveled to and gained insight into fascinating and unfamiliar cultures. I spent time with great people, tasted amazing dishes and learned how to make most of them, and got to write about it all. And finally, but not finally at all, I get to treat myself, my family, my friends, and you to scrumptiously flavorful dishes.

You will read some of the current nutritional claims about nuts. They appear to be little medical miracles. While this is exciting, even more fulfilling is that theyre culinary miracles as well. When ground and added to a sauce or soup, they act as a thickener; they make a terrific flour replacement, particularly in cakes and coatings. And their range of toasty flavors enhances everything from seafood to meat.

If cultures that regularly incorporate nuts into their cuisines are used as models, nuts can be served at any point in the meal. In Syria, for example, a mixture of toasted nuts and seeds similar to Dukkah (Chapter Small Plates) is part of breakfast, along with olive oil, yogurt, bread, and vegetables.

In Europe, nuts are used with abandon in sweets and are also tossed into many a savory dish. The same is true in northern Africa and in Asia. Adding ground almonds to a soup to thicken it and turn it into a rich, subtle cream, for example, is a secret from the Spanish countryside. In Italy, local pine nuts blend into pesto, but in these pages the heady crispness of Brazil nuts teams with parsley and basil to give the fresh sauce its zest. Walnuts are normally highly esteemed for the buttery crunch they add to baked goods. Here they play that role with millet and herbs, saffron and cilantro, to make a haunting, richly flavored salad. Pistachios add luxury to a melting chocolate tart, along with their vivid color and sweet crunch.

Finding the recipes in this book has been a whirlwind of a lovely time. I knew I could write a wonderful book with exclusively French recipes, but I didnt want this book to be so France-centric, so I traveled to learn, eat, and steal (recipes and techniques, that is!). Stories of my travels were met with nearly as much mirth (and incredulity) as the subject of this book. No one could believe I went all the way to Thailand to research nuts, but why wouldnt I go to a country where peanuts figure in nearly every recipe and rural families almost all have a peanut plot to call their own? Traveling to Sweden had that goal as well (the Manu Chao concert was fun too), and Turkey was a must, for I had to get to the bottom of the fabled pistachio. And there, in the Fertile Crescent, I not only found what I was looking for, but the poet in me found its home. Who wouldnt melt at the idea of pistachio music (Chapter Small Plates) and all the other poetry in that marvelous land?

Nuts in Italian and Spanish cuisines are familiar to most of us, but I checked back into both countries to reaffirm things. And then there is the use of nuts in Eastern Europe and beyond. Suffice it to say that most cultures value nuts for the pleasurable flavors and textures they offer to everything from soup to desserttheir nutritive value is simply a plus. And this book is oriented the same way. You can learn here about how healthful nuts are, and I hope you will read the carefully prepared section on nutrition and nuts. But mostly you can savor the delicious aspects of nuts, what makes them more than simply a snack food.

I wish you good times and good cooking with this book about nuts. Enjoy it all, use it well, and bon apptit !

Nuts and Seeds:
Why Theyre So Good for Us

When it comes to nuts and seeds, the health claims dont end. Nuts are touted as the solution to everything from cardiac and bone health to weight loss and joint flexibility. What becomes evident on closer inspection into all these claims is that all may be true, but much has yet to be established.

What is beyond a doubt, however, is that nuts are highly nutritious. Consider the following discoveries: The fats contained in them are good and are thought to do for the body what WD-40 does for a machineease the passage, loosen the joints. The studies suggest that nuts are anti-inflammatory. Should this prove an ironclad medical and scientific conclusion, the implications are stunning, for inflammation is most likely at the root of many of our modern afflictions. Thus regular, moderate consumption of nuts could reduce the occurrence and development of many ills.

But wait! Theres more! Nuts are cholesterol-free and proven to diminish the risk of heart disease. They contain a variety of minerals and a dense amount of protein, which makes them satisfying powerhouses of energy. And surprisingly enough, those who incorporate nuts regularly into their diet dont gain weight.

This doesnt mean that we should suddenly begin popping open cans of fried and salted nuts and wolfing them down. Instead, it means a handful of nuts each day may keep the doctor at bay.

Many dramatic health claims are made about the oils in nuts and seeds. They contain healthful, unsaturated fatty acids, primarily monounsaturated fats, the kind that stay liquid at room temperature and solidify when chilled (a useful image to show their liquid state in the body) and can help reduce bad cholesterol in the blood, which contributes to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

What is most vital about nuts and seeds is the rich flavor and texture they can add to everything from breakfast cereal to braised chicken. They are ideal for moments of extreme hunger and after vigorous exercise, for their high energy content makes you feel full for much longer than most foods, making a little go a long way.

Ive compiled a list of the most popular nuts and seeds with some brief information about their major nutrient content and potential health benefits. Read this material over; it is interesting to know some of the nutritional specifics about nuts, and the advice contained here is good information. Then forget what youve read and retain the following: Nuts are healthful when eaten in moderation.

For the real information, turn to the recipes. Once youve recognized the general goodness of nuts, all you need to do is eat and enjoy them.