23 July 2015
Welcome friends. I took this picture several weeks ago with my phone. My friends have grown tired of me complaining that I could not get a decent picture with the camera feature on my phone. I recently upgraded my phone and I have been able to capture some decent images with it.
This image has been on my mind because the concept "here and then gone" has been on my mind. Not in a morbid way. It finally feels like summer in Chicago. We've had a few warm days here and there, but they have been more like punctuation at the beginning or end of the week. Of course, I love summer in Chicago and I want to experience three months of it. I guess there is a possibility that we could get three months of summer weather starting now. It is more likely that summer will be here and then gone before I realize it.
Today I want to share my recipe for tamari almonds. I found this recipe on the epicurious site, but I have made a couple of adjustments to the quantities and times. I make these in the winter to give as holiday gifts, and I make them in the summer to serve as an appetizer. They are tasty and easy to make. Like the dandelions in the image above they are here and then gone.
I had some friends in town a few weeks ago and it was great to hang out with them. I sometimes marvel at how easy it is to reconnect with good friends. I wanted to spend as much time as I could being with them and as little time as possible making food. They were only here for a short time. They stayed with some mutual friends who hosted a cook out. I had very little to do, other than just show up. I took a batch of these almonds so that people could have something to nibble on.
Tamari Almonds
12 min prep time | 33 min bake time | 30 min cool time
Ingredients
makes about 3 cups
- 1 lb whole, raw, almonds with their skins on
- 1/4 cup tamari (preferably San-J reduced sodium)
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
Directions
preheat the oven to 300° F.
position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet (15 ½ by 10 ½ inches or larger) and bake for 15 minutes.
whisk together the tamari and sugar in a large, heat-proof bowl. Add the hot almonds and, using a slotted spoon, stir them until they are well coated. Leave the almonds in the bowl for 5 minutes, stirring them a few more times. Use the slotted spoon to return the almonds to the baking sheet.
return the almonds to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Stir the almonds and then return them to the oven for about 8 minutes.
remove the almonds from the oven and stir them. Allow the almonds to cool on the baking sheet and stir them occasionally.