how do I cook these chestnuts?

[sharon kopenski]

The recipe calls for bottled roasted chestnuts. I purchased fresh chestnuts and peeled them(boiled 1 minute). Do you think that I should roast them or use them as is. The recipe is sweet vermouth chicken. Oh poop, I bought dry vermouth. Now what?

[Grace]

Hi Sharon!

I don't have answers to your questions (sorry! I never made chestnuts - nor have even eaten them, for that matter!). But I just wanted to ask you how your trip to Chicago was?? Were you here for our big snow last Thursday? Where did you end up eating? Inquiring minds want to know..... :D

[sharon kopenski]

Grace, you are so funny. WE were there Wed. night and drove home Thursday before the snow hit. My friend was not interested in my suggestions and we almost ended up in a cheap dingy place. We went to Italian Village and the food was fine. Service was so foreign to us small towners. Seems there were many layers of wait staff. We had all kinds of people fawning over us. They had to move us so we got free wine and dessert, so it was a great meal. The lights downtown were amazing. Who does it all? Every branch was perfectly covered with little white lights. I made it to the Christ--whatever market. Had hot wine and thought of you. It was a warm day for Chicago so it was beautiful to be outside. We had a great time. Your suggestions were all good and the fancy cafe in the hotel was what I was hoping for, but another time. Now for those chestnuts???

[Grace]

Oh boy, were you lucky to have missed that snow! Horrible. It took me 4+ hours to drive 15 miles last Thursday night.

Anyhow, bummer that you didn't have a good "eating" companion, but it sounds like the Italian Village worked out well for you. I have been there several times, and it's definitely not a terrible place.

I didn't go to the Christkindlmarkt this year (no time) but I heard that it is significantly smaller than in years past and disappointing. But I guess if you never saw it when it was bigger, you wouldn't know what you were missing. But my Mom told me the lines were horrendous (because it is so much smaller now), and the cup they put the Gluehwein in was shaped like an ugly boot (I collect the cups from previous years and they were all regular cup shaped with a lovely picture of Chicago and the market on the side). But the Gluehwein is good stuff, and knocks me on my butt with just a half cup! :D Glad you thought of me! :D

I won't hijack your thread any further, and I hope someone comes in here to give you the answers about your chestnuts, although you might try a google search to see if you can come up with some information there if no one pipes in soon.

Next time you come to Chicago let me know and maybe we can do the top of the Hancock together!

[sharon kopenski]

I'd love it!

[JLCS]

Sharon, I think you should roast the peeled chestnuts for about 5 minutes or so. Just until they smell "nutty" and are no longer raw, pasty in the middle. You can toss them in a little olive oil and roast at 400. Chestnuts are by nature, somewhat dry and mealy so don't be alarmed if that what they look like. Good luck and let us know how they turn out. When yo boiled them, did the thin papery peel come off too? When I roasted them whole, the outer shell came off easily, but had to work at the inner peel on most of them.

Can't help much on the vermouth, other than taste the dish and if it need a bit of sweetener to balance the flavors, try some honey, basalmic, or just plain sugar.

[sharon kopenski]

My chestnuts are roasting! Half of the paper like skin came off. Before I roast.ed them they tasted OK but I'm sure they will be better after a little heat. Thanks for your advice, aI thought it would be 30 to 40 min. that would have been cute. Thanks again