Last night I took the GOTrain home to the Oak to visit Mum. I actually almost didn’t make it because I fell asleep, and was awoken by the sound of my cell phone ringing. It was Steve calling to ask if I’d gotten any amusing stalker gifts at work on Valentine’s Day at the store. I didn’t find that out until later, though, because our actual conversation went a lot like this:
Me: Zzzwha? Hello? Whozzit?
Steve: Uh, hi, Moira? It’s me, Steve.
Me: Stevewha? Wait. Time?
Steve: I think it’s quarter to five.
Me: Shit! Gotta go catch train. Must find pants. Call you later. *click*

Ah, indeed, I am the Queen of Phone Etiquette. I should teach courses in it, or perhaps take up a position where I answer calls of a delicate nature about governmental policy. Oh, wait, hang on, that *is* my job. Huh.

Anyway, getting back to Tuesday night; Mum had the makings of supper all ready, and we dined on some scrumptious thin-sliced butter-crisped scallops with rice and vegetables, and a glass of nice white wine on the side. Followed up by baked apples stuffed with raisins and marinated in currant liqueur with a dabble of cream. Deeelish.

In exchange for these culinary wonders, I brought home a passel o’ DVDs for Mum to watch on her new player, because nothing says “that was some damn tasty broccoli” like the gift of Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp in pirate gear. We ended up watching some of the first episode of ‘Ultraviolet’ with the lights off, in between making runs to the kitchen to check on the nuts.

Ah, the nuts… Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts
courtesy Nigella Lawson
500g assorted unsalted peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts (Mum’s favorite), walnuts, pecans (my favorite), and almonds
2 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp dark muscovado sugar
2 tsp Maldon salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180C. Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven till they become light golden-brown, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt and melted butter. Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm. Once you start eating these, you will never want to stop.

So now I’m sitting at my desk, eating these nuts and thinking of Mum. And trying desperately NOT to think of how nuts are essentially just tasty packets of fat, even BEFORE you roast them and coat them in sugar.