A Classic Christmas Treat, Roasted Chestnuts On A Snowy Night.
"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...."
Written by: Bob Wells and Mel Torme 1945
The famous "The Christmas Song" was written back in 1946 and recorded by "The Nat King Cole Trio" in 1946. Nat King Cole re-recorded the song in 1953 with a full orchestra, but it is the 1961 version he recorded that we all know and love.
According to Wikipedia.com...
"Mel Torme stated, the song was written during a blistering hot summer. In an effort to "stay cool by thinking cool", the most-performed (according to BMI) Christmas song was born.[1] "I saw a spiral pad on his (Wells') piano with four lines written in pencil", Tormé recalled. "They started, 'Chestnuts roasting..., Jack Frost nipping..., Yuletide carols..., Folks dressed up like Eskimos.' Bob didn't think he was writing a song lyric. He said he thought if he could immerse himself in winter he could cool off. Forty minutes later that song was written. I wrote all the music and some of the lyrics."
Now, even if you have never tasted the Christmas nut, it is part of our culture this time of year.
Here is an easy recipe to make this holiday treat from allrecipes.com...
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Cut a 1/2 inch crisscross on the flat side of each nut. Be sure to cut through the shell to prevent the nut from exploding.
- Place the nuts in a shallow baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool and peel off the shell.
- Place nuts in a skillet with butter and saute over high heat until the butter is melted and the chestnuts are well coated. Place skillet in oven and roast until they are golden on top. Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon.
So maybe this is the year, you roast some chestnuts and enjoy a night by the fireplace!
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