Completely Nuts: A Cookbook and Cultural History of the World's Most Popular Nuts

Christy Conte is a member of the Parents Advisory Committee at the
YMCA’s Parent and Child Enrichment Centre and a journalist.

Completely Nuts is both a cookbook and a compendium of nut trivia.
MacPherson devotes the first third of the book to a discussion of nut
varieties: 13 nuts are featured, each with its own chapter covering
cultural history, harvesting, processing, and uses. The recipe section
follows, classifying its 225 entries under such headings as Nutty
Butters, Snacks and Appetizers; Soups, Salads and Sauces; and Main
Courses: Chicken, Meat and Seafood. Information on nut fanclubs and
mail-order sources is also included.

On the plus side, there is more than enough trivia here to satisfy
hard-core nut lovers. The recipes are easy to follow, and appeal to the
popular palate. Hazelnut Cream Cheese Brownies, Linguine with Pine Nuts,
Bacon and Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Pesto Brie are fairly typical (and
tasty) offerings.

On a less positive note, Completely Nuts is marred by editorial gaffes
and contradictions. The popular Italian hazelnut confection torrone is
mistakenly called tortone. Pecans are described as a popular variety of
hickory nut on one page, and on another, hickory nuts are called a
common substitute for pecans. References are made to such specialties as
gateau aux noisettes, tortone (sic), and noisettine, yet recipes for
these are not included in the cookbook section. Both peanuts and
chestnuts are described as being the top nut, nutritionally speaking. As
a credible information source, this book has limited utility. Completely
Nuts is best thought of as a niche cookbook or a novelty gift item.