Roasted Chestnuts

Preheat oven to 425º. Prick the shells of the chestnuts with a fork before putting them in the oven for 15–20 minutes—or they may explode. More hazardous, but more fun, is to roast the chestnuts in a pan..., on a cold winter's evening, on the coals of an open hearth. A childhood game was for each of us to cheer on our own chestnut to pop first.