Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with nuts

WTF work is nuts

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:38:09 -0800

Is this a hostile work environment? I work for a college. I am a faculty department chair. I was just given notice by the administration that I "allegedly reprimanded and acted unprofessionally and this behavior was perceived as a hostile work environment."

I did talk to a faculty member who had send out a barrage of emails and upset the entire staff (I have the emails and the staff's response to them). I told her that her behavior was unacceptable and to refrain from this behavior. I didn't yell or insult her. The entire conversation lasted about 2 minutes (there are witnesses).

This person is the former department chair who was forced to resign for a number of reasons, including causing the staff to cry and scream.

How should I approach this? ugh

Nuts to you

kestrel251 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:27:39 -0800

ForageFilter: What exactly should I do to get shagbark hickory nuts ready to eat? So I have a shagbark hickory tree, and it's having a bumper crop this year. Nuts raining down, squirrels in a frenzy, etc. This afternoon I felt Euell Gibbons-y and gathered up a big mess of them.

They still have the green outer husk on. I.e. they look like the things on the left here.

I read online that you should dump them in a pail of water and get rid of the ones that float, because they're not filled out inside, and not worth shelling. OK, did that, got rid of a handful. And I spread them out to dry.

But what now? Googling yields conflicting advice. Do I let them dry for weeks until the outer husk turns brown? Or do I get the husks off now, and then let them dry? Or do I not let them dry at all?

Bonus points if you have secrets for getting husks off... I've seen it suggested that you run them over with your car. Yes? no?

How can I make salt adhere to my macadamias?

Effigy2000 — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:26:11 -0800

I love Macadamias as a snack every now and then. I'd prefer to buy the natural, non-roasted macadamias from the health food aisle, but these don't come salted, and I like a little salt with my macadamias. How can I salt them myself, and more importantly, how can I make the salt adhere to the macadamias without using any oil? I want to avoid making the nuts any fattier than they already are.

ITunes Issue

punkfloyd — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 05:57:23 -0800

iTunes has suddenly started launching a new explorer window showing H:/Ipod_Control every time I play or move a file in Itunes. It's driving me nuts. How can I make it stop?

Where to find cheap nuts/fruits in Sacramento, CA

Sultan of Succulence — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 19:58:04 -0800

Where is the best place in the Sacramento, CA area to buy quality nuts and dried fruits on the cheap? They just seem too expensive and/or "fingered" at the grocery stores.

Asian Grocery Item Needs ID

franklen — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:39:51 -0800

Help me identify this Asian grocery item. An old roommate of my current roommate left this item in the cupboard, and I have no way to get a hold of them to ask about it. The package is yellow with all Asian language text of some sort. There is a picture of some beans and nuts. Inside are individual packets that seem to contain crushed seeds and/or nuts. What is this product, and what is it used for? i was just going to open it up and sprinkle on my oatmeal in the morning?

What's the closest approximation of an almond?

Felicity Rilke — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:38:23 -0800

What nut should I use in place of almonds? I want to make this recipe which calls for 1/2 a cup blanched almonds ground finely, but I'm (sadly) allergic to almonds (and hazelnuts, the suggested alternative).

I usually default to walnuts when a recipe calls for nuts, but I'm worried they will make the tart too bitter. Is there a better substitute I should use?

Nut source

chips ahoy — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 08:42:20 -0800

My dad loves nuts and I'd like to get a gift box of quality nuts of some kind. I want to order something but I'm wary about getting dried-out / grocery store nuts placed in nice packaging. Are there any nut mail order places worth raving about? Who is the Chocosphere of the nut world?

Are weevils poisonous, or just gross?

exceptinsects — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:45:34 -0800

I just ate a few bites of trail mix before noticing that the bag was infested with weevils. WILL I DIE??

What is it in these foods that I'm allergic to?

Item — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:56:12 -0800

What am I allergic to? I have reactions from the following: bean sprouts, kiwi, bananas, pecans, and lots and lots of raw vegetables such as carrots and raw snap pea pods, though I can eat them cooked with no problem. Bananas are by far the worst of anything I've encountered. They make my face swell in addition to the usual reaction I get from certain foods - itchy mouth, throat, and stomach. Yes, stomach. The inside of my stomach will feel itchy as all hell. Very unpleasant. All of the reactions (save for bananas) are on the mild side but really irritating and uncomfortable. I can usually tell within a few bites of something if I can't eat it.

