It’s Thursday, Matt’s had his knee operation and is on the sofa recovering well. I’m in and out of the kitchen testing recipes and he’s happily sampling whatever I send his way. These roasted cashews with crushed pink peppercorns have been perfect for him to nibble on in between naps and physio. They’re buttery and rich with a little bit of heat, finished off with the awesome double team of sweet and salty. If you’ve ever had salt and sweet popcorn, you’ll know it’s a game changer.

I know snackers like me will love this roasted cashew recipe and I really hope you give it a go. Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s a great place to experiment with flavour. Honey and chilli? Sweet, salt and szechuan? Yes please!

Before I get in to the recipe though, there’s something we must discuss. I have to tell you how odd cashews nuts are. They grow out of apples, they aren’t nuts at all and they’re so toxic straight from the plant that the things you buy in a supermarket are nothing like the green seeds that hang on the tree. I’m serious. They’re weird and it turns out that the beige kidney shaped things you buy are already roasted, but heck, let’s roast them twice. Double the flavour.

The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity. I like easy food! Two minutes prep, ten minutes in the oven then pop them in a jar and you have a snack worthy of any desk, cupboard, coffee table or lunch box. Between this jar and the jar of barbecue flavoured roasted chickpeas I plan to make tomorrow, we should be set for a while.

You could use black peppercorns here too I guess, but Pink peppercorns (baies rose) aren’t just prettier than the usual black, they taste entirely different. It’s the berry of a plant from the Anacardium genus, the same group as cashews. If you’ve tried one before you’ll know the flavour is much sweeter and they’re almost a little floral. It’s a shame to crush such vibrant little spheres but there’s something so satisfying about using a pestle and mortar- just me?

I have a feeling when Matt’s well enough to go back to work he’s going to miss being A Life of Geekery’s official taster. It’s fun to have someone around to run ideas past though and proof read my posts. And as for the dog, well, Fynn thinks his dreams have come true having Matt at home with him all day. Dogs really are a man’s best friend and I’m sure the cuddles and cuteness are helping Matt’s recovery. A constant supply of home made food and pet therapy, what more could he want?





Print Pink Pepper roasted cashews Author: A Life of Geekery Ingredients 250g cashews

1 Tbsp groundnut oil

1 Tbsp pink peppercorns

1 Tbsp sugar

½ Tsp salt Method Preheat the oven to 150? (300?, gas mark 2 ) Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper or a non stick sheet. In a large bowl, toss the cashews in the oil then set aside. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the peppercorns then mix with the sugar and salt. Add the seasoning mixture to the bowl of nuts and mix until each cashew nut is coated. Spread the nuts on the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes or until golden. 3.3.3077