Instead of shelling (or is it deshelling?) a crapload of pistachios for the next main course, I made a beeline to Trader Joe's. That store is exceptional for nuts and dried fruit and the like.
Watch out if you have tree nut allergies.
An 8 ounce package has about 8 servings in it. And man! Check out the fat content. Wait -- check out the fiber content! Prunes totally have a bad rap when pistachios have more fiber per serving.
I'd call this a major convenience.
Pistachios don't get nearly the spread in Larousse Gastronomique as sugar did. But here's a couple of blurbs of info I didn't know before:
The seed of the pistachio tree, native to the Near East and reputedly introduced to Rome by Vitellius during the reign of Tiberius. The tre is now cultivaed widely in Mediterranean countries and the southern United States.
Sweet and delicately flavoured, the kernel is used chiefly for decorating pastries, cakes, and confectionery. It is also used to flavour charcuterie and is eaten roasted and salted in cocktail snacks.
In Mediterranean and oriental cooking, pistachios are used in poultry sauces and stuffings, and also in hash. In classic cuisine they garnish galantines, brawn (head cheese), and mortadella. In India, pistachio puree is used to season rice and vegetables. Pistachios go best with veal, pork, and poultry.Dry Roasted and Salted Pistachio nutmeats available in convenient 8-oz packages at Trader Joe's for $4.99.
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