Conference turris::cooks

    I'VE SEEN THE LARGE JARS OF UNSHELLED PISTACHIO'S AT HEARTLAND FOOD
    WAREHOUSE IN FITCHBURG, MA - NOT SURE OF THE PRICE BUT I'M SURE
    IT'S COMPARABLE, IF NOT CHEAPER THAN VICTORY MKTS.  I BUY THE SMALLER
    BADS OF THE SHELLED ONES, I THINK IT'S $2.49 OR $2.99 FOR 12 OZ.
    
    IT WOULD BE WORTH YOUR WHILE TO CHECK OUT THE PRICE IF YOU'RE USING
    THEM IN SUCH LARGE QUANTITY.

    
    	I found get unshelled pistachio's at BJ Wholesale, I believe
    that the container was 2 1/2 lbs for @ $7.00, next time I go there
    I check again. BJ's is in Salem N.H. and Medford MA.

    I have a small stand not far from here that sells them fresh for
    $2.99 lb.  That's one of the reasons I love living in California.
    I used to shop at the Food Warehouse in Fitchburg prior to moving
    out here and their prices where the best in town.
    
    Happy hunting

    RE -.1:  I've never seen them dyed green!!  Thank heavens!
    
    I had a pistachio cake recently, and it wasn't too bad.  The icing had
    been tinted green, though.  I don't have a recipe, unfortunately.
    
    I make pistachio caramel popcorn quite frequently.  It isn't as popular
    as cashew.  If you're interested, I'll bring the recipe (send mail).
    
    I also remember seeing a pistachio chicken recipe somewhere.  If I
    remember correctly, the chicken was cooked rather simply (baked or
    sauteed with "standard" herbs), then sprinkled with pistachios.
    
    If you're daring, improvise!
    
    Susan  

    
    
    _Gourmet_ did a small section on "Nutted Savories" (isn't that a
    wonderful name? Can't you just imagine Julia saying it?) recently and
    it included a recipe for Pistachio Twists.  I don't have the recipe
    here, but it was easy, and is approximated below. 
    
    1 box, two sheets, prepared puff pastry. (Pepperidge Farm)
    1-1 1/2 cups pistachios chopped coarse
    Coarse salt
    
    Roll one pastry sheet to 1/4" and sprinkle the pastry with the
    pistachios.  Roll the second sheet to the same size and place over the
    first.  Gently roll the sheets together to lightly seal.  With a pastry
    cutter or very sharp knife cut the pastry into 1/2 strips. Twist the
    strips--decoratively, of course--and place them on greased cookie
    sheets, anchoring the ends. Sprinkle with coarse salt.  Bake at 350
    until golden.  
    
    These are good, fancy-cocktail-party-type food.

    
    Pistachio cake and frosting....
    
    	My grandmother used to make this one, and it's really easy,
    
    You add instant pistachio pudding mix to a white cake mix (or white
    made from scratch cake), and bake according to the cake directions.
    (I think on pkg 3oz per a 9x11 cake.
    
    When this was cooled, she'd take a string and cut the 9x11 cake
    in half (the long narrow way, to have two 9x11 pieces).....
    
    Frosting was made with more instant pistachio pudding and whipping
    cream..., fill the center, put the two pieces together and then
    frost the outside, she ALWAYs had many volunteers to clean the
    bowl.... 
    
    	Anyhow, you could crush the pistachios and add them to the
    cake batter and/or to the frosting batter
    
    	-Annie
    

20 medium mushroom caps
3 TBS minced onion
Butter or margarine
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped, shelled, natural pistachios
2 TBS chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. marjoram, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt


Remove stems from mushroom caps; finely chop stems.  Saute stems and onion in
1/4 cup butter until tender.  Add bread crumbs, pistachios, parsley, marjoram
and salt; mix well.  Spoon stuffing into mushroom caps.  Place on baking sheet,
drizzle with 3 TBS melted butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or until
hot.  Makes 20 appetizers.

Note:  Pistachio Stuffed Mushrooms can be broiled instead of baked.  Broil
       6 inches from heat, 5 minutes or until browned and thoroughly heated.

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 TBS oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup coarsely chopped, shelled, natural pistachios
1/2 cup snipped dates


Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in mixing bowl.
Add buttermilk, oil and egg all at once; mix only until moistened.  Stir in 
pistachios and dates.  Pour into greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 inch loaf pan.  Bake
at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes
out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool thorougly.  Makes 1 loaf.

Muffin Variation:  Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full with batter.  Bake at 400
  		   degrees for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near
		   center comes out clean.  Makes 15 muffins.

   This note is in reaction to a raging discussion about pistachio nuts.


   Why are the red ones red?

	
   There must be a logical or somewhat logical reason:


	a. They have been dyed because Americans don't like green nuts.  (I 
	have it on good authority, that in Germany pistachio are never red.)

	b. They red ones are salted.  The dye is used to tell them apart from
	the unsalted naturally green ones.

	c. There is an archiac reason that has turned into tradition.  
	(Possibly, some type of solution was used in "olden times" to kill a
	bug or some disease during storage.  Whatever this solution is/was, it
	had/has a harmless side-effect of turning the shells red.)

  
   Answers to this question will once again bring peace to my home.  

   Thanks for the help,

   agb

   p.s.  nutty answers will be shucked.  :^)

>	c. There is an archiac reason that has turned into tradition.  
>	(Possibly, some type of solution was used in "olden times" to kill a
>	bug or some disease during storage.  Whatever this solution is/was, it
>	had/has a harmless side-effect of turning the shells red.)

  
As I understand it, the nuts where/are very precious in several societies
and considered a "treat".  The red dye came to us from the middle-eastern
source, and is an old tradition, possibly as a decorative touch during
feasts, etc.  The tradition was/is continued here in the USA, quite possibly
because the main customers for the nuts were, for a long time, those
individuals introduced to them in other lands, or through affiliation
with the middle eastern cultures/cuisines - and they EXPECTED the nuts
to be red.

    AN Iranian I once know (before California became a source, they came
    from that part of the world) told me that the red die was used to mask
    imperfections.  People came to expect them to be red - so they are
    still died red although thanks to modern agricultural methods the
    imperfections are few.
    
    

    As for middle Eastern culture, I would guess dying the pistachios red
    was for "special events" as I have never seem a red pistachio in Turkey
    in all the years I've been going there. Maybe they gave up the
    tradition or possibly never had that particular one. The middle east is
    quite large. But, I do know that every year we bought Mom a 5 pound bag
    of pistachio nuts for Christmas for the Jewish deli across the street
    and Christmas (and Hanauka) was the only time they carried the red nuts 
    (imported from Israel). They carried the natural ones all year long. 
    
    Personally, I'd take natural anyday. I usually end up with red fingers
    from the dyed nuts, providing evidence as to "who is eating all the
    pistachios?".
    
    I've had natural nuts salted and unsalted but have only seen red ones
    salted.
    
    Let us know if the mystery is solved.
    
    Andrea
               

    
    
    It was brought to my attention that I forgot to add the main
    ingredient!
    
    Okay....so, here's the corrected version....
    
    
    10 oz. package frozen artichoke hearts
     2 C canned chicken broth
     1 clove garlic
     2 shallots, minced
     1 Tbs oil
     � stick (� C) unsalted butter
     2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned & cut into 1" pieces
     � C dry vermouth
    4� tsp minced fresh basil or 1� tsp dried
     � C blanched pistachio nuts
    
    In a small saucepan simmer the artichoke hearts in the broth for 15
    minutes, or until they're tender. Drain them & keep them warm. In
    a large heavy skillet, saute the garlic and shallots in the oil with
    2 Tbs butter over moderately high heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add
    chicken and cook the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add
    vermouth & basil, bring the liquid to a boil, remove the skillet from
    the heat. Swirl in the remaining 2 Tbs butter, cut into bits, add salt
    and pepper to taste. Put the artichoke hearts in a serving dish, spoon
    the chicken mixture over them and sprinkle the pistachio nuts on top.
    
    Serves 2.