Parmesan Peanuts

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Lifetime subscriber Kim Lovely writes, "Here's a real work-out
for the Worldwide Recipes Groan-O-Meter. It is a bit long, but
it's guaranteed to make you groan."

There was a farmer named Ken Kellog. Ken raises sheep, and
he has this surly, unpredictable ram which boldly tries to escape
the pasture at any opportunity. He also has quite a temper (the
ram, not Ken).

A bunch of ravens had their nest near by -- about twenty ravens
in all. Ten ravens make up a swoop, just like more than four
sheep are a flock, etc. Anyway, these ravens loved to harass
the ram. They'd fly down into the field and caw at him until he
charged at them. Then they'd all fly upward, and the ram would
crash into the fence.

Once, though, one of the ravens didn't get out of the way in time,
and he was crushed against the fence post. The others decided
to get revenge. When Farmer Kellog came out to check on his
sheep one day, he forgot to lock the gate properly. The ravens,
working together, pushed it open, and lured the ram out into the
hayfield. They flew towards the bailing machine, the ram bleating
furiously all the way. At the last moment, the ravens pulled up --
and the ram ran straight into the bailer. He came out the other
side in a mangled package. Twenty big black birds came to perch
upon him, satisfied, leaving the farmer with two swoops of ravens
on a package of Kellog's brazen ram.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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I was rummaging through my pantry today in preparation for today's
Word from the Chef and wondering what to do for this week's
theme at the same time when suddenly it hit me - I'm crazy about
nuts, and I bet more than a few of my readers are too. Here is the
lineup for our week of nutty dishes:

(Recipes in brackets are in the PLUS Edition only.)

Monday's Starter
Parmesan Peanuts
[Barbecued Walnuts]

Tuesday's Soup or Salad
Cream of Cashew Soup
[Bean Sprout and Almond Salad]

Wednesday's Side Dish
Asparagus with Hazelnut Sauce
[Cabbage with Pistachios]

Thursday's Entree
Halibut with Walnut Gratin
[Ham and Walnut Patties]

Friday's Dessert
Mocha Almond Cake
[Macadamia]

There are a couple of things I believe in firmly. One is that peanuts
taste great no matter what you put on them. The other is that
everything tastes better with Parmesan cheese on it. Therefore,
this recipe is sure to be a winner.

Parmesan Peanuts

2 cups (500 ml) dry roasted salted peanuts
1 Tbs (15 ml) peanut oil
2 Tbs (30 ml) finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp (2 ml) garlic powder (optional)

Toss the peanuts with the peanut oil and transfer to a large shallow
baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven until warmed
through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately
sprinkle with the Parmesan and optional garlic powder, stirring to
coat the peanuts thoroughly. Cool before serving. Makes 2 cups
(500 ml).
Received on Mon Mar 27 06:30:50 2006