Printers’ Row Annual Christmas Chestnut Roast

The Printers’ Row Annual Christmas Chestnut Roast
Spreading holiday cheer, remembering Pat Rafferty

I’ve had occasion to mention before on this board an old friend of mine, Pat Rafferty, who passed away a little less than a year and a half ago. Pat was a long time and well known resident of Printers’ Row who is still remembered widely and fondly by many and very much missed by his close friends.

Pat loved Christmas. He had a nice collection of old Christmas ornaments and decorations and for a long time set up each year not one but two Christmas trees: one to stand in the living room of his condominium and the other to stand on his balcony which overlooked the almost piazza-like space that is comprised of a part of Polk Street and two vacant lots in front of the noble old Dearborn Station. Each year Pat would also throw a fairly large Christmas party, featuring good food and good drink and a viewing of the film “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Pat and I often lamented and grumbled to one another about the ever increasing commercialisation and secularisation of Christmas which is gradually leading to its transformation into nothing more than a nameless retailing event. But whereas I, when confronted with the contemporary American winter holiday season, have tended of late to slip into a sometimes melancholic, sometimes bilious state of inactivity, Pat’s tendency was toward taking action, toward taking steps to keep alive a more traditional or, in any event, non-commercial view of the feast of the Nativity; in this light one must regard the beacon-like tree that shone from his balcony and the ever well-attended and very merry Christmas parties.

A further small step against the spiritual gutting of Christmas which Pat apparently long had in mind was to set up a little chestnut roasting stand in the neighbourhood and to offer to the bustling burgers of the ‘New South Loop’ a free – as in gratis -- taste of Christmas past. A couple of years ago, Pat finally had the opportunity to carry out his plan and on a Saturday morning in mid December he set up a grill on the corner of Polk and Dearborn, near Hackney’s and opposite the Christmas tree vendor’s lot; there, with the jovial company of some of denizens of Printers’ Row, this writer included, Pat proceeded to roast and offer up little packets of freshly roasted chestnuts to passers-by.

The reactions of those passers-by, both that first year and in subsequent years, are often interesting and amusing. Upon hearing the offer called out -- “Fresh roasted chestnuts!” or “Would like some free roasted chestnuts?” etc. – some folks slip immediately into their urban-paranoia, thrust their hands into their pockets and fix their gaze on the sidewalk before them and rush by as quickly as possible. Others wrinkle their faces up in silent expression of the thought “who are these weirdoes and what the f*ck are they trying to pull?” Still others just smile at the half-frozen men of good cheer, with a friendly mien but one which expresses the sort of bemused sympathy one has for the harmlessly insane.

But there are nonetheless those who react more positively to the offer. Among these are a considerable number who say something along the lines of “Wow, I’ve never had a roasted chestnut before! Sure, I’d love to try them!” Others, either refugees from New Netherland, such as myself, or Chicagoans who have spent some time in New York, exclaim something to the following effect: “Gee, this is like Manhattan!” or “I haven’t had these since I was a kid in New York!”† Finally, there are some who simply smile broadly, say, “yes, thank you very much!” and exchange Christmas greetings with the roasters.

Pat only managed to set up his chestnut roasting stand once, for the following summer he finally succumbed to a long illness. But the next two years, friends of Pat, Rich, Dave and fellow LTHer jmatz, have followed Pat’s lead and themselves held on a cold December Saturday a chestnut roasting on the same corner by Hackney’s. With some help from that fine institution, this year’s event was again a considerable success, featuring not only chestnuts of outstanding quality (ordered from Washington State) but also some really delicious homemade Christmas cookies, both of these being supplied by jmatz. With an occasional duck into Hackney’s to warm up and get a wee bevy, the aforementioned three organisers and some of us other Printers’ Row old-timers spent about three cold but very fun hours out by the curb. All in all, some five pounds of chestnuts and a considerable amount of Christmas cheer was distributed. Many thanks to Rich, Dave, jmatz and also the folks at Hackney’s.

Incidentally, I had a buffalo burger with fries at Hackney’s for lunch before the afternoon roasting; as always, an excellent little meal.

Herebelow are a few photos from the event:

Merry Christmas.