I'm not allergic to all nuts - just pecans and walnuts as far as I can tell, and I seem to be able to eat those cooked.

As mentioned, I can eat carrots, peas, and various other foods cooked but get a reaction when eaten raw. For a long time I thought it was a type of potassium that did it, as banannas and kiwis disagree with me. I can, however, drink juice fortified with potassium, so I don't know that this is the case.

Any ideas as to what it is in these foods that bothers me?

What's the best way to shell ginkgo seeds?

NattyBumppo — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 12:12:43 -0800

What's the best way to shell ginkgo seeds? I went into Central Park yesterday and collected a nice handful of the stinkiest of seeds, ginkgo seeds. I tried putting them in the oven at 300F for 30 minutes, and they came out nice and roasted (and no longer smelly), but their shells are still quite tough and resist pressure. Should I roast them longer, use more pressure (go out and buy a nutcracker or something), or what?

Thailand & mild peanut allergy = ??

Amizu — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 06:41:13 -0800

I'm scheduled to work in Thailand for about 2 months in April, and I just found out Friday that I'm allergic to peanuts. I'm 29 and would never have guessed I'm allergic to nuts, since I eat them fairly regularly and have never had even had a scratchy throat or a stomach ache from nuts.

BUT I've been tested for allergies Friday (bc of hay fever problems), and I reacted somewhat to peanuts and some other nuts. (I don't know if all allergy testing uses the same scale, but my reaction to nuts was about 3, whereas my hay fever reactions were 4+). The doctor told me that, even though I don't normally react to nuts, I should avoid eating them in the future because the reaction can be so extreme. I forgot to ask him whether that meant I should bag the Thailand trip, bc it seems impossible to avoid peanuts there, given that peanut oil is so prevalent and that pans where nuts have been in dishes are probably reused for non-nut dishes. (Is there such a thing in Thailand? Does this mean no pad thai?!!) I already carry an epi-pen (allergic to bees), but I hear (a) that only buys 1 hour before hospital needed and (b) they don't do well in extreme heat (e.g. Thailand in April). I'll be spending most of my time in a remote location about 7 hours from Bangkok.

So my questions are:
(1) Given a peanut allergy like I have - so mild I had no idea about it, but who knows for the future - should I skip Thailand? Or are there other ways of coping?
(2) If I have an anaphylactic reaction, is there anything I can do besides 1 hr of epi-pen adrenaline? E.g. Can other medicine help me if I'm too far from a hospital to get help? Is it possible my body would just calm down without medicine (after epi-pen)?
(3) Can you tell me how to write "no nuts please" or something like that in Thai? ไม่ ถั่วลิสง กรุณา - is this totally wrong?
(4) Am I ethically required to tell my employer about this development?

To head off the usual ask mefi responses:
YES - I am going to call the doctor back, but I figured I can't be the first person in this situation, so I might get some insight here. Plus, I don't want to be told 'no' bc he's worried about liability.
NO - I don't think I need to see a therapist about this. (I kid ask mefi.)

wow! wolfman has nads!

Espoo2 — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 11:48:05 -0800

What does it feel like to get kicked in the balls? I'm sure most men have tried to explain this to a female before. But I've never found any words that come close to describing the unique and ENGULFING pain that happens when you're kicked in the googles.

What is a comparable feeling? How do we LET THEM KNOW that sometimes even a GRAZE can be painful? How can one describe that nauseating, throbbing, wave that goes all the up your spine and then back down to your sack again, over and over? For me, words fail.

Is there objective proof of psychic phenomenon or what??

my homunculus is drowning — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 13:38:15 -0800

Is there any scientific evidence to support the existence of psychic phenomenon? I've been reading Daniel Pinchbecks 2012 and early on in the book he makes the claim that it's a fairly done deal as regards the reality of various psychic phenomenon, linking it in the same sort of way to quantum physics that the movie What The Bleep did. What's the deal? Is there really a large group of scientists who 1) say that these things happen and 2) are not complete nut jobs? Are we really on the verge of accepting that we don't live in a stricly mechanical world? That consciousness might actually be able to affect its surroundings? That consciousness might actually be at the center of everything?

