Spicy Spanish Almonds

These delectable almonds are another of my range of delicious nuts. For some bizarre reason they seem a bit more 'masculine' than my traditional sweet roasted macadamia nuts so I cooked a batch for brother's birthday. 

INGREDIENTS
3 cups of raw whole almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
1 teaspoon ground rock or sea salt 
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 135 degrees Celsius (275F)

2. Line large baking tray with baking paper
3. Mix sugar, spices and salt in large bowl
4. Whisk egg white and water until thick and foamy
5. Tip almonds into egg white mix and stir to coat 
6. Tip into spice and mix to coat
7. Spread evenly onto baking sheet
8. Bake for 30 minutes
9. Stir and separate any that are stuck together
10. Reduce oven temperature to 100 degrees Celsius (205F) and bake about 30 minutes until dry.  
11. Stir and leave on tray to cool. They will become crisp once cool.
12. Store in airtight container. 

A few interesting facts about almonds

• The trees and their blossoms are truly beautiful.
• Technically, almonds are the seed of a tree.
• They are a member of the Amygdalus family and related to other fruits that contain hard pits, including cherries, plums and peaches. 
• They thrive in mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers in full sun.
• Nutritionally they are praised due to the presence of monounsaturated fatty acids, dietary fibre, antioxidants, vitamins like riboflavin, and trace minerals such as magnesium.

Strawberry Hazelnut Cake

When you ask somebody what they would like for dinner, you have to then be prepared to create what they have asked for. On this occasion, the request was for "something healthy." Damn, there goes my ideas of a luscious chocolate cheesecake or a cream laden pavlova.

I dragged out a "Slimmers' Book," that obviously hadn't seen the light of day for many years and began to flip. There were some quite nice looking recipes in it, but most with watery looking sauces and over proportioned with vegetables. There were, however, some tasty looking desserts that looked ideal for this horrendous, humid weather we are surviving through at the moment. 

This hazelnut strawberry cake is delicious, but I have to confess I made some small modifications, so it might not be as "slimmers" as it was originally. Not too decadent though.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup castor sugar
• 1/3 cup self-raising flour
• 1/3 cup ground hazelnuts

Strawberry filling

• 125g light cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon strawberry or raspberry jam
• 1/2 of 250g punnet strawberries

Cream cheese topping

• 125g cream cheese
• 1/3 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Decoration

• Remaining half punnet of strawberries
• Small amount of ground hazelnuts.

METHOD

1. Grease deep 20cm round can pan and line base with baking paper.

2. Beat eggs and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy.

3. Fold in sifted flour and hazelnuts.

4. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

5. Bake in a moderate over for 30 minutes.

6. Turn onto wire rack to cool. 

Strawberry Filling

7. Blend or process cream cheese, jam and 1/2 punnet of strawberries until smooth.

Cream cheese topping

8. Blend or process all ingredients until smooth.

Assembly

9. When cake is cold, cut in half horizontally.

10. Spread with filling and top with remaining cake.

11. Spread cream cheese filling over cake.

12. Decorate with reserved strawberries and ground hazelnuts.

13. Refrigerate for several hours.

NOT ANOTHER GREEK SALAD- Ann Rickard

        Photo courtesy of Nick. Scopelos

Ann Rickard is a Noosa based writer with six travel books under her belt. All have quirky names: "Three in a Bed in the Med;" "Flash and Brash with Fries on the Side" and "The Last Book about Italy." She has won the Australian Society of Travel Writers Australian Travel Writer of the Year (2005,) Travel Book of the Year (2007) and is the life editor of the Noosa News. 

Ann sets off to Greece with her life partner Geoffrey in search of wine, adventure, inspiration and lesbians. The lesbians are found on the island of Lesbos, chosen to visit not only because of the remarks heard about gay women visiting there but also because it appeared to be one of the least commercial of the Greek islands with petrified forest, ancient ruins, a thriving agricultural industry, unspoilt culturally enlightening museums, etc. etc. 

This was not the first time Ann and Geoffrey had visited Greece so they wanted check out some sights to see if they had changed at all. Naturally they had and this met with some disappointment. But they also take on new adventures. Ann casually describes the hike up the mountain to the Agios Simeon monastery by way of a goat track recommended by Stavros (of course.) 

                                                           Agios Simeon Monastery

They take off at one o'clock - the hottest part of the day when everyone is thinking about closed blinds and cool siestas. There is no sign of cars but plenty of donkey droppings and the air becomes still and hotter as they climb. "It's pleasant, despite the heat," but even horses think they are nuts.

Ann's book is filled with anecdotes such as these and is easy reading. It is also dotted with a bit of whining about lack of money and villages that have too many tourists (just like them.)

Is it a book that you could use to plan out your once in a lifetime trip to Greece? Not really. There are some useful facts but I feel it is more a memoir of ramblings through life and relationships. There are a few spelling and grammar mistakes that are distracting but don't let that put you off. It is entertaining and light-hearted; something that often missed in a 'real' travel book. 

Fortress of Mytilini, Lesvos