Almonds

To roast almonds in the oven spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet, then bake at 350 for nine to 11 minutes if you are using blanched slivered almonds; or for 12 to 15 minutes for whole natural almonds. Either way, be sure to stir once or twice during the bake time. Cool before using.

Rose Dodds from Bel Air was searching for a recipe for a cake similar to one that she enjoyed at a party. She said the texture was similar to poundcake and the almond flavor reminded her of Italian amaretti cookies. Patricia Waxman from Chapel Hill, N.C., sent in a recipe she had seen in Southern Living magazine for an amaretto-almond poundcake that she thought might be similar to the one Dodds was looking for. She thinks it is the best poundcake she has ever made: "It's moist and delicious, and it's almost impossible to stop at just one slice.

Emerald's Cocoa Roast Almonds look a little decadent; we guessed they'd have more calories than the brand's Deluxe Mixed Nuts. We were wrong; the cocoa-dusted almonds had 20 fewer calories per serving, along with 3 fewer grams of fat and less saturated fat and sodium. Kate Shatzkin Emerald Deluxe Mixed Nuts Per serving ( 1/4 cup): 170 calories 5 grams protein 16 grams fat 2 grams saturated fat 6 grams carbohydrate 2 grams fiber 0 milligrams cholesterol 95 milligrams sodium Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds Per serving ( 1/4 cup)

A Baltimore County Council member is calling for the council to delay its vote on a measure to impose stormwater management fees, saying neither the council nor the public has had enough time to study the issue. Councilwoman Vicki Almond, a Reisterstown Democrat, questioned why the county has not held public hearings on the fee scale proposed by the administration of County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. The council is scheduled a vote on the proposal for Monday, but Almond wants to delay it a month.

Several days ago, our son Michael, who works in Boston, called with an ourgent culinary request. Everyone in his office, it seems, was in a holiday spirit and had been bringing homemade sweets and savories to work during the past week. There was an air of conviviality at lunch and at breaks when people enjoyed sampling these treats.Mike wanted to make a contribution, too, but because of his hectic schedule, he did not have much free time for marketing or vTC cooking. He asked if I could suggest an easy recipe that could be made in less than an hour.

I know what you are going to say. The only way to prepare Maryland soft shell crabs is the way we have always done it -- dust them in flour, salt and pepper and deep fry in oil or saute in butter. Nothing more. Nothing less. Case closed.Well, it's time to open your minds. Just this one time. Trust me. I have taken some of the basics of soft crabs and added a modern twist -- slivered almonds sauted in butter with a touch of Amaretto. The liqueur intensifies the flavor of the almonds and adds an interesting contrast of sweetness while allowing the distinctive flavor of the crab to come through.

My daughter was on vacation in mexico and she had cream of almond soup. I can't find a recipe for it. Do you have one? Your question interests me because I haven't thought about this dish since I lived in southern california many years ago. The obvious reason you see it on menus out there is because California is the only place in North America where almonds are grown commercially. Actually, when Franciscan priests first brought almonds from Spain to California, they were unsuccessful at their cultivation because they planted them too close to the coast.

An almond tart is the foundation of wonderful desserts through the spring, summer and even autumn. Top these light but rich tarts with the freshest of berries and fruit or even TC perfect compote of preserved or dried fruits.This tart is made from eggs, ground almonds and spices. The foaming characteristics of the eggs create a light texture, and the ground almonds form a crust-like exterior.Although this tart contains eggs, it does not contain the butter found in most other tarts, so it is somewhat lighter.

One of my good friends and fellow colleagues is a professional baker and cooking teacher. A petite woman no more than 5 feet tall, who weighs less than 100 pounds, she once confessed to me that her secret passion is chocolate and admitted that every day she weighed herself just to see how much chocolate she could have. Well, she found a soul mate in me. I don't bother with the weighing-in routine. I just simply allot myself some small chocolate token to enjoy each afternoon. You can imagine, then, how much I look forward to Valentine's Day, the holiday of the year synonymous with chocolate indulgence.

Brillat-Savarin, the famous 19th century French gastronome, wrote, "the discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star." I agree with this often quoted statement, but I'm tempted to replace the word "dish" with "ingredient." My own culinary creations are often inspired by new, sometimes exotic or foreign items that appear in our groceries. My most recent find has been Spanish Marcona almonds. A year ago, I discovered these delicious almonds in a local supermarket.

