Chestnuts in our kitchen. The roasted ones on the left, safely made in our oven.  Blogfinger photo. ©

A successful peel. Internet photo.

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger  (with the assistance of Eileen Goldfinger, food editor)

When I was a kid, my grandmother would roast chestnuts, but not over an open fire.  She had a big black stove in her kitchen.  Inside the top she would put coal into the chamber and set it on fire. Then she closed the flap and we had a hot surface for our chestnuts.   We would cut little X’s into the top of the chestnuts and lay them down on the top of the stove.  Then you would wait until they began to burst open and they were ready.  But sometimes, and this was the best part, one would literally explode and bits of chestnuts would fly all over the room.

At Wegman’s they have a barrel full, and this is the peak season for chestnuts.  But when you buy them, be sure to cook them soon because they don’t have a good shelf life and they can get rotten or moldy. They also are pricey at $6.50 per pound.

If you have an open fireplace, that is the most romantic way to do it, but we made ours in the oven.  The oven is set to 425 degrees. Cut the little X’s on top to allow moisture to escape before placing them in the oven on a flat pan;  and then remove them 20-25 minutes later.

Peeling them when they are done cooking can be a little tricky, but eating them while warm is the best way and they are quite delicious with a chewy nutty flavor. When they are done cooking, put a cloth over them for 20 minutes, and that makes the peeling easier. There is a semi-hard (I hate that adjective) outer shell and a light brown membrane inside to peel away.

It’s fun to make chestnuts with the kids.

THE CHRISTMAS SONG:  Mel Tormé wrote it and sang it, but the best known version is  by Nat “King” Cole.  However, I love musical surprises, so here is an unexpected  “Christmas Song” by Bob Dylan who, believe it or not, has a Christmas album called Christmas in the Heart.   I think that’s a funny title, but his rendition is quirky and heartfelt, and, for something different, he’s a Jewish guy from Minnesota. Go  figure!