Wow, I just read that pistachio nuts are “the ideal snack to aid in weight loss.” They aren’t as caloric as people once thought because apparently the human body doesn’t absorb all the fats in these nuts. Also, pistachios have good fats as well as antioxidants and minerals. (You can read the entire article here:  http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/137424/20110423/new-study-dubs-pistachios-the-skinny-nut-research-studies-weight-loss.htm)

I wonder if you can lose weight eating the amount of pistachio nuts I eat?

If there is one snack in life that I have absolutely loved since as long as I can remember, it’s pistachio nuts. I order them by the 5-pound bagful from NutsontheNet, because they sell great Turkish pistachios, which are the best kind.

Actually, Iranian pistachio nuts are the best but you can’t get them anywhere.

California pistachio nuts are absolutely horrible. They are dry and tasteless and most of the time they taste stale, even when they’re fresh.

I mean it. I am an expert on this subject. When I was a a youngster my brother Jeffrey and cousin Leslie and I would get pistachio nuts as a big treat from our parents or our Great Uncle, whom we called Feta. Jeffrey was the oldest so he doled the nuts out to the two of us little girls. Somehow he always doled out more for himself. Which wasn’t okay then and we would always fight about it but is okay now because I still tease him about it.

Anyway, I am a pistachio nut maven and I am telling you the Californias can’t compare to the Turkish ones, which are smaller and have a more intense flavor.

I eat pistachio nuts as a snack every night, so I am wondering why I am not shedding all those pounds??!!

I also use pistachio nuts for cooking. For example, on top of roasted salmon or pumpkin muffins or as a coating, along with bread crumbs, for fried fish. And lots of other things. A sprinkle here and there.

Here’s an easy dinner recipe for salmon (you could also use Arctic Char, but cook it for less time). You can find it in my book Hip Kosher, but for those who don’t have the book and want a delicious, easy, quick and healthy dinner, here it is:

Roasted Pistachio Crusted Salmon

4 salmon filets, each about 6 ounces, about 1-1/4 inches thick

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon peel

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons crushed pistachio nuts

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the salmon in a baking dish. Mix the olive oil, mustard and lemon peel and spread this mixture evenly over the surface of the fish. Sprinkle with pepper and scatter the nuts evenly on top. Roast for about 15 minutes, depending on thickness, or until nearly cooked through but still darker in the center. Makes 4 servings