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Nut Butters

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Nuts of all persuasions have been declared precursors of good health. Walnuts, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, among many have all been shown to lower blood cholesterol and nut butters contain generous amounts of phytochemicals that may protect against colon, prostate, and breast cancer.
Numerous studies have not only found that the consumption of nuts is a great way to reduce the risk of heart disease, but that they also help facilitate weight loss and lower the prevalence of Adult Type 2 diabetes.
Yet despite all this positive news about nuts, many consumers shy away from nuts and nut butters, believing that they are high in fat. However, it is now known that healthy fats, such as those found in nuts, naturally reduce the risk of heart attacks.
In fact, nut butters have between seven and 10 grams of fat per tablespoon, but most of that is unsaturated fat, and is less than the 12 to 22 grams of fat in an ounce of nuts. Nut butters are an excellent source of a variety of nutrients, including protein, zinc, fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, and potassium.
While peanut butter is the most commonly consumed nut butter, the popularity of other nut butters is spreading. Nut butters are great for a variety of uses beyond spreading them on crackers or a sandwich, such as incorporating them into sauces or salad dressings. Following are descriptions of some of the widely available nut butters.

Almond Butter
A mildly sweet alternative to peanut butter, almond butter is ideal for use in soups, sauces, and dips. Made from a sweet almond variety, most almond butter is made without preservatives and should be stored in the refrigerator to prevent it from spoiling. Almond butter is a good source of magnesium, protein, and vitamin E.

Brazil Nut Butter
Offering a sweet taste that is similar to that delivered by macadamia nuts, Brazil nut butter offers a creamy texture that makes it easy to spread, and it is ideal for a wide variety of foods from desserts to salads to stuffing. Brazil nut butter is known for its high selenium content, an antioxidant that helps fight heart disease and certain cancers.

Cashew Butter
Cashew butter has a rich flavor that is ideal for use in Indian dishes and curries. It is also popular when used as a sandwich spread, and as a tasty addition to soups, sauces, and dips. Due to its rich flavor, it can serve as an alternative to cream when thinned with liquid. It is a good source of magnesium, iron, protein, and the B vitamins.

Hazelnut Butter
High in calcium, folic acid, folate, and protein, this sweet and rich nut butter is delicious when added to entrees and side dishes.

Macadamia Butter
Macadamia nuts boast a rich, buttery taste and produce a nut butter with a velvety texture. The rich taste makes this nut butter a decadent dipping sauce for fruit, and it has also been found to be versatile in baking. Its texture makes it a good substitute for shortening or butter when baking cookies. Macadamia butter is a good source of thiamin, protein, flavenoids, and Omega 3, and is low in carbohydrates.

Peanut Butter
All-natural peanut butter contains 100 percent peanuts. Most commercial brands contain hydrogenated oils, sweeteners, and other additives. Commercially made peanut butter contains high levels of hydrogenated fat, which makes the peanut butter easier to spread.
Well known as a sandwich spread, peanut butter may be used as an ingredient in soups, sauces, and dips. Peanut butter is an excellent source of niacin and magnesium, plus serves as a protein alternative for many vegans.

Pistachio Butter
This versatile nut butter has a rich, mildly sweet flavor that renders it a distinctive addition to raw fruits and vegetable dips. It also works well as a sandwich spread and is used in a variety of recipes, including sweet or savory desserts and appetizers. Pistachio butter is a good source of vitamin E, iron, and calcium.

The following are a few popular seed butters, which are often merchandised with nut butters.

Tahini/Sesame Seed Butter
Sesame seed butter and tahini are versatile pastes that are made from ground sesame seeds. They are commonplace in a variety of Asian and Middle Eastern dishes, including hummus. The Asian variety is called sesame butter, while the Middle Eastern variety is called tahini. Usually, the Asian variety is made with raw sesame seeds and is thicker than tahini, which is produced with roasted seeds. In addition to being used in dips, both may be thinned with liquid and included in soups, sauces, and gravies.

Soy Butter
Soy protein has been linked to various health benefits and is considered a complete protein, as it contains all of the essential amino acids. Soy contains a group of isoflavins that interact with our own to prevent chronic diseases, such as heart disease, kidney diseases, certain cancers, and high cholesterol. Soy butter has a roasted flavor that works well in savory and sweet sauces, and it may also be substituted for peanut butter in cooking or baking.

Hemp Seed Butter
This creamy spread is ideal for breads, as well as bagels, croissants, and crackers. Often, it is combined with herbs and spices to create pâtés and dips, and it also may be blended to create a sauce or even a smoothie. One of nature's richest sources of complete protein, hemp seed butter is also a good source of Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids.