Antonius







† I was surprised that most native Midwesterners had for the most part never had roasted chestnuts. On the East Coast they seem to me to be fairly widely eaten, though perhaps especially by Italians. (In my family, we’ve always regularly roasted them in the oven.) I’ve noticed that the Italian specialty shops around Chicagoland sell chestnuts in the fall and winter (and, of course, they are to be found in the grocery stores) but very few of the native Chicagoans I’ve spoken to about this topic ate them at home. If chestnuts were ever roasted and sold at street stands in Chicago, it must be quite some time ago that the practice was given up, though perhaps I just haven't run into people who knew such stands here.

Last Christmas, I discovered, much to my naive amazement, that you can actually roast chestnuts OVER AN OPEN FIRE (!). I put a little pan of them in the fireplace on a glowing log, came back a few minutes later, shook them, and shortly thereafter, ate them. An excellent seasonal snack.

I bought a bag of chestnuts from Caputo's last year, and they carry two or three varieties (right before Thanksgiving, the prices seemed a little high, but I will go back).

Hammond

Antonius,

Having streetside vendors of chestnuts seems to be a New York/East Coast tradition. I can't remember a time when there were ever vendors around here (maybe due to the city's restrictive street vendor ordinances). At our house, we don't have a tradition of eating them straight, but instead incorporate them into the dressing that we put inside the Thanksgiving turkey. I have always dreaded that particular part of my wife's Greek turkey stuffing recipe, since I do not know an easy way to de-husk the chestnuts after roasting. Do you have any secrets you can share?

stevez wrote: I have always dreaded that particular part of my wife's Greek turkey stuffing recipe, since I do not know an easy way to de-husk the chestnuts after roasting.

The Wife has taken to buying pre-shucked chestnuts in little bags from Dae Ho (also available in Chinatown Mall) -- the price is right, and it saves hours of pain (the skin under my fingernails used to be red and sore for days after Thanksgiving, owing to much time spent peeling off coarse chestnut shell). The flavor is comparable, and the packaged ones seem to hold their shape better under heat.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:
The Wife has taken to buying pre-shucked chestnuts in little bags from Dae Ho (also available in Chinatown Mall) -- the price is right, and it saves hours of pain (the skin under my fingernails used to be red and sore for days after Thanksgiving, owing to much time spent peeling off coarse chestnut shell). The flavor is comparable, and the packaged ones seem to hold their shape better under heat.

Hammond

Thanks for the tip. For the past two Thanksgivings, I have bought some fancy assed peeled and bottled French ones at Coast Plus World Market (at fancy assed French prices). It's good to know that there is an alternative besides ruining my manicure.

Antonius,

As a locally raised Italian (half Sicilian) with no east coast connections, we always had roasted chesnuts for Christmas as long as I can remember. They were typically served at the end of the meal along with a tray of sliced fennel.

Regards,
tony

electric mullet wrote: They were typically served at the end of the meal along with a tray of sliced fennel.

I recently "discovered" that fennel goes very well with beans and franks, and I can see how the legume-like texture of the chestnut meat would be complemented by fresh, crisp finnochio (of which I do not eat nearly enough).

Hammond

electric mullet wrote:As a locally raised Italian (half Sicilian) with no east coast connections, we always had roasted chesnuts for Christmas as long as I can remember. They were typically served at the end of the meal along with a tray of sliced fennel.

Tony:

Yes, indeed, with fennel and fruit and some other nuts... That's how we typically had them, on the winter holidays but then also on Sundays in winter. As I said, I always see them in the Italian shops around here, so clearly they are eaten in the local Italian and Italo-American community and perhpas that's why they caught on as winter street food in New York, etc., where the Italian presence has been so strong.

My family comes from a zone in Italy that produces a lot of chestnuts, up in the mountains just immediately behind the more populated coastal area.

Buon Natale.
A

I'm hardly the old-timer Chicagoan around here, but I distinctly remember carts selling roasted chestnuts on State St. maybe 10-12 years back and possibly more recently.

JeffB wrote:I'm hardly the old-timer Chicagoan around here, but I distinctly remember carts selling roasted chestnuts on State St. maybe 10-12 years back and possibly more recently.

Yes, now that you mention, I recall carts right around the Carson Pirie Scot building.

Though I like the idea of buying chestnuts from carts, they're just too darn hard to eat with gloves on.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:Though I like the idea of buying chestnuts from carts, they're just too darn hard to eat with gloves on.

Somehow, from the land of Dickens and chillblains, I got the feeling that part of the point of hot roasted chestnuts being sold on street corners was to warm up the hands. We're so lucky to take warm coats and gloves for granted....

