Well, Jack Frost was not really nipping at my nose this holiday season. It’s been surprisingly warm here in New York, but I still felt the need to get into the holiday spirit. What better way to get into that spirit than with fresh, straight-from-the-oven, roasted chestnuts? And they really couldn’t be any easier to make.

I had eaten chestnuts, fresh from the shell once before as a child. I had taken winter holiday with my family in England. We were out for an evening stroll at a holiday fair, the air was bitter cold, my nose was turning rosy from the temperature, and my hands were jammed into my dad’s pockets. (His hands were always warm, no matter the temperature outside.) My dad stopped to buy a little glassine bag of chestnuts, that truly were roasting over an open fire. Quickly I grasped the bag, anxious to receive any bit of warmth from this new snack food. Slowly I pried the nut from its hardened exterior and tasted the mellow, sweet flesh. I remember holding the nut on my tongue for far too long as it grew soggy and began to disintegrate, but I was hoping to warm myself from the inside out.

It’s funny how I had forgotten this memory until I was at the market last week, and literally bumped into a container of imported Italian chestnuts. Shiny and raw, they were simply crying out to be taken home. But what to do with a chestnut and no open fire? Well roast them in the oven that’s what, and here’s how: It is important to score the bottom of each nut with an “X.” This causes the steam to be released, and the nut becomes much easier to peel. Then roast in a 425 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the shell begins to blister and crack. Remove from the oven, and peel to your heart’s content, when the nut is cool enough to touch, but still warm enough to make your mouth purse when you take that initial bite.

Chestnuts are so pleasing when peeled. They look like golden little brains, and are delightfully simple in taste– rich, slightly sweet, and meaty. I ate some unadorned, standing in the kitchen, peeling then eating, peeling then eating, a gentle rhythm guiding me through the process. When I had my fill of eating, I continued to peel. I then crushed the remains, and had them that evening sauteed in butter, and added to brussel sprouts– a true winter time treat!

If you haven’t had roasted chestnuts yet and want to give them a try, have no fear now that Christmas time is over… There is always New Year’s!