Daniel Pinchbeck is a lucid, enaging writer (his Breaking Open The Head is one of my favorites) so when he says that the scientific proof is out there yet doesn't cite any it gives me some problems as a reader trying to take his work seriously. In fact, a lot of my favorite authors make similiar claims. What's the deal?

Food allergy questions

PaulieK — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 03:10:56 -0800

Help me sort out my food allergies (to nuts, legumes, and fish). Multi-part question. The first is about the different families of nuts and peas. I'm allergic to peanuts and split peas (seriously), and chick peas (slightly less seriously), and soy beans (only mildly), which makes sense since they're all in the legume family. But I'm fine with all the different "beans" I've tried, as well as snow peas...aren't these also legumes? I've been reluctant to try nuts as I was warned off them as a child, but since I'm okay with amaretto, which is almond liqueur, does this suggest I'd be okay with tree nuts (which are a separate family from legumes)? In short, can anyone say for sure whether allergies stick to families? And then, anyone got any good snack ideas? :-)

Okay--now about fish: I really can't eat any of it, but can't get away from all the writing about how helpful omega3 supplements can be, so I was thinking I'd like to take some. So the question is, is allergy to fish/shellfish an allergy to the protien or the oil? Or can it be both?

ps. I've seen allergists but found them unhelpful... both focused on environmental allergies...possibly because they're easier to control understand and control, ie. with allergy shots.

Any kid-friendly allergen-free foods?

unknowncommand — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 15:09:04 -0800

Are there any companies that sell allergen-free foods geared towards children (e.g. snacks, cookies, kiddie meals, lunchables, and the like)? Dairy (including whey and casein) and nut-allergies especially. Specific products are okay, but I'm interested in companies (even Mom&Pop stuff) or divisions or lines of products. USA if it matters.

Help me with my nuts.

ikkyu2 — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 18:09:35 -0800

Shelled nuts taste like disinfectant? Every so often, I'll be eating shelled nuts - often cashews - out of a can or a bag, and out of nowhere there will be the strong flavor of disinfectant. I can best describe it as the flavor you'd get if you took a Band-Aid™ brand adhesive bandage from the 1970s, stuck it in your mouth, and chewed vigorously. It is one of the nastiest things to occur regularly in my life.

I can guess what it is - a fungicide sprayed on the nuts to preserve them? A fungus that likes to grow on nuts? A nut-handler wearing a Band-Aid™?

Has this happened to anyone else, and particularly, does anyone know why? Any recommendation for a way to avoid this would be especially welcome, as it's really vile and disgusting.

Nuts and bolts of effective psychological therapy from a patient's point of view.

By The Grace of God — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 07:31:01 -0800

How much, and in what way, does psychological therapy reduce problematic patterns of behaviour and thought? How can I, as a patient, make the process work for me? Layperson's eye view sought. I'm looking for the nuts and bolts, from a patient's point of view, of if and how therapy works to diminish problems. I will be seeking therapy to address several issues: anxiety and depression which manifests itself in a lack of focus and productivity and just a general upsettedness that is very disruptive to my Better Half; a lot of anger over issues past and present that can manifest in a welter of shame and rage over an issue that took place years ago; and a powerful insecurity that is also very disruptive to my Better Half. How does it work, thera-peers? How long does it take to make an appreciable difference in life-limiting problems? What do you bring to the table with the therapist, how do you and s/he discuss the issue, and what's learned/changed when you leave? What can I do to prepare to be best disposed to using the professional's intervention effectively? Conversely, what should I avoid and watch out for in order to maximise my effective use of this resource? How can I stay committed/consistent?
Online resources towards learning about these issues are welcome.
I have not started therapy yet so advice in selecting a therapist and pre-therapy preparation is also welcome. I am in the UK.

ooh, (ginger)snap!

Vervain — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 13:22:06 -0800

Do you have the perfect gingersnap recipe? In my mind, the Platonic-ideal gingersnap is a lot like the Ginger Nuts I lived on while studying in Scotland (more than ten years ago now, ye gods)...very crisp, and so spicy they leave you with a gingery burning aftertaste. Now, I know you can find actual Ginger Nuts stateside at Cost Plus, but they don't have the spiciness I remember. And I'd rather make them myself anyway.

