Fresh City Lifes

Cooking Demos:
6/10: Bonjour Paris Etsy Craft Party Roasted Nuts By Chef Juan Huerta

Pralinette
1 Generous Cup of Hazel Nuts (150 g.) 2/3 Cup of Sugar (150 g.) 2 T. + 2 tsp. of Water (38 g.) (Optional: 1 1 tsp. of Cinnamon (15 20 g.))

Heat the oven to 350. Skin the Hazel Nuts: put them on a cookie sheet and let them roast for 3-5 minutes. You know theyre ready when you look at them and the skins are starting to split and come loose. Take them out and rub some between your hands so the skins fall off. Try to get as much of the skins off as you can, if theyre really stuck on there, thats OK. First pour the water, then the sugar into a hemispheric copper bowl or a wok. (Clean the copper with lemon juice and salt and dry it first. Or if youre using a wok, make sure it is very clean & scoured and there is no oily residue left in it.) Brush the side of the bowl with water to keep the edges clean of any crystals of sugar. Cook the sugar over a medium high heat until it is 245 (118-120 C) then pour in the nuts and cinnamon. Immediately turn down the heat to medium. Stir the mixture until the sugar crystallizes again, making sure to break up any clusters of nuts that form. Immediately pour out onto a silicone sheet or onto a length of aluminum foil. You dont want to let this cook more or the sugar will began to caramelize and color. Let cool for a few minutes before handling. If you dont use the pralinette right away, you can store it in an airtight container.

Caramelized Pecans or Almonds

1 T Butter 1 Cups Nuts Cup + 1 T Sugar (Optional: 2-3 tsp. Cinnamon or 2 tsp. ground Cardamom & 1-2 tsp. Cinnamon) Melt the butter in a large saut pan over medium-high heat. Add the nuts and saut to coat with butter, then add cup of the sugar and spices. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon and keep the mixture moving around and try to keep the sugar evenly mixed with the nuts. When you see the sugar start to melt, sprinkle the other tablespoon of the sugar on the nuts. When the sugar has completely melted and is a nice color of brown, pour the mixture out onto a silicone sheet or aluminum foil and try to break up any clumps of nuts with your spoon so they are mostly separate. The sugar is very hot and will continue cooking a bit after you take the nuts out of the pan. Let them sit at least 3-5 minutes before you try to pick them up with your hands. Store in an airtight container if you dont eat them right away. You can make these nuts with other flavors too. Try using lemon zest or pepper and rosemary or paprika and cumin or whatever spices fit your fancy at the time!