Ignoring pleas from union leaders and the county's Annapolis delegation, the Baltimore County Council approved a bill Tuesday changing how county employees can appeal decisions about retirement benefits. The council voted 6-1 in favor of the bill, proposed by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. Councilwoman Vicki Almond, a Reisterstown Democrat, was the only member of the council to oppose it, saying it will put county employees "through unnecessary hardship, both economically and procedurally.

Baltimore County Council Chairwoman Vicki Almond is questioning why County Executive Kevin Kamenetz hasn't spoken out about a local referendum campaign linked to developers . The petition drive, which seeks to put zoning decisions in Almond's and Councilwoman Cathy Bevins' districts on the 2014 ballot, has ties to politically connected developers Howard Brown and the Cordish Cos.  Both developers are unhappy with decisions the councilwomen made...

Prominent developers have targeted the districts of two Baltimore County councilwomen with referendum drives to overturn recent zoning votes the developers didn't like. At a community meeting this month, a Cordish Cos. representative distributed petitions that would put land-use decisions in Council Chairwoman Vicki Almond's and Councilwoman Cathy Bevins' districts on the 2014 ballot, according to people who attended the meeting. And the Committee for Zoning Integrity, which has ties to developer Howard Brown of David S. Brown Enterprises, launched a website promoting the referendum drive.

Want something a little healthier this year to snack on during the Super Bowl? Alison Massey, a dietitian at Mercy Medical Center, has some “touchdowns” to replace those “fumbles.” See if there's something that scores with you: +Mixed Nuts (1/2 cup=320kcals) vs Sweet & Spicy Snack Mix (1/2 cup=170kcals) (*recipe below) +Sour Cream and Onion Dip vs Caramelized Onion Dip made with nonfat sour cream and plain Greek yogurt (**recipe below) +Hot Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing vs Baked Spicy Wings with low-fat Blue Cheese Dressing +Nachos (9'inch plate=860kcals)

When Baltimore County Council members hold their first meeting of 2012 on Tuesday, they're scheduled to pick their leader for the year — and for the first time in nearly three decades, it's set to be a woman. Council members say they plan to elect Councilwoman Vicki Almond as chairwoman. The Reisterstown Democrat says she's looking forward to serving in the position and predicted that constituents would see the council "step up" this year. The council was largely new in 2011.

When Vicki Almond and Cathy A. Bevins campaigned for seats on the Baltimore County Council this fall, they got a similar reaction from voters: It's about time. Baltimore County government has sometimes been called a boys' club, and with good reason: in the past half-century, just three women have been elected to the county council, which has been all-male for the past 16 years. But the nickname will soon be a thing of the past. Almond and Bevins' swearing-in on Dec. 6 will mark the first time that two women serve simultaneously.

So many of us, I am sure, have felt cloaked in guilt as we lift hand to mouth, deposit a handful of nuts and chew away to our heart's discontent. Wait -- there's something wrong with that sentence. Into the 1990s the entire nut family -- from almonds to walnuts -- was considered a threat to a healthy heart. Of late, medical researchers have been proposing once again that a food needn't be bad for us just because it tastes good. It is true that nuts are relatively high in fat, they say, but most of the fats are mono- or polyunsaturated.

Things are shaking out in the almond orchards of northern California. This isnM-Ft because growers have created a nutty new dance; nor are there tremors along the San Andreas fault. Instead, itM-Fs harvest season, which means machines shaped like giant lobster claws cozy up next to almond tree trunks, grip them tight and jiggle the ripe almonds free from their branches. Do you say all-mond or am-mond? Each September and October, thereM-Fs a joke about this puzzlement, according to Elaine Rominger, a fourth-generation grower who prefers the latter pronunciation.

Redevelopment and revitalization have emerged as key themes in the matchup between Democrat Vicki Almond and Republican Jon Herbst for the District 2 Baltimore County Council seat being vacated by Kevin Kamenetz, the Democratic nominee for county executive. To Almond, the strip malls dotted with vacant storefronts and clusters of gas stations and convenience stores in parts of the district indicate the need for comprehensive redevelopment plans, particularly for the Reisterstown Road corridor and downtown Pikesville.