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Excerpt There is no nut so useful, so versatile, and so full of near-feminine contradictions as the almond.

There is, for instance, no way to tell a bitter almond from the sweet, except by tasting it. One almond tree is exactly like another. Both bitter and sweet flower on winter's traces and display identical splashes of blossom, extravagantly pink on branches still cold brown and leafless. A single tree may bear bitter almonds among the sweet ... yet the sweet almond is all benevolence, all delight, and the bitter almond a potential killer.

The oils the chemist distills from the bitter almond have myriad lifesaving uses in the pharmacopoeia, but these same oils contain prussic acid, and a few drops of prussic acid is a deadly potion. Almonds are the prop and mainstay of the baker and of the confectioner- and of the cosmetician, the perfumer, and the compounder of prescriptions. The almond is so beautifully formed that the simile falls naturally into poetry, so the lovely lady's eyes are almond-shaped and her fingers taper into almond-shaped ovals. Yet the almond's own skin is brown and leathery and its shell a horny rind.

This beautiful, unbeautiful nut, this malevolent, beneficial nut, this intolerably bitter, pervadingly sweet nut, is the nut before all nuts in the gourmet's cuisine. In cookies, in candies, in sweetmeats, nothing replaces the almond. As a final flourish to the gratin on a casserole, nothing replaces the almond. In the brown butter poured over a sauteed trout, nothing replaces the almond. For its own sweet (or salted) sake with a glass of wine, nothing replaces the almond. But before the almond can prove its indispensable versatility, it must first be divested of its disfiguring veil.

To Blanch Almonds

Remove the almond shells, cover the nuts with boiling water, and let them stand for 1 minute. Drain away the hot water, rinse the nuts in cold water, and slip off the skins.

Before the blanched almonds can be slivered, grated, ground, or otherwise processed for future use, they must first be thoroughly dried. Spread them in a pan in a moderate oven (350°F.). Shake the pan frequently for even heating, and within 15 minutes, the nuts will be quite dry and ready to use.

Almonds golden brown are tossed into hot cooked rice, sprinkled over chicken in its sauce, added to soups, salads, or vegetables for texture's sake, folded into souffles, mousses, or butter creams for flattery, served as a dry, crisp accompaniment to curry, used as final decorative touch to cakes and pastries. The blanched nuts, whole, split, shredded, or grated, brown more gently, more evenly, in a moderate oven than they do under the fiery flames of the broiler.

To Toast, Roast, or Grill Almonds

Blanch the almonds, dry them in a moderate oven (350°F.), and split, shred, or grate them. Sprinkle the nuts with a little olive oil or melted butter and continue to roast for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until they are golden brown, turning them several times with a spoon so they will brown evenly.

Almond butter lends a subtle, indefinable touch to sauces white or wine; binds soups of chicken or pureed vegetable; adds charm to the cocktail canape.

Beurre d'Amandes

In a mortar grind 3/4 cup blanched almonds until they are reduced to a smooth paste, adding a few drops of cold water from time to time. Add 1 cup sweet butter, blend thoroughly, and press the mixture through a fine sieve.

At the cocktail hour, there are almonds crisp and salted.

Deep-Fried Almonds

Shell almonds and blanch or not according to preference. Fry them in a frying basket in hot deep fat or oil (325° F.) for 5 to 6 minutes. When the nut is broken, the center should be pale brown. Be careful not to over-fry or the nuts will be bitter. Drain the nuts on absorbent paper and sprinkle them with salt while they are still hot.

Sauteed Almonds

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan and add 1/2 cup blanched dry almonds, whole, split, shredded, or grated. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the nuts are lightly golden. Remove them immediately from the heat and continue to stir for a few minutes, or until further browning of the nuts ceases. Add salt or a pinch of saffron, red pepper, or ginger for a variety of provocative flavors.

After dinner, nuts and wine.

Glazed Almonds

In a saucepan combine 1 cup blanched almonds, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup hot water, the rind of 1 orange or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook the nuts over a moderate flame, stirring constantly with a fork, for about 10 minutes or until they are lightly glazed. Pour nuts and syrup immediately onto a large buttered platter or enamel-topped table and separate the almonds with 2 forks. To make caramelized almonds, let the syrup cook until it is lightly browned.