This is a standard at tapas bars in Spain and a perfect addition to any cocktail party. The salt will adhere to the nuts better if you grind it for a few moments in a food processor or spice or coffee grinder; this gives it a more irregular surface than it usually has.

　　

Ingredients

makes 2 cups, enough for 8 as a snack

　　3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or as needed

　　2 cups whole almonds, with skins

　　1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional

　　1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste, optional

　　Coarse salt

　　

Step 1

Coat the bottom of a wide saucepan with oil and turn the heat to medium-high. When it is hot but not smoking, add the almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, for just a few minutes, until they are toasted and browned lightly.

　　

Step 2

Remove the almonds with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with cumin if you like, cayenne, and salt to taste. Serve at room temperature, within a few hours.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.