Years ago an aikido friend of mine and I travelled to Shikoku, a Southern island of Japan. On a brisk walk one day we discovered the path covered with chestnuts. We gathered a bunch and took them back to where we were staying. Not knowing exactly how to cook them, but having seen plenty of NYC vendors with pans of hot chestnuts in them, we decided to pan roast them. We placed the chestnuts in a single layer in a large frying pan and put them on high heat. I bet you can guess what happened next? A few minutes into our little experiment the chestnuts started exploding, like popcorn, all over the kitchen. It was all we could do to avoid getting hit by these blazing hot, golf ball-sized projectiles. Who knew you had to score the shells first? Still, after the mess, I still remember how good those chestnuts were. Continue reading "Chestnut and Fennel Soup" »