When you are a child, certain memories linger in your heart because of the
sights and scents that anchor them there. For me, Thanksgiving was always a special
time when family would gather around the dinner table, and though the years have
passed, it is the special flavor of the holiday that has stayed with me, coloring my
memories.
My earliest Thanksgiving memories bring my grandmother to mind – warm
smile, swift hands, making magic in her kitchen. Nana always kept fresh chestnuts on
hand for the holiday table, and I would always ask her how a nut could possibly be in
every one of her yummy treats! She would laugh and say fresh chestnuts are very much
like our family – inside their strong shells lie the sweet and tender hearts that give flavor
and sweetness to everything.
Side by side, I would watch her boil the fresh chestnuts
and she would show me how to peel them with care, setting them aside for her delicious
dishes.
Nana made the most incredible breads, stuffing, sauces, and spreads from
the unassuming little nut, but her fresh chestnut desserts are the real anchors of my
memory.
Whether candied or creamed, dipped in chocolate or whipped into mousse,
fresh chestnuts were the main staple of her special, secret recipes that defined my
childhood.
Nana went to great lengths to make the holiday favorite of each of her
grandchildren, and when it came to my favorite – chestnut chocolate mousse – she
would seat me by her side at the kitchen counter, revealing the magical recipe to me,
step by enchanted step.
First, we would choose large fresh chestnuts that were solid
with a glossy, brown exterior, pleasing to the eye and touch, and score them with a
special chestnut knife to make sure the steam would not be trapped inside during
roasting. Then we would place them in a chestnut roaster – the open fire type – to give
them that full, robust flavor. Once cooked, we would carefully peel them and heat them
in a saucepan, simmering the roasted fresh chestnuts in their sugary juices to make
a sweet puree.
Nana would then melt blocks of dark chocolate, slowly folding in the
vanilla-scented puree, careful to add whipped cream slowly to the mix – and presto! My
favorite mousse was poured into tall glasses, topped with a few chocolate curls and a
perfect, roasted fresh chestnut, ready to be served.
Today I have my own family to set the table for, and I’ve never forgotten Nana’s
Thanksgiving delights. Still traditions and recipe’s ingredients don’t change;
I still use
fresh chestnuts abundantly in my dishes with all my neighbors asking for the recipe.
As Thanksgiving draws near, I have already bought fresh chestnuts to make sure that I
have enough for Thanksgiving.
I think using fresh chestnut in my dishes has gotten into my bones especially for
thanksgivings, as I don’t feel right without it, and this year is going to be no exception.
guest writer,
Nina Sonal Patel
.jpg)
.jpg)