Changing those old chestnuts.

Thea, I have fond memories of collecting chestnuts which had fallen from a large overhanging tree on my way home from school in England more than 60 years ago. I'm sure they were just put in the fire, but I'm not sure. I have tried buying them here in Australia and cooking them in the oven, but they are hard to shell and hard to eat. For how long would you boil them? Would you cut the shells first, as you do when baking? I'd like to try them boiled. I am a creature of habit, I suppose, but I can't think of anything I've changed lately.

Ah...I so love roasted chestnuts. They are so perfect, so delicious, and moreover, reminded me so much of my childhood, lol. Sometimes food can bring so many fond memories back, right..

You know, the population of chestnut trees in the US was greatly diminished in the 1920's by disease. They are on a comeback. I had not ever had them until a family member was temporarily living in Columbia, Mo. They host an annual "Chestut Roast" and serve lots of fine foods, including recipes made with chestnuts. This is not really a great on topic answer, but I needed to include it. I think I get to go again this year.I will post pics and recipes. I think the microwave will be what has changed my cooking most. Also the bread machine. They are shortcuts, but they expand my cooking and tasting pleasure. I love bread machine bread, and I can add lots of healthy ingredients. Always use olive oil in my breads.. If I go, I will add something about it to my blog.

Now I know the christmas carol "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" but I never actually thought of people doing that! lol! I know that's odd! I've never had chestnuts cooked in anyway, I don't know that I've had chestnuts... other then maybe I think Chinese Food has Water Chestnuts, or is that Cashews? I should try it sometime then huh?

you reminded me of the time when i used to eat eat lot of fresh walnuts. i simply couldn't have enough of it. but unfortunately where i presently live fresh walnuts are simply not available...

I can't say I have ever even eaten a chestnut. I am 20, I need to eat a chestnut!

Hi Thea! There's tall chestnut trees all around the house where I live along the roadside and in the little park (or "The Village Green") across the way,but unfortunately,here they're not the edible variety,but "Horse Chestnut" trees,and the leaves and the nuts are falling from them at this time of Year..the nuts are only good for one thing,AFAIK,and that's for the kid's game of Conkers! I can't think of any pleasant sudden surprising changes I've made to compare with Yours this past while,though...

hi thea I cannot really thin of any change I have suddenly'made but its early for me, I am not a morning person. As for chestnuts we don't find them often here in the United States but I have had them a few times and enjoyed them immensely. A British friend brought them to us one year at Christmas time. I had to refrain from the salt though as I have high blood pressure. I was just thinking of all the changes in our lives the past 11 months and those sure did take me by surprise. I would never ever have wanted to be here in a retirement center at all, I was perfectly happy with my life in my own bedroom in our two bedroom apartment until all hell broke loose. So this change sure did take me by surprise. oh and now my roomie has gone shopping, glory hurrah for me. no talking for at least a couple of hours. yes also this is such a change for me having a roommate, as its been years 1991 since I shared a bedroom with my hubby. and thats a helluva lot different than a rather cantankerous older lady.

We have some chestnuts from my Father-in-law's tree, was wondering how to cook them. I take it they can't be eaten raw? My exciting change - for a short while I was staying away from gluten and so I started using corn starch instead of flour for sauces and gravies and stews and so on...

I thought that was something of a myth about eating chestnuts. I really didn't know that people actually ate them.

Speaking of nuts. I used to always get the smoked almonds and loved to eat them. I ate them all the time. Recently, in attempting to lose extra weight piled while sick, I read the label (like a good consumer) and noticed both the calories and the amount of salt. So I have been eating natural almonds for a couple of years now and like them just fine. No Salt!

We have 4 Chestnut trees in our yard and yes i like them right out of the fire. I have some friends that just eat them raw, and i Know some that boil them.

When I read about chestnut, I was reminded of cashewnut which we used to eat a lot in my home. We have more than 6 or 7 trees and it was always fun to eat the raw and cooked cashewnut. My grandmother used to prepare a curry with raw cashewnut,drumsticks and dried shrimps. I have never had that type of curry anywhere else and when I say about the curry to my friends , they give a frown and ask how it tastes. Also cashewnut is quite expensive here and I had the privilage to eat as much as I liked. My grandmother would collect the nuts from all trees daily during the season and we ate it all round the year. As a child I occassionly used to buy ice creams by exchanging cashewnuts!!! We eat it raw, plain roasted, roasted with masala, put in curries and desserts. But it has a lot of fat content so cant eat much now hi hi