Chestnuts and Brussel Sprouts

On Thanksgiving Eve, it has become a tradition for my nieces, along with their husbands, my brothers in law, and my sisters to come and help me peel the roasted chestnuts. We gather in the kitchen, with a towel in our hands to protect our fingers from the heat, and we peel, and munch, away.

One year I told the chestnut blight story. It seems that years ago Chestnut trees grew in abundance through out the US. In the early 1900s, blight attacked the chestnut trees and made them virtually extinct in our country. The American chestnut tree went from the most important tree in the East Coast, about 4 billion in number, to insignificance. Now, almost all of our chestnuts are imported from Italy. The fun part is that my family asks me to tell the story every year. It has become a tradition. Along with the story comes a lot of scolding as I try to keep them from eating all of the roasted chestnuts. I am always frightened that there will not be enough to put with the brussel sprouts the next day.

That is what food can do. It gathers people together and creates memories that last a lifetime. The kitchen is the heart of the house, food is nourishment for the body, and the memories created in the kitchen, and around the dinner table, are precious.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: When your pasta is done do not leave it in the hot water or it will turn to mush. Drain it, cover it and put it back in the hot pot without any heat.

Copyright ©2009 by Gigi Centaro. All Rights Reserved.