[Sca-cooks] Chestnuts - Revisited

[Susan]

I learned to roast chestnuts while stationed overseas in Italy, and this is 
the same technique they used.  You cut a little cross (or x) in the pointed. 
There's nothing like chestnuts roasted over the fire.  They have the same 
type of carts in London that they have in New York, so lovely in the Winter.

Susan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius.magister at verizon.net>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2005 5:43 AM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Chestnuts - Revisited


>
> On Dec 2, 2005, at 5:07 AM, Terri Morgan wrote:
>
>>    We roasted some (quite by accident, at first) at a demo that we 
>> attend
>> every year. Our firepit was close enough to a massive tree that a few
>> chestnuts made their way into the coals. They were quite tasty -  but 
>> before
>> we learned that, we were dodging chestnut-missiles as they exploded  from 
>> the
>> firebed. As far as I can tell, so long as they are relatively  fresh, the
>> moisture inside of them is going to be enough to pop the shell open  for 
>> you
>> (this might be why some recipes call for soaking them) and propel  them 
>> with
>> some force.
>>    Make sure you have a covered pan that can release steam (we used a
>> popcorn-popping cast iron pan) and I hope your family enjoys the 
>> experience.
>> The taste is wonderful and for all that few of us had ever eaten 
>> "chestnuts
>> roasted on an open fire", we all agreed that somehow it touched a  mutual
>> memory-chord.
>
>  You can still sometimes see chestnut roasted chestnut vendors with 
> little carts with a sort of firebox-and-griddle arrangement on New  York 
> streets in the winters. The rest of the year they sell hot  pretzels from 
> the same carts, but the popular local wisdom on the  subject is that you 
> cut a little cross-shaped opening in the pointed,  "blossom end" of the 
> shell with a sharp knife. This not only makes  them easier to shell, but 
> also keeps them from exploding.
>
> Adamantius
>
>
> "S'ils n'ont pas de pain, vous fait-on dire, qu'ils  mangent de la 
> brioche!" / "If there's no bread to be had, one has to say, let them  eat 
> cake!"
>     -- attributed to an unnamed noblewoman by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 
> "Confessions", 1782
>
> "Why don't they get new jobs if they're unhappy -- or go on Prozac?"
>     -- Susan Sheybani, assistant to Bush campaign spokesman Terry  Holt, 
> 07/29/04
>
>
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