Knife Sharpeners

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Sharp knives are a must in the kitchen. They are safer to use than dull knives that require the application of more force to cut anything, thereby increasing the risk of slippage and injury. It is a well-known fact that knives made with the finest steel will hold an edge longer, but even the best knives become dull with usage. In fact, the factory edge only lasts for the first few days or weeks of use. Therefore, the performance of a knife is dependent upon how the edge is maintained. A variety of different sharpening tools perform the process via different methods. Basically, two methods may be used to maintain a sharp edge on a knife -- one straightens and conditions the edge, while the other creates a new, sharper edge.
With daily use, a knife's edge quickly folds over and dulls the cutting edge. To help maintain the edge on a frequent basis, straightening is necessary. This requires using a device such as a nonabrasive sharpening steel. Since straightening a blade doesn't require the purposeful removal of metal, an aggressive abrasive is not required.
Though straightening the blade's edge should be done frequently, straightening of the knife's edge is not enough over an extended length of time. Eventually, the knife will need to be sharpened and that involves removing metal from the blade with an abrasive.
The easiest way to explain knife sharpening to customers is to focus on three key elements. The first is to use the best abrasive possible, the second is to use angle guides, and the third is to choose a multistage sharpener that provides an abrasive for sharpening and a less-aggressive abrasive for straightening.
A variety of abrasives is available for sharpening knives -- each offers different benefits. For instance, one type of abrasive may be used to repair a dull or slightly chipped knife, whereas another may be used to maintain a precise, sharp edge, and a third may serve as a finishing stone that will help maintain a mirror finish on knives. The most common abrasives used for knife sharpening are diamonds, ceramics, tungsten carbide, and natural (or manmade) stones.
Diamond abrasives are extremely durable and are the most versatile and efficient abrasives. Diamonds sharpen more aggressively and quickly, and remove minimal metal without overheating the blade or detempering the knife.
Ceramic stones require no wetting beforehand and are easy to maintain. A strong material, ceramic resists wear and is lightweight, especially when compared to steels and stones. Ceramic stones are porous and often require removal of bits of their surfaces that have become dulled because pieces of knives' surfaces have filled in the 'pores.'
Diamonds alone are harder than tungsten carbide, which is used mainly for V-shaped sharpeners. The carbide is positioned to form an overlapping V shape through which the knife blade is drawn back and forth to sharpen the blade. It does the job quickly but wears away slowly.
Sharpening stones include natural ones, as well as those that are reconstructed. Quarried natural stones include the Arkansas stone, as well as the original Japanese and Greek
water stones. These water stones are advantageous because they remove only the necessary amount in order to create a sharp edge. When using a stone, the user may sharpen the entire blade from the heel to the tip to maintain the original shape and angle. The sharpening stone may also be used to sharpen kitchen scissors, cleavers, spatulas, and mincing knives. Sharpening stones do require the use of oil or water to prevent the microscopic knife particles from 'filling' the stone and rendering it
unable to sharpen.

Angle Guides
Sharpening a knife involves maintaining a sharp alignment of the angle. Maintaining the proper angle is essential, as an improper angle will eventually ruin the knife's edge. Unless a customer is experienced with maintaining an edge, efforts to do so without an angle guide will most likely be counterproductive.
Today's high-quality sharpeners are designed with easy-to-use angle guides that provide precise, predictable sharpening.
On electric or manual sharpeners, a pair of abrasive rods is set at a fixed angle to provide swift and easy use. Many small hand-held sharpeners are designed with a slot through which the knife is drawn. The most basic of these is one in which a pair of tungsten carbide inserts are set at an angle. A variation of this design uses a set of overlapping carbide wheels. Other more refined slot-like sharpeners utilize ceramic wheels or rods – one medium and one fine.
Electric sharpeners require the least amount of practice. The user simply places the knife blade inside a slot, and draws it through. The angle guides hold the blade at precisely the right angle to ensure consistency.

Using a Multistage Sharpener
Sharpeners that offer multistage sharpening in which different-sized abrasives -- aggressive, medium, and fine -- are utilized to sharpen the knife quickly, properly, and safely are an excellent choice for nearly everyone.
Having more than one stage in a sharpener is important because if a single-stage sharpener's abrasive is too coarse, the sharpener may resharpen the blade but it may remove too much metal. If the abrasive is too fine, sharpening a dull knife may take too long. Multistage sharpeners ensure the use of only the necessary stages and therefore, they extend the knife's life.
In a two-stage sharpener, the first stage is more abrasive and aggressive in its function, the second stage is used for repolishing. In a three-stage sharpener, the first is the most abrasive stage -- removing the most metal -- and the final stage is best for polishing the edge.