However! My go-to baking book, the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion, is utterly failing me on this, and I'm not sure why. Using so-called "full flavor" molasses made cookies so dark and dense they didn't crisp up (or reflect light) properly, while the lighter/"mild" molasses made them crunchy, but incredibly bland. Upping the amount of spices--even adding a pinch of mace!--didn't seem to do much, either. Am I hallucinating this perfect gingersnap? AskMe, you're my only hope!

Help Me Find My Nuts

iconomy — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 13:15:09 -0800

Please help me find more of this yummy food. A friend went to Disneyworld a while ago and one of the things she brought me back was a really good peanuty thing. It was a bag of dried nuts that had the same kind of mouth feel as the dried wasabi peas that are so popular, and they had some kind of insanely delicious, slightly sweet, super crispy coating on them, and I'd love to find them either online or at a store so I can buy lots and lots and lots of them. Here's a scan of the package. The back side is actual size. There is a website printed towards the bottom of the back - http://kasugai.co.jp, which leads to an online shop, but I can't really make heads or tails of anything, and don't really want to order that way. Does anyone know where I can find these exact nuts in this exact packaging? Is there a place online (in English) where I can order them?

Does anyone know what they're called? On the Kasugai site they're called Kasugai Peanut & You (hee), but all of their nuts are called Kasugai Peanut & You, so that doesn't help me find this one particular thing.

Sorry California

vagabond — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 07:48:02 -0800

I've got a craving for Turkish pistachios and need to find a way to get some here in South Korea. I can't get enough of the Turkish variety of pistachios, but can't find anyone who sells them here, or will ship them internationally. I brought ten pounds this fall when I arrived, but my supply is out. Any suggestions?

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Nuts

jimmereeno — Sat, 23 Jul 2005 20:34:52 -0800

I am trying to add more nuts to my diet (specifically almonds) but want to make sure I'm eating the right ones. Do tins of Planters mixed nuts or Blue Diamond smoked almonds have the same nutritional benefits of raw or dry-roasted nuts that I can find in the local Whole Foods store? I understand that they may have a much higher amount of sodium... but I have never had problems with high blood pressure, so should I care about the extra sodium? How about the other oils and seasonings? Is the process of making these super-market nuts taste better actually reducing the nutrients in the nuts?

Hopefully this isn't too dumb a question. I have seen several references online to the benefits of adding nuts to your diet and they usually mention avoiding salted or smoked nuts, without going into the reasons why.

I just bought a couple tubs of the store-brand smoked salted almonds at Whole Foods that seems to have significanly less sodium and no hydrogenated oils and want to feel good about my purchase.

thanks.

Hickory Nuts -- where to get 'em?

Rash — Tue, 29 Mar 2005 09:45:45 -0800

Anybody know a by-mail source for hickory nuts? And are they worth it? The nuts of hickory trees are similar to those of walnut and pecan. In old stories I read the occasional reference to hickory nut cookies & etc. Hickory nuts are supposedly available regianally -- do you ever see them for sale? And are they shelled?

Roasted Salted Nuts

MiguelCardoso — Mon, 26 Apr 2004 23:09:04 -0800

Thanks to a MeFi friend, I postally exchange my favourite weakness (American, Virginia-grown peanuts, the best in the world) with theirs ( >70% cocoa dark chocolate). As the next exchange is coming up and my scant experience of U.S. nuts is limited to Beer Nuts and Planter's Cocktail Peanuts, I need to know what other roasted, salted, expertly packed American nuts are worth trading for? [More inside.] I love Blue Diamond almonds (hickory-smoked, for instance) but I suspect there are a lot more: pecans, macadamias, black walnuts, heirloom varieties (Californian?) I'm unaware of. Does anybody have any ideas? All brands, types of excellent nuts and cocktail mixes (even if raw and requiring roasting and salting) are welcome. Please include seeds (pumpkin?), specially superb popcorn and anything else salty, roasted and scrumptious (say, pretzels) which would perfectly accompany drinks. Thank you!