And speaking as another half Sicilian [and what the hell is up with that, anyway? I have a suspicion that the smart Sicilian girls didn't want to marry the uber-macho Sicilian guys, but perhaps I'm projecting ] . . .

Take two. And speaking as another half Sicilian, I'm accustomed to having roasted chestnuts as part of the end of the meal, shells littering the table next to the cookies, the canoli, the Brach's "Special Stock" chocolates [my grandfather worked for Brach's on the second shift] and the smell of Lucky Strike cigarettes from my grandfather and my uncle.

The fennel, though, was on the table during the meat and pasta.

Giovanna

Giovanna wrote:

David Hammond wrote:Though I like the idea of buying chestnuts from carts, they're just too darn hard to eat with gloves on.

Somehow, from the land of Dickens and chillblains, I got the feeling that part of the point of hot roasted chestnuts being sold on street corners was to warm up the hands. We're so lucky to take warm coats and gloves for granted....

What, now I'm supposed to feel all ashamed and privileged because I wear gloves?!

This is the problem I got with le donne Siciliane – always with the guilt.

Thanks for helping with the raffle...nice nylons.

Hammond

Geezus.

Not guilt, gratitude.

And I'm glad you appreciated the importance of the occasion.

Giovanna

Giovanna (i?),

That fennel you had on the table with the meat and pasta, it was raw?

I'm liking the idea of having the uncooked finocchio on hand to munch whenever.

Hammond

Antonius wrote:I’ve had occasion to mention before on this board an old friend of mine, Pat Rafferty, who passed away a little less than a year and a half ago.

Antonius,

Wonderful of you to keep your friend Pat's tradition alive, it's an honor to his memory, not to mention the roasting chestnuts look delicious.

Here's a link to your original Pat Rafferty post, which is quite moving.

Enjoy,
Gary

As I've mentioned to Antonius before in another thread here, our families apparently came from the same general vicinity to the east of Naples. (Mine came from 2 small villages closest to Avellino.) As I was born & raised right here in the suburbs of Chicago, I can remember roasted chestnuts on our Christmas-time table each year, along with a dish of assorted other nuts to crack, fresh tangerines, strings of dried figs from Greece, and little boxes of torrone candy. These were brought out after the feast for those who still had room for a little something else.

When I traveled to these little ancestral villages in Italy as a college student many years ago, I was taken with my family to help with the chestnut harvest by picking them up off the ground from under the huge trees upon which they grew. They then used the chestnuts in a variety of ways which impressed me at the time and made me realize that they played a big part in the diet of my poor (monetarily-speaking) relatives. I had only seen chestnuts eaten roasted, but they seemed to prefer boiling them, and then often grinding them into a meal for use in other ways.

I seem to recall reading that chestnut trees had been wiped out in this country many years ago because of some blight, but a few years back they were reintroducing a strain that could now safely grow here again. It's a shame we don't see them more often in our grocery stores because they really are a wholesome & delicious treat.

David, I too keep finocchio around for the rare (for me) raw vegetable snack. I prefer it sliced thinly and marinated in a good (Sicilian) olive oil, a squirt of lemon, and salt and pepper. Lovely, really. My wife prefers it cooked, so I do it the way my grandmother did: cut in quarters or sixths (younger, smaller finocchio is better), sauteed in olive oil with some garlic until browned on all sides. Then, add 1/4 cup or so of water, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Toss in some chopped parsley and cover for another minute. Salt and eat.

Since chestnut eating seems to be so widespread, especially within the Italian community, I'll ask again for any peeling tips for those of us who came late to the chestnut eating game. I find it a real chore, and I am assuming that there are some tricks to be shared.

stevez wrote:Since chestnut eating seems to be so widespread, especially within the Italian community, I'll ask again for any peeling tips for those of us who came late to the chestnut eating game. I find it a real chore, and I am assuming that there are some tricks to be shared.

I can only speak to them in the roasted state. This is what you do:
- Score them on the flat side, making a cross- or x-shaped incision.
- Roast them in the oven or, preferably, on a grill.
- Peel them. They're quite easy to peel once they've been roasted. The outer shell curls a bit at the incisions and that's the starting point. There's also an inner skin that is easily removed once they've been properly roasted and peeled of the outer shell.

