NUTS

USING NUTS IN COOKING is a natural gesture that’s akin to today’s excitement about wild foraged foods. After all, before nut trees were cultivated, they were precisely that: wild food. Given their botanical purpose, which is, of course, to reproduce—each nut magically contains enough energy to make an entire tree.

Nuts add an extra layer of texture and flavor; warming or toasting them in a dry pan enhances both of these properties. California almonds and walnuts, New York chestnuts, Sicilian pistachios, Oregon hazelnuts, Midwestern hickory nuts, Southern pecans, black walnuts from the Northeast—there’s a whole nutty world out there to discover. Instead of reaching for bacon and ham to add richness to a dish, use nuts. They add a sense of place to your cooking as well. Buy whole nuts in small quantities and use them fast, as they tend to lose their character quickly.