Appetizers are the weak spot on the menu, though a few dishes stand out, like a heaping platter of sautéed calamari ($8), served with a spicy tomato sauce that doesn't fool around, and sweet roasted peppers paired with soft, nut-flavored mozzarella ($6.50).
If you have a soft nut on your hands, then you may be able to crack it with the force of your hands alone.
The Block 3 chardonnay is deeply golden in colour and smells like frozen tropical fruits; crisp melon, fleshy pineapple, mango skins – then, soft lime, nuts and spiced honey.
Also avoid foods like dried beans, carbonated soft drinks, nuts and peanut butter as they contain high levels of phosphorus, which weakens the bones.
Warm the oil in a medium-sized saucepan, tip in the sliced garlic and shredded ginger and fry until soft and nut brown.
For softer pine nuts, you can simply place these nuts in a big plastic bag, push all the air out of it, place it on a flat surface, and then use a wooden roller to roll back and forth over the nuts.
The casing of the fruit is soft, and the nuts come out easily.
And on this special night no excuse is needed to dive into a splendid red burgundy, all soft raspberry, strawberry, nuts and chocolate.
And a starter of eggplant stuffed with vegetables was as comforting as a long-simmered lasagna, spilling with stewed onions and soft, warmed pine nuts.
But although I happen to have a soft spot for nut roast – an option often preferable to the meat that emerged from the school kitchen – it seems I'm in a cranky minority.
