As the popularity of nut milks and nut cheeses rises and more people embrace a plant-based lifestyle, one of the oldest known sources of food has become one of the hottest health trends today. Patrick Evans-Hylton, food journalist and chef, celebrates nuts, which are portable, protein-rich, nutrient-dense sources of fiber, minerals and vitamins (copper, iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc, to name only a few).
Nuts opens with a history primer ("seven types of nuts were found at a 780,000-year-old archaeological site in Israel's Hula Valley in 2002") and the best uses for the 10 most common and accessible nuts: almonds, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. Evans-Hylton provides information on how to select, store and prepare nuts (for example, whole raw nuts are not only cheaper, but last longer) and then presents recipes that include staples like peanut butter and almond milk, before venturing into Mushroom-Walnut Sauce and Green Olive-Pistachio Tapenade; soups and sides like Williamsburg Peanut Soup and Herbed Chestnut Bread Pudding with Parmesan Cream Sauce; entrees like Grown-Up Grilled Cheese with Cherry-Walnut Compote, Bacon and Brie; and sweets like Pineapple Upside-Down Macadamia Cookies and Banana-Cashew-Ginger Freezer Ice Cream--even a Nutty Fella Martini cocktail.
Beyond the variety of recipes, fun facts abound: Who knew that the walnut tree doesn't produce until 15 years old and that there are more than 30 varieties of almonds? Nuts is not only informative, but a delicious testament to why this nutritional powerhouse has become a widespread favorite. --Kristen Galles from Book Club Classics