Thanksgiving preparations are well underway over here. I have... er... the equivalent of 25 bottles of wine (some are Bota Boxes), a dry-brining turkey in the fridge, bags of vegetables ready to go in the car, and snacky appetizers just out of the oven.
I wanted to share this recipe with you, because it turned out really well. That's always a surprise for me. Also, it's really more a method than a recipe - you can play with the flavorings to your liking. Honestly, I'd probably make things quite a bit spicier if I did this again.
This recipe was from the last issue of Gourmet Magazine. Wah.
You probably want to make this tomorrow, as it keeps for a week in an airtight container. That way, you can just pull it out and shove it at people while they're wondering when that turkey's going to be ready.
Here's a link to the recipe, so you can follow along at home:
First, mix up your seasonings. The recipe calls for sugar, paprika (I used pimenton we had around), cumin, cinnamon, and cloves.
Beat the heck out of an egg white. Well, just until it's frothy. My egg white looks huge because I doubled the recipe.
Stir the nuts and egg whites together, then toss the coated nuts in the seasoning mix. Lay out in a single layer on a sheet tray and pop in the oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Things will be a little sticky, but they'll dry out when the nuts are roasted. When the kitchen smells so good you want to eat the oven door, they're done.
And that's it! As a side bonus, the whole house smells like Thanksgiving right now. It's making me ridiculously hungry.
I also made a cheese ball with goat cheese, cream cheese, and cheddar, but it didn't make the house smell nearly as good. Also, it's not coated in its macadamia nut covering yet, and I'm not going to show you pics of a nekkid cheese ball, because that would be unseemly.
I hope your Thanksgivings are happy, full of good food and good cheer. We're leaving for Mandeville in the morning, and I doubt I'll have time to update Boots in the Oven before our return on Monday. Be sure to check out our moblog, Boots on the Side. It will definitely be updated from the road!
