My grandmother loved people, and many, many people loved her in return. It was impossible not to. She was always warm, welcoming and brilliantly funny, and had a knack for making people feel special. Everywhere she went, she made a friend. It also didn’t hurt that she usually had snacks with her, often a tin filled with cookies, candies or nuts.
So, naturally, if she invited you to a party at her home, you were not only honored, but you also brought a full heart and an empty stomach. One night, she’d have friends over from her local church; another night, the parents of her kids’ classmates would be over. Her home was where people gathered, and hosting was a way for her to be with the people she loved without distractions. My grandmother taught my mother and I a few things about hosting: Never show up to someone’s home empty-handed, have everything prepared before the first person arrives, and always welcome people in with a drink and a snack. And one of her go-to snacks was these Spicy Maple Walnuts, a handwritten recipe I found in a recipe box after she passed away.
These walnuts have a whole flavor experience in one bite, thanks to their sweet and spicy combination of maple syrup, ginger, paprika and cayenne. At first, you get the crunch of the sweet caramelized maple that coats the walnuts, but then very quickly, the spice of the cayenne creeps up on you. It’s an easy snack that your guests will ask for time and time again.
My grandmother didn’t believe in setting out a large cheese board or enough appetizers to make her guests full before dinner even started. However, she did believe in having a crunchy snack alongside a drink. By the time the first guest arrived, dinner would be ready and warm in the oven, and a bowl of these walnuts and cocktails like Old-Fashioneds or Manhattans would be set out and easily accessible. It added an ease to the evening. Instead of having her apron on, hands dirty from cooking with an air of chaotic energy and flour in her hair, she’d be snacking and sipping along with her guests, and making the most of the time with them.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter much what you serve to your guests. You can serve them these Spicy Maple Walnuts, a cheese board, chips and dip or all of the above. What really matters, and what made my grandmother host with an ease that my mother and I have tried very hard to replicate, is how well your guests are seen, heard and taken care of. I hope having my grandmother’s walnuts on hand may just make that a little bit easier for us all.
