Nuts in the Kitchen Read Online Free PDF Page A

enough to sizzle a drop of water. Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons onto the pan. Using the back of the spoon, spread the batter into 2½-inch (6-cm) rounds. Cook until the tops are covered with small bubbles and the bottoms are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and lightly brown the other side for 2 minutes longer. Keep warm in an oven set at the lowest temperature while you cook the remaining cakes.

 
     
    Waffles with Walnut Whipped Cream
    Makes 8 to 12 waffles
    This recipe is a bit of breakfast indulgence, with its fine, fluffy accompaniment of vanilla-laced crème fraîche and walnuts. I like to serve these for a Sunday brunch or for a special occasion such as the first breakfast when company comes to visit or a child’s birthday. They’re nutty and scrumptious. You can, of course, make the waffles without the topping—they are also delicious on their own.
    FOR THE TOPPING:
    1 cup (250 ml) crème fraîche
    2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    ¼ cup (25 g) walnuts, lightly toasted and nely ground
    FOR THE WAFFLES:
    1½ cups (210 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
    1½ teaspoons baking powder
    ½ teaspoon ne sea salt
    3 large eggs, separated
    1 cup (250 ml) milk
    ¼ cup (25 g) walnuts, lightly toasted and nely ground
    1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (Chapter Breakfast)
    Mild vegetable oil, for oiling the waffle iron
    Note: The recipe calls for walnuts, and they are delicious, but try Brazil nuts or macadamia nuts—they’re wonderful as well.
     
    1. Preheat a waffle iron.
     
    2. Make the topping: Whip the crème fraîche with the confectioners’ sugar until the cream holds soft peaks. Fold in the vanilla and ¼ cup (25 g) walnuts. Chill.
     
    3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and milk. Whisk in the dry ingredients, then whisk in the other ¼ cup (25 g) walnuts.
     
    4. In a large, clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy, then whisk in the vanilla sugar. Continue whisking until the egg whites form soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
     
    5. Brush the waffle iron with mild vegetable oil. Place about 1 / 3 cup batter in the iron and make the waffle according the machine’s instructions. Continue untilall the batter is used, keeping the waffles warm in a low oven, making sure not to stack them so they do not soften.
     
    6. Serve the waffles with the topping alongside.

 
     
    Small Plates: Appetizers, First Courses, and Accompaniments
    I hope you will turn to this chapter over and over as you plan a meal, for it is rich in the small, simply made, delicious little dishes that make a dining experience special. Dishes like the ones here, rife with nuts and their toasty, buttery flavors and textures, excite the palate and wake it up with flavors that pop with intensity, satisfy with depth.
    I often serve a variety of small dishes to introduce a meal. It’s a wonderful way to welcome family and friends to the table. Occasionally I offer a larger number of these small dishes as the entire meal, and everyone loves that for its variety and novelty.
    Try serving a selection of dishes from this chapter in the kitchen if there is room, with afire in the fireplace as backdrop, or the doors flung open onto the terrace, or however it strikes you to create a casual, comfortable ambience. I think what you will find, as I do, is that no matter how formal your guests or the occasion, a bounty of small, delicious dishes puts everyone at ease and suddenly, in the way of all that is creative and simple, makes for great company and a wonderful experience.

 
     
    Cinnamon Pecans
    Makes about 4 cups (500 g)
    This recipe comes from Sue Raasch, a former cooking student who has a pecan orchard right outside her house in Texas. She made us all laugh with her stories of Texas and of pecans, and the minute she returned home she sent me not only a host of her favorite recipes but also a box of her favorite pecans.
    I chose this