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Pleasant surprise: Sugar, spice transforms pecans
 A little bit of "sugar, spice and everything nice" has arrived just in time for the holidays at West Monroe Farmer's Market.
Christopher Hatten, a former resident of West Monroe, who now lives in Ruston, has put a unique touch to one of Louisianians' favorite nuts. He is offering three flavors of pecans cooked with his secret recipes. One flavor has a tinge of spice, another is sweet, and the third is cinnamon.
So far, his brand of pecan delicacies has been a huge hit at the farmer's market as well as throughout the Twin Cities.
During last weekend's "Christmas on the Alley" celebrations, Hatten set up shop and wowed attendees with his assortment of home-cooked pecans.
Hatten, who is now selling his home-made pecans at the West Monroe Farmer's Market, said the farmer's market will have pecan treats available as long as supplies last.
However, as much as people have taken to Hatten's pecans, he doesn't know if his supply will last until Christmas.
"As fast as these are going, they might be gone before Christmas, but we're going to sell them until we run out," he said. "We had a great response from people during Christmas on the Alley. Everyone seemed to enjoy them, and we all had a good time."
Like many of Louisiana's crops, pecan distributors were hit hard by the recent hurricanes, and supply has been limited in many parts of the state.
He said pecan crops are affected by weather in general, and there are always good years and bad years. Regarding this year's pecan crops, Hatten said it has been a bad year.
"But still, we're holding pretty strong," he said.
The farmer's market began featuring pecans around late November, and Hatten plans to continue selling pecans until his supply runs out.
Hatten's top seller so far has been his spice-coated pecans. He's working on a couple of different recipes and creations to give pecans additional flavors.
Another flavor that has done well is the garlic rosemary pecans, which are only sold in pecan platters.
Hatten has been interested in cooking and the culinary arts since he was a young boy. However, it has only been about a month since he began experimenting with different flavored pecans.
"I've been cooking in the kitchen since I was 14 —around 10 years — and I have a good idea of how to do things, but this has really been an experiment in cooking. That's what I've been doing … experimenting and seeing what works with a pecan and what compliments a pecan," Hatten said.
During the Christmas on the Alley festival, many people thought Hatten was selling candy, but when they learned that his treats were actually pecans, many were pleasantly surprised, he said.
"It took them a while to realize it was pecans, but after that, they loved it," Hatten said. "Pecans are a healthy snack, and they're a good source of nutrients such as zinc."
"Pecans are a southern cuisine, and the way I got started with all this is I heard of someone throwing a pecan party," he said. "They have sugared pecans, spice pecans and all different kinds on a platter. They'll meet and sample the pecans, and that's their party. It's like a wine and cheese party, but with pecans.
"I thought that sounded like fun, so I gave this a shot. I've sold a lot of the platters already, so I bet there's people here having those parties … I just haven't been invited to any."
Hatten said the bags of pecans at the farmer's market are the perfect size for stocking stuffers.
"That's what I wanted to aim for, something that's affordable, healthy, but still a stocking stuffer," Hatten said.
For more information about Hatten's pecans, call the farmer's market at 322-2203, or visit the market on North 7th Street, next to the West Ouachita Senior Center.
The farmer's market is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the weekdays. |
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