Hi!!
I was just watching Rachel Ray and she made a recipe with
Pine Nuts in her sauce. The food looked awesome, as usual, and I could almost smell it. But my nose was confused of exactly HOW it would smell.
Pine Nuts? What are they?
We have plenty Pine Trees and when I think of pine nuts in a recipe I think it is going to tast like a pine tree or smell like a Christmas Tree.
Anyone used these before?
LOL!
I mean, I like cashew chicken and peanut chicken and sesame seed chicken... but Pine nuts? Do they smell like pine or Christmas trees? Ew!
specialt

My DH uses them in a cod soup. The smell is a fragrant nutty smell, kind of a cross between pines and peanuts. They are very expensive. That's all I know about them.

I use them in homemade pesto and in some salads but have never thought about Pine trees or noticed a pine smell when I use them. I think of them as just another (yes expensive!) nut.

They are also called pignoli. Most supermarkets carry them now, and they are expensive. I always use them in pesto too, but you can make little almond cookies with them as well.

Mmmmm....I love pine nuts. I don't think there is ANY pine smell/taste.....the flavor is actually pretty mild IMO. I love them in pastas with a garlic and olive oil sauce. They are softer than most nuts and, obviously, are small so they cook up nicely without adding crunch to the pasta.

I use them in a recipe when I make pasta, lemon chicken, broccoli, and pine nuts. They are not strong flavored which I like. Sams sells a huge bag a lot cheaper than if you bought them in the store. But I dont feel they are overly expensive. No more expensive than walnuts or pecans. They taste really good.

http://homecooking.about.com/od/cookingfaqs/f/faqpinenuts.htm