Mad about lack of Macs...

[Rawkinlocs]

Okay, so I'm sitting here wanting to make something a little more elaborate to eat either tonight or for tomorrow. I'm thumbing through the book and all the recipes I WANT to make ask for those darned macademia nuts that I can't seem to get my hands on!

How important are they? Is there anything that can take their place in the crepes? the cheeses? the fettuccine sauce?

[Alissa]

You can use cashews instead. they usually substitute fine for the mac's

[Rawkinlocs]

Cool...Thanks!

[solchile76]

Good to know. Those darn macs are crazy expensive.

[Smileen]

Rawk....is it the cost of the macs or just locating them? Whole Foods has supposedly raw macadamia nuts.

[Curtis]

Are cashews hard to find raw? Seems I read somewhere when they process them they cooked them or something.

[Rawkinlocs]

Rawk....is it the cost of the macs or just locating them? Whole Foods has supposedly raw macadamia nuts.

It's locating them. I'll try Whole Foods (although they're kind of a ways away from me) Thanks

[qetta]

I'm glad you posted this Rawkinlocs. I haven't been able to find raw macadamias either. The last two times I searched for them at Whole Foods I couldn't find them. The natural foods co-op I go to doesn't have them either. (They did have them for sale at the restaurant I was at last night - but whew. $10 for a tiny little bag?! I couldn't do it.)

Glad to know I can use cashews and still make Alissa's recipes!

[vegbaby]

Are cashews hard to find raw? Seems I read somewhere when they process them they cooked them or something.
Curtis,

Yes, most places do use heat processing on their cashews. You can get "really raw" cashews from eatraw.com.

[Jay]

Melanie,

do you know if those really raw cashews taste different from the ones you can buy at the store?

tx!
Joke

btw: I ordered once from eatraw.com and I decided to buy some macs, boy they were so good!!
After that I ordered some macs at www.orkos.com (who deliver to belgium, france and germany I think) but they had just cracked shell, they are a real pain to open, some were okay, but others I couldn't open yet, some shells aren't even cracked... so if you have the choice, buy the shelled ones, unless you LIKE to break them with a few rocks ;)

[qetta]

so if you have the choice, buy the shelled ones, unless you LIKE to break them with a few rocks ;)

Joke - You're funny! I've seen unshelled ones online and was wondering how people got into them! :p

-Lisa

[Jay]

Hee hee :D

it's true though, I just can't seem to be able to open 'em up! I have about 10 that are still in their shell, i just put them in a bowl and use them as decoration! :p

My dad suggested I should use one of his tools: a vice!!
I think that will work, because some nutcrackers work with the same principle, so if your DH or dad is a handyman, you can buy them unshelled ;)