Ballpark Nuts

posted May 26, 2005
  by Sara Rae Gore, New York Dish

It’s time to get out your team caps, your favorite player’s jersey and your oversized foam fingers because it’s baseball season! The season where your eyes well up, not from allergies, but from the sound of those two lovely words, “Beer Here!” It's a time when you gladly pay $5 for a Coke-and-a-frown. This is the time of year when I will do anything for tickets along the third base line so that I can get my fill of subway rides and Jeter’s back side. Aaahhh!

As I enter Yankee Stadium, ready to root for the home team, I hold my head high and in a very commanding yet joyous tone sing, “Buy meee some peanuts and Cracker Jacks!” Hold up. I know. I get a little carried away. And I get two typical responses from this. One is the expected “Wha' chu talkin' 'bout Willis?” face. I suspect, however, that these are mostly out-of-towners (since nothing surprises New Yorkers). But what do I care? Half of them are painted up like the bobble-head doll of their favorite player.

The other response that I am accustomed to emits from some of my male neighbors in our seating section. Their rejoinder is often said in a very Joey-esque tone reminiscent of Friends, “How you doin'? I’ll buy you some peanuts ‘n Cracka Jacks!” Wink, Wink. Yikes! I know I asked for that one, but in the spirit of baseball, it’s all fun and games until you get hit in the head with a foul ball and have to be carried out on a stretcher. As disappointing as that would be, since you'd likely miss the beloved 7th inning stretch, one other thing (besides your team losing) could disappoint as well.

I hate to criticize anything in the world of baseball, but if I must choose one thing to complain about it would be this: One of the biggest disappointments in recent baseball history is the peanuts! Seriously, whatever happened to our warm roasted nuts? I mean no disrespect to the company that sells the prepackaged, vacuum-sealed legumes, but I have to say that they just aren’t the same.

Because of this poor substitute, you are inevitably subjected to yet another story from your father or grandfather or whichever person in your life is always trying to prove how good you have it. This one, though, is unlike the torrid tales of their having had to walk five miles to school . . . in the snow . . . with no gloves . . . and no shoes; or how they didn’t have toys like that when they were growing up.

This is the flip-side to such stories. This is a fond memory spoken in the same spirit as, “I remember when gas was 23 cents a gallon and the milk man would deliver bottles right to your door.” This story evokes the memories often captured in black and white photos of the classic baseball experience that earned baseball the honor of being called “the Great American Pastime.” The days of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and yes--warm roasted nuts!

“I remember when I was a kid going to games with my dad, after playing catch in the front yard, and the first thing we would get was a nice warm bag of fresh peanuts.” How very Pleasantville it all sounds, right? Fond memories to them mean the shaft for us. Alright, maybe this is an exaggeration, but you’ll get to know that about me.

Having said that, I have to say that I like the mystery of the open bag; the warm nuts just scooped from the steamer. I don’t care. Use your hands. I fear not the dirty fingers, shards of glass, foreign substances, or whatever the reason we’ve opted to pay seven dollars for second-rate peanuts today. I’d risk it all for some fresh nuts! Besides, they’ve got a shell! It's nature's packaging!

By the end of the game, I’ve consumed so many nitrates and hops that I hear the crowds cheer and I can’t quite make out if they are yelling with increasing enthusiasm--"Da da da da da-daah. Charge!!” Or if it’s just my belly screaming for me to charge my bum back home and pick up some Pepto on the way. But hey, like I said, it’s all in good fun.

In the spirit of baseball, here is my suggestion. Have some friends over, grab some beers, watch a game, and roast your own darn nuts! If you live in New York, you can take the lazy route and just stop by the corner peanut vendor who sells the yummy varieties of nuts that you can smell a block before you get to them (Okay, random thought: Why is it that you can smell them a block before, but not as you get closer? Could this be a trick? It’s as if they’ve concocted a go-go gadget ventilation system that pumps the heavenly, honey-roasted smells out through the subway grates in the sidewalk. Hey, that’s not a bad idea!). Anyhow, here’s a tip if you do buy the street variety. Stick to the plain ones. The ones that drive you over there for the smell usually don’t taste as good.

But if you are preparing your own, here are a couple different kinds to try. Make an assortment; a his (spicy) and hers (sweet) blend, if you will. Oh yeah, and on a sour note, I hate to admit that the Yankees were spit up and chewed out tonight like the unsightly tobaccky in the dugout! It hurts really. Well, we’ll get ‘em next time.


Boiled Peanuts Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 4 cups
Ready in: 30-60 minutes

* 4 cups unshelled raw peanuts
* 6 cups water
* 5 teaspoons salt
* some pickled jalapeno peppers or crushed pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Place all ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil, cover, and simmer until peanuts are cooked, at least 45 minutes.


Chili Roasted Peanuts Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 4
Ready in: < 30 minutes

* 1 1/2 tablespoon Peanut oil
* 1/2 tablespoon Crushed chilies
* 1 tablespoon Cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
* 1 tablespoon Sugar
* 4 cups Raw peanuts

Preheat oven to 325F. Combine all ingredients except the nuts in a baking pan and mix well. Add nuts and toss to mix. Spread nuts in a single layer and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden, stirring 2 or 3 times during cooking. Serve barely warm or at room temperature. Variation: Try assorted nuts.


Honey Roasted Almonds Recipe
http://www.cdkitchen.com/


Serves/Makes: 2 cups
Ready in: 30-60 minutes

* 2 cups whole almonds, skins on
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons honey
* 2 tablespoons water
* 2 teaspoons almond or vegetable oil

Spread the almonds in a single layer in a shallow ungreased baking pan and place in a cold oven. Bake at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally, until the internal color of nuts is tan (12 to 15 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside. Thoroughly mix the sugar and salt. Stir together the honey, water and oil in a medium size pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the roasted almonds and continue to cook and stir until all the liquid has been absorbed by the nuts (about 5 minutes). Immediately transfer to a medium bowl and sprinkle sugar mixture over all and toss. Spread on wax paper and cool.

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