Hola Mi Gente,
Have you ever had those times, when everything just kind of lines up perfectly? Like, things could not have happened in a better sequence or timeline because they’re so perfect? I have; twice. The first time was the week before Ben and I got married. We were getting details together to move to Portland. Details like jobs, apartments, and cars. Before we got engaged we were pretty set on moving to Portland, and we started working towards that in the months leading up to the wedding.
As the last few days before our wedding rolled out, we were getting a little more and more anxious. We didn’t have jobs, an apartment, or even a car to move cross-country in (we both sold ours to buy a subaru). And then it happened: 8 days before our wedding, Ben got a job offer. With proof-of-income, we could secure and rent an apartment–that happened 7 days before. And finally, 6 days before our wedding, we found our Subaru and bought it, and because we had an official address in Portland, we were able to buy it in Georgia without paying sales-tax!
This week, I was thinking about that all over again. Let me fill you in.
On Tuesday, I woke up with a fire burning in my bones to organize our kitchen cabinets. I started the process in the late morning, and battled through a colossal mess until about 4 PM. It was the kind of chaos that would have driven Ben crazy if he had been home in the midst of it. Pantry items everywhere, boxes of donations–they covered every solid surface area in and around the kitchen. In the process of the chaos, I decided to retire our Ninja blender, because it had been cracked for a while. I was a little bummed, but I figured I’d pick up a blender at Goodwill next time I was there, because sometimes they have hidden gems in their kitchen appliances.
Then Wednesday happened. I randomly tagged Ben in a giveaway for a blender. But not just ANY blender: a Vitamix. I thought for a second about how wonderful it would be to have a vitamix. The smoothies I could eat, the smooth nut milks I could make, the fact that my wisdom teeth surgery is slowly creeping closer and I have to figure out my all-liquid diet soon. I thought those beautiful thoughts, and then moved on with my day. About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. I saw a delivery guy walking back up the driveway as I tried to figure out what we had ordered recently. When I opened the door, there was this huge box, and on the side of it, can you guess what it said???
VITAMIX.
It said Vitamix people! For a quick second I looked around and thought someone must have been spying on me to play some kind of prank. With hands shaking, I brought the box in and started to open it. Enclosed in the box was a slip of paper that let me know my mom was the buyer. To say that I got weepy is just a complete understatement. Here my mom was, from 3,000 miles away, mom-ing me in the perfect way, for absolutely no reason, on the day after I got rid of my old blender. It was perfect. And I feel so, so grateful for the generous parents I was given. To say I am spoiled is an understatement.
Because I am who I am, I washed my new blender and immediately got to work on this nut butter. I had been thinking I would make this anyway, all week, but decided to try it out in my new blender for the smoothest and creamiest result. The reason behind this specific combination of ingredients is easy: G E L A T O.
My favorite gelateria in town, Pinolo Gelato, makes the most decadent hazelnut and pistachio gelatos. They also had a seasonal flavor of olive oil and sea salt that was is SO elegant and refreshing. Combining all those things together, I decided to make a nut butter for the days when you need a little more than almond butter, and a little less than nutella. I will say that before I got my vitamix I was going to make this in my food processor, because I like making nut butters in that, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take my new tool for a spin. You can definitely still use your food processor for this recipe though! It just takes a little longer to grind and smooth out.
I lov making my own nut butters, because I get to control the ingredients in them, and can make them just to my liking! I’m not necessarily always a smooth or crunchy nut butter person, so it’s so nice to be able to customize it to my liking. For this specific butter, I loved making it smooth and creamy! If that’s you, just keep adding in a little oil at a time until you have your desired consistency.
I sweetened my nut butter with a little honey. You can leave that out if you like, but I really loved it! It kind of makes it a one-stop spread. I’ve loved this on toast, and in smoothie bowls and it’s amazing! I love how distinct and balanced the flavor is. It also doesn’t hurt that it feels like I’m getting to eat gelato for breakfast, and no one here is mad about that 💁🏽♀️
love, love, love,
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Hazelnut Pistachio Butter
Ingredients
- 2 C Roasted Hazelnuts
- 1 C Pistachios shells removed
- 1 TSP Kosher Sea Salt
- 2 TBSP Honey
- 1/3 C Oil (Olive or Avocado)
Instructions
- Add in hazelnuts, pistachios, salt, and honey to your food processor or Vitamix and pulse until crumbly. Slowly drizzle in oil and continue pulsing, scraping butter down the sides until your desired texture is achieved. For creamier butter, add more oil. For more crumbly textures, add oil 1 TBSP at a time until desired texture.
Mary-Beth Johnson
Mary-Beth is a creative, food-obsessed, Georgia transplant living Chicago. She is proudly and fiercely Latina, and more specifically Chapina. In her day to day she is a food educator to students around Chicagoland aged 3 to 80+, both virtually and in-person. She is passionate about cultivating the truth that every person has an understanding of food that deserves being brought to the table, and that time in the kitchen can be sacred, passionate, and an act of love for self and others. Outside the kitchen you can find her at the intersections of infertility, chronic illness, and a deep love for the dignity of all humans. She hopes to create a space that is holistic about the role of food in the social, political, relational, and physiological dynamics of our world.
Pinolos is my favorite, too! And those very same flavors 🙂 This looks so delicious, and I never thought to combine hazelnuts and pistachios before. And hooray for mama telepathy!
They are the best aren’t they?? In the last few sunny weeks I have filled out like 6 loyalty cards because that’s the only place I want to go 😂 I really have loved this combo for my nut butter though–super decadent and delicious in smoothies!