A

I'm afraid that chestnut peeling does lead to some sore fingers. It takes a bit of pressure to cut the X into the chestnut, and I usually cut my fingers a little peeling them.

Sometimes one must suffer for deliciousness.

There's a problem peeling cold chestnuts, if you have any left over and try to eat them the next day. I discovered just this year that warming them up [even in the microwave] makes them much more peelable again.

Giovanna

So, how long do you roast them in the oven, or, alternatively, in the fireplace (gas, ergo controllable)? I have some very fresh ones that I bought at the Marketplace on Oakton a few days ago, and some have spontaneously split, making me want to experiment with roasting them. I'm having some friends who've lived in Europe over for Boxing Day dinner, and I'd replicate the smell I remember from traveling to London post-Christmas several times some years ago. Experimenting first seems a wise move.

sundevilpeg wrote:So, how long do you roast them in the oven, or, alternatively, in the fireplace (gas, ergo controllable)? . . . Experimenting first seems a wise move.

If I said "cook them until they're done" you probably wouldn't find that helpful

I saw a recipe that said 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, but my experience has been more 350 for 1/2 hour or so. I consider chestnuts done when the cut in the shell has curled up and the visible part has begun to brown a little; the recipe I saw also said they were done when they could be penetrated easily with a fork or knife tip. At Grandma Jenny's house, someone got volunteered to taste on to see if they were done or not. It's similar to pasta in a way; it should be tender and the starchy taste and texture should have been roasted into meaty and sweet. And if they're too brown and have gotten hard, they're over cooked.

Cooking time seems to vary by crop and age, so I don't know that there's a foolproof formula. Anybody want to be more scientific about this?

Giovanna

Giovanna wrote:...It's similar to pasta in a way; it should be tender and the starchy taste and texture should have been roasted into meaty and sweet. And if they're too brown and have gotten hard, they're over cooked.

Cooking time seems to vary by crop and age, so I don't know that there's a foolproof formula. Anybody want to be more scientific about this?

Giovanna:

I basically agree but would add that if you cook them on a grill, a little bit of hardened and blackened stuff isn't bad, since it goes along with a greater degree of smokiness. Just personal tastes on that, though.

A

Giovanna wrote:If I said "cook them until they're done" you probably wouldn't find that helpful

Giovanna,

Helpful enough.

I picked up a few pounds at MarketPlace on Oakton, .89c/lb, and roasted them on the stove in a cast iron skillet. Med-heat and shuffled them around a bit for......not really sure, more than 15-minutes and less than 30. (talk about helpful ) I sampled as they cooked and found it apparent when they started to get done.



Not only did, as stated, the edges curl, but the flesh went from dense, slightly mealy with a starchy taste to subtle chestnut flavor with a hint of sweetness. Really very nice. I think next time I'll cook them a little longer, and maybe slower, to bring out more of the natural sugar. If I think of it I'll toss some on the WSM after I cook the the meat this afternoon.



There was an older Asian man going slowly through MarketPlace's chestnut display, carefully inspecting each one, whereas I was prepared to simply toss handfuls in my bag. When I asked him qualities to look for in a chestnut he said most importantly no black on the shell. Since it seemed virtually all the chestnuts had some black on the shell, I asked for elaboration. He went on to say rose color was best, but I really didn't notice any rose color on the chestnuts. Maybe he meant mahogany? Anyone have further info on the "no black" on the chestnut shell chestnut?

Maybe I should check Snopes

Enjoy,
Gary

MarketPlace on Oakton
4817 W Oakton
Skokie, IL 60077
847-677-9330

I was surprised that most native Midwesterners had for the most part never had roasted chestnuts.

Until the early 20th century chestnuts were a major American staple food-- as a visit to a rural antiques shop will often reveal, from the availability of old cast-iron chestnut roasting pans, which look like frying pans with indentations in which the chestnuts sit. Chestnut blight, an Asian fungus thought to have been mainly spread by the new practice of mail order plant sales, devastated the American chestnut population and it has never come back. Consequently chestnuts fell out of the repertoire of heartland dishes and seem to have survived mainly on the east coast where immigrant populations arrived with a taste for chestnuts unaffected by their fall from favor here, and had easier access to imported chestnut species (C. crenata, C. mollissima, etc.) which are more resistant to the blight.

For me, roasted chestnuts are the smell of New York in the wintertime, but growing up in the midwest I never got closer to an actual chestnut than hearing Nat King Cole sing about them.