Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-12
Table and Kitchen.
Recipes for Cooking and Serving
Chestnuts.

LII COOhlIlS lUe CAtSlHulS HUNS pioSS
separate from other well-known nuts. such
as hazel nuts wamuts, cocoanuts. &c
These have more the character Of luxur.es
to place the chestnut with other foods
which make up the list of those required
for ordinary daily use in the dietary. The
chestnut being desirable adjunct to the
food supply, Is ranged with the leguