The delicious world of nuts

Castagne, nocciole, mandorle, pinoli mainstays of Italian kitchen

Chestnuts are a staple of the Mediterranean kitchen. In the Middle Ages castagne were considered peasant fare, but the aristocracy never held that against the nuts, and enjoyed them in a wide variety of dishes.
They were once a treasured part of Tuscany's taste buds, so much so that the crop was a large part of the region's economy. The peasants would grind the nuts to make flour to substitute for wheat. Chestnut flour is still used in Tuscany as an ingredient in pastries.
In selecting chestnuts, choose nuts that have shiny, rich, reddish-brown shells.
Italians love their castagne and enjoy them in a variety of ways: boiled, poached in red wine, or fried in butter as a garnish.
They are also puréed into sauces and soups, such as zuppa di purea di marroni. Abruzzo has its Minestrone di Castagne, a hearty soup that's perfect for the upcoming winter months.
Chestnuts can also be roasted and stewed and served alongside of a meat dish, such as pork, or used in a stuffing.
Castagne are favourites in Italy's many dolci. There's dolce di marroni con panna montata, a chestnut puree with whipped cream, Piedmont's castagne con la panna, a dessert that includes honey, and montebianco, a puree smothered in whipped cream. And of course, in time for the holidays, you can roast them over an open fire, or prepare them according to a Benedictine convent traditional recipe, Il Pieno Natale.
The almond belongs to the same group of plants such as the rose, plum and peach. The tree is a native of North Africa, but it is also cultivated in all countries bordering on the Mediterranean, and today Sicily is one of the world's top exporters of mandorle.
Almonds, as well as the oil pressed from them, were well known in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
Italy grows two varieties of mandorle: mandorle dolci (sweet almonds) and mandorle amare (bitter almonds). The sweet versions are used in pastries, while the latter are used in liqueurs such as amaretto.
Sweet almonds are popular in desserts such as marzipan and almond brittle. They can also be slightly roasted and once slivered, they are great in salads or meat dishes, such as chicken or rabbit.
In Italy, hazelnuts are primarily enjoyed in pastries and cakes, including torrone (a sort of nougat) and gianduiotti, a fondant chocolate from Piedmont. But their main claim to fame is in Italy's international chocolate, "baci," the perennial box of hazelnut chocolates that are the North-American Italian answer to fruitcake (albeit, more delicious).
Hazelnuts are also the starring attraction in Torta di Nocciole (nut cake). Combine three cups of shelled hazelnuts, one cup of sugar, one tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, seven ounces of unsalted butter, four eggs, and 3/4 cup of flour.
The pistachio originated in Persia and the English name is derived from the Persian, pisteh. A close relative of the cashew, pistacchi were introduced to Rome in 50 AD. by Emperor Vitellius, who finished off his meals with a mouthful of them.
Pistachios are grown in southern Italy, and Italians use them to enhance seafood, poultry and salad dishes. Their sweet delicate flavour makes them ideal for desserts. An ideal ingredient in ice cream, they are used in cassata gelata, the famous Sicilian dessert.
No other nut says Italian quite the way pine nuts do. Pinoli have been used as an ingredient in the Italian kitchen for more than 2,000 years, and the Ancient Romans enjoyed them in wine.
Pine nuts are an essential ingredient in pesto, and they are also quite good in salads, and pasta dishes, such as farfalle with arugula pesto sauce. They can also be added to risotto or couscous. Pinoli are often used in recipes which includes raisins, since the two ingredients complement each other so well. They are served alongside of raisins in a Christmas Eve dish that features squid. The nuts are also excellent in a myriad of desserts, such as tarts and biscotti.
Pinoli are somewhat more expensive than most other nuts, but a little goes a long way. They don't have a long shelf life so after using you'll want to freeze them until you need them again. If you want to toast them before sprinkling them over a meat or salad dish, do keep a close eye on them, since they burn rather easily.

Publication Date: 2003-12-07
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3426