Chestnuts roasting on a open fire might work for some but the oven works just as good. I’ll get into that in a minute but first want to talk about these unique treats. Weeks leading up to Thanksgiving the holidays start filling our heads and seasonal dishes filling our stomachs. A favorite past time treat are roasted chestnuts. To some this seems like a foreign food and only know of it by the famous Nat King Cole melody but chestnuts and the trees they come from date back to the 1900’s in the United States. The American Chestnut Foundation in the early 1980’s wanted to revive the nut in all its glory especially since a terrible fungus earlier destroyed a large amount of the forests containing these trees.
Around the holidays in the US you can find street vendors roasting the chestnuts and selling by the bag. This method of using chestnuts is also vastly popular in Europe!
How I roast chestnuts is I start with the flat side down on a cutting board and make an “X” slit through the skin of the nut. Then I briefly soak the nuts in hot water then drain and dry. Once they are dried I toss the nuts with melted butter, salt, pepper, and sage. I lay them out on a foil lined cookie sheet gathering the edges to create a large opening around the chestnuts. I roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. The skin where you made the “X” should be peeling back. Once removed from the oven let rest till you can touch them and peel back the skin. You want to eat the meaty, buttery inside of the nut.
These nuts can go bad so when shopping for them make sure the skin doesn’t have blemishes. An ideal nut is a vibrant chestnut color, and smooth.
Christmas
Shot at The Up and Up
Photo Shoot: Village Voice Magazine
The holidays are an exciting time with the music, snow, gift shopping, and seasonal cocktails. It was exciting when a friend and photo editor reached out to me for a project for Village Voice! Myself and food stylist Jill Keller got to go around to 6 different bars in New York photographing 6 signature drinks the bar and bartenders worked on. Also it was great to reference if you wanted to try and make it at home for yourself. Each bar was very unique and fun to check out. I think my personal favorite was Miracle On 9th Street pop up bar by Nico de Soto. The bar was decorated like my grandma’s house around the holidays. There were so many nostalgic Christmas decorations. The drinks were served in these cute cups that looked like Santa. It was really exciting because after the story ran Bon Appetit Magazine was also doing coverage of the bar! Nico was doing live demo of making the drinks. I got to work with talented food stylists Jill Keller and we hopped around town going to each bar. It was fun!
Holiday Recipe: Hot Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
12 ounces dark chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
TOPPINGS: Crushed candy canes or Hershey's cocoa powder
Directions
Place all ingredients in a double boiler and stir until chocolate is melted. Whisk works well.
Allow the mixture to cool. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerator for about 2-3 hours until firm.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop the chocolate mixture ( approx. 1 inch scoops) and roll into a ball. Then with your choice of topping roll in that. Immediately place each ball onto a square of plastic wrap.
For Gifting: Wrap up each ball with plastic wrap to seal. Place balls in a freezer bag and freeze until ready to use.
To Make Hot Chocolate: 1 cup of milk into a microwave-safe mug (or in saucepan to heat). Carefully drop two unwrapped hot chocolate truffles into the milk. Stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the truffles dissolve into the milk. Serve warm!
Wine Choice: Merlot
