[jyl]

Well, it is December and thus time for me to volunteer at the "Holiday Market" hosted by the kids' school. My wife organizes the market, so I'm not really volunteering - doing what I'm told is more like it.

So this year I hauled a Weber to the school and spent the day selling roasted chestnuts, just like a sidewalk vendor in Central Park. Cool.

I found that there are two kinds of Americans. Those who grew up enjoying roasted chestnuts, and those who never heard of the concept. The former are mostly East Coasters. And West Coasters are usually the latter. Even though chestnuts grow locally in parts of the West Coast.

So, here is my process for roasting chestnuts, for those of you who are interested in learning what those old Christmas songs are talking about.

1. Buy chestnuts at farmers market or some grocery stores. Select only the reasonably-sized ones (say, at least 3/4" diameter).
2. Make a single light scoring cut aross one side of the chestnut, just deep enough to cut through the outer shell, but without cutting too much into the meat. A serrated knife works best. This allows the shell to release pressure when heated (otherwise the shell will explode during cooking) and also makes the roasted nut easy to peel.
3. Soak scored chestnuts in water for at least a couple hours and as long as overnight. I add a bunch of sugar to the water. This helps the meat stay moister, the shell separates more easily from the meat, and adds a bit of sweetness.
4. If using grill, spread chestnuts on the grille directly above the hottest coals, with the scored side facing up. Tongs work well. You'll sometimes see the moisture boiling out of the cut shell. Check the bottom side of the chestnuts periodically. When the bottom side is a bit more than slightly blackened, move the chestnuts to a slightly cooler part of the grill, with the scored side facing down. When the scored side is just starting to blacken, the chestnuts should be done. Sample one - shell should pop off easily, meat should be soft and nutty sweet. If meat is hard or chewy, continue heating. Takes about 20 minutes.
5. If using oven, spread chestnuts on baking pan and place in 350F oven. Check them in 30 minutes. Total cooking time will be 30 to 40 minutes.
6. What to do with the small chestnuts that aren't worth roasting? It's fun to toss them, un-scored, in the coals and watch them blow up. But only if you have eye protection - seriously.

I've never used chestnuts in any other dishes. If anyone has recipies, I'd be interested, got 5 pounds of leftover chestnuts sitting here . . .