Nuts to You, and You, and You
December 2, 2016
For people who bake, hazelnuts are essential. No nut makes better tortes. And nowhere on earth do you find better hazelnuts than Oregon.
For years I’ve heard Alice Waters and Nancy Silverton talk up the organic hazelnuts from Trufflebert Farm. Chez Panisse was Trufflebert’s first account, back in 1992, and since then they’ve invaded every major kitchen on the West Coast. Their legend is large – but not as large as the nuts themselves. These are HUGE nuts. Think gumballs. Which means a butter-to-bitter ratio smaller nuts can only envy.
Trufflebert’s minimum order is ten pounds, so a lot of people will be getting these from me this year. Order now, divide them up and pack them into pretty boxes: at $13 a pound, they make a great gift any baker would love.
Categorised in: Gift Guide
1 Comment
Not far from the MacDowell colony…from a Southern NH Gourmet and your books reader…have enjoyed and delighted reading the magazine and your books, so eagerly and with enthusiasm picked up, “Save Me the Plums” as I am recovering from a 4th surgery in 2 years…this one not tough just limiting…full emergency hip replacement. At first you drew me in and I was intrigued to read how you transitioned from the Times to “Gourmet”, but then you totally lost me…a “girl” whose heart is entrenched in somewhat real life in NH and the fru fru la la of the time you were at “Gourmet” rang shallow for me.My thoughts ran to “get over yourself” and I wondered if the readers of “Gourmet” would find all the inner workings of “Gourmet” really all that compelling or interesting. Perhaps the times being so different now…eventually what lead to “Gourmet’s” demise…but I had trouble buying into your life. You are a consummate New Yorker and I always love that…the city ingrained in your very being…but you LOST me…I became disenchanted and disappointed, but then the chapters about 9/11…and back I came. Your words vividly jumping from the page to tell your reader what it was like…your husbands’s selfless flight taking the children to safety, your valiant and must have been frightening ride to join him and Nick…how the cooks banned together to bring nurturing so needed “home” to those first responders in Hell…my God…we all have stories of that dreadful day, but you brought HOME how food brings us HOME…grabs us and drags us out of the holes life puts us in…if just for the length of time it takes to eat a bowl of chili…
Writing about 9/11 brought you back to me as the author/ woman I read all these years and enjoyed..learned from…laughed with…cried with…when Laurie Colwin died…and reminded me of the humble MacDowell honoree I met in 2005..who had the big bowl of chocolate…Baci wasn’t it? …for the folks visiting your cottage on MacDowell open house day…I was thrilled to just happen upon you…
So just wanted to write…not sure you’ll pick this up or see it. I do not Twitter nor FaceBook nor have a website, so hoping this finds its’ way to you somehow.
Thanks, Ruth…I’m off to finish up “Save me the Plums’…about 30 to 40 pages left to read.
But a last few words, before I do,…..cruised “Gourmet” for years before your arrival, but actually began to read it after you came to rest there. Over your tenure and until “Gourmet” folded, recipes and articles were read, tried, retried, kept…the articles sparked wonder, aroused curiosity, never a gourmet cook nor wanted to be one, but good, creative, healthy meals were a hallmark and expected from my families kitchens from my Nanas’ to my beloved Aunt Dot, to my Mum and now my daughter, grand daughters, and grandsons, as well.
Thank you…