And then, the stuffing.
Then you eat it, dust off your hands, and reach for the macadamia. That one looks angry . Nutty Stuffer31
You fish out the meat. It is rarely whole. It is a golden crescent, a crumb, a tiny brain-shaped morsel dusted with bitter paper. You pop it into your mouth. It is buttery, tannic, and tastes faintly of the inside of an old wooden drawer. And then, the stuffing
It begins with the bowl: a ceramic dish passed down from a grandmother who believed that a mixed nut set was the height of exotic hospitality. Inside is a chaotic geology of walnuts, Brazil nuts with their strange, oily seams, almonds like tiny wooden canoes, and the dreaded black walnut—a medieval weapon disguised as a snack. You fish out the meat
The Nutty Stuffer is not a person. It is a ritual.
Bon appétit.