Comments on: La Castagna (The Chestnut) http://www.transparent.com/italian/la-castagna-the-chestnut/ Language and Culture of the Italian-Speaking World Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:59:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Lorena Caterina http://www.transparent.com/italian/la-castagna-the-chestnut/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Lorena Caterina Thu, 15 Jan 2009 20:35:30 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/italian/?p=42#comment-66 My parents came from the area surrounding Lucca in Tuscany and they recall anticipating the fall chestnut season. On trips to Lucca they made a beeline to the stalls selling chestnut treats such as the "castagnaccio." For some reason my parents developed a Christmas Eve tradition in our family of boiling a big pot of chestnuts and our stuffing ouselves with them. My mother recounted that in Italy her family would eat boiled chestnuts with plenty of homemade Concord grape wine. This American grape produced a heavy crop of grapes and I guess that is why it was grown for wine. Indeed the boiled chestnuts a very good match with red wine. My parents came from the area surrounding Lucca in Tuscany and they recall anticipating the fall chestnut season. On trips to Lucca they made a beeline to the stalls selling chestnut treats such as the “castagnaccio.”

For some reason my parents developed a Christmas Eve tradition in our family of boiling a big pot of chestnuts and our stuffing ouselves with them.

My mother recounted that in Italy her family would eat boiled chestnuts with plenty of homemade Concord grape wine. This American grape produced a heavy crop of grapes and I guess that is why it was grown for wine. Indeed the boiled chestnuts a very good match with red wine.

]]> By: Tony (Melbourne, Aus http://www.transparent.com/italian/la-castagna-the-chestnut/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Tony (Melbourne, Aus Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:01:07 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/italian/?p=42#comment-65 Great article about chestnuts! In Melbourne, it's coming in to summer now but we have these really cool street vendors that roast chestnuts over a gas cooker on the street corner. You can buy them in a paper bag straight off the cooker. Just beautiful! Great article about chestnuts!
In Melbourne, it’s coming in to summer now but we have these really cool street vendors that roast chestnuts over a gas cooker on the street corner. You can buy them in a paper bag straight off the cooker. Just beautiful!

]]> By: Serena http://www.transparent.com/italian/la-castagna-the-chestnut/comment-page-1/#comment-64 Serena Sat, 22 Nov 2008 13:51:09 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/italian/?p=42#comment-64 Ciao Lisa! If you can't get hold of sweet chestnut leaves, you can use greaseproof paper to line the pan, but of course you won't get the nice flavor of chestnut leaves. Are there any sweet chestnut trees near where you live? If yes try to pick some leaves next summer, thread them through with some thick cotton thread and hang them in a dry dark place. Auguri, Serena Ciao Lisa!
If you can’t get hold of sweet chestnut leaves, you can use greaseproof paper to line the pan, but of course you won’t get the nice flavor of chestnut leaves. Are there any sweet chestnut trees near where you live? If yes try to pick some leaves next summer, thread them through with some thick cotton thread and hang them in a dry dark place.

Auguri, Serena

]]> By: Lisa Olko http://www.transparent.com/italian/la-castagna-the-chestnut/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Lisa Olko Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:59:04 +0000 http://www.transparent.com/italian/?p=42#comment-63 Thank you for this great article on chestnuts....What can be used if you don't have chestnut leaves to line the pan? Thank you for this great article on chestnuts….What can be used if you don’t have chestnut leaves
to line the pan?

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