It being chestnut roasting season, I asked Albert Vera Jr. of Sorrento Italian Market in Culver City for a short primer.
Italian chestnuts are the best kind for roasting, Vera says. Make sure to buy ones with firm shells. Soft or mushy shells indicate old and icky nuts.
Use a paring knife to crack open the nuts’ shells so they don’t explode.
Place the nuts on a cookie sheet.
Bake in the oven at 375 to 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
If you need any more chestnuts in your life, KCRW’s To The Point will have a segment about them on Christmas Day.You can also listen to this interview Good Food did last year about the American chestnut.