Today man-go-round and I strolled about town in the calm before the (allegedly coming) thunderstorm. Although it was a gray sort of day, there were definite bright spots. For example…

Anyone know what these are?

Here’s a clue by cuisine…

I was at this place… The Caspian Market…

Where I ultimately purchased these items…

Any guesses what they are?


They are not, as the man behind me in line said, “really weird grapes.” Nope, they are fresh almonds! I feel so silly for having such a love for almonds and never knowing what a fresh almond looked like. 


My next step was to ask the proprietor of the Caspian Bistro/ adjoining market, “Well, how do you eat them?” (If I was already a fool for asking what they were, I was going to get to the bottom of it!)


He proceeded to scoop one out of the bin, sprinkle it with salt, and advise me to bite all the way to the stem. The verdict? Vaguely almondy, yes. Much less crunchy, obviously. Sort of like an edamame-almond hybrid, if you ask me. Definitely curious for more!


I love the Caspian. On other visits I have procured delicious olives and fresh figs, tried my first dried mulberry, been inspired to make dried garbanzos in my oven (with disastrous results), poured over spices, and browsed the exotic jams (ever heard of rose butter? I’d sure like to try it!)


But what I love about this place isn’t just the food. I could surely find the same goods at Holy Land or another market in town. What I love about this place is the reception I always enjoy by the staff who work there. I’ve “met” some really cool new foods due to tutorials such as todays’, and always leave feeling like I want to come right back the next day.


So today’s food post? Well, I could write a novel on nuts in general, so I’ll limit it to:


Almonds! 
How do I enjoy them most? Today, my lovely readers- you get a list.


-Raw, crunchy, as a snack
-My beloved almond milk- in oatmeal, in coffee, mixed with pudding…
-Roasted and made into almond butter in my food processor
-Fresh, on a Saturday afternoon, as of today!
-On salads with spinach, raisins or dates, and strawberries
-Almond extract in my pancake mix
-In biscotti or granola bars
-Almond m&ms! Almond Joy! Almond Snickers!
-Slivered, atop Man-go-round’s mocha-rum birthday cake I made a few years back
-Coated in pastel candy. Heaven


Up next?
-Almond flour- any ideas?
-Almond paste- any ideas?


And now for today’s Munch Madness! At time of blog publishing this evening, Sweet potatoes beat regular old potatoes 19-9. Thanks to everyone who voted, and all of you who commented on jell-o as well! I said to man-go-round “I can’t believe some of these people have never had jell-o!” to which he responded slyly, “hmm, maybe they are busy eating actual food?” Touche. 


Tonight’s match- To both veteran and newbie voters, I present:


Blueberries vs. Strawberries!


Why do I get the feeling this will be a tough one?


So place your votes for your favorite of the two berries! And let me know how you use them! And how do you feel about almonds- ever had a fresh one? How do you eat almonds?


Goodnight, from my nuthouse to yours!
Meri