Andrea Lynn, a Culinista for The Dish’s Dishes is a contributor this week. She’s just returned from New Mexico with a passion for pine nuts.
Piñon, the New Mexican version of pine nuts, are the edible seeds of a pine tree. The nuts are inside the pinecone and must be heated to be removed, a rather labor-intensive, price-inflating task.
Interestingly, these delicious nuts are used in both sweet or savory dishes in New Mexico. They are roasted and salted to be shelled and eaten like sunflower seeds. They are candied as piñon brittle or baked into an apple pie. They are added to tomatoes to turn into salsa.
And, if the nuts couldn’t be any better, they contain the highest amount of protein of any nut or seed. So, next time you want to add an ingredient to make a dish unique, reach for the always delicious, always exciting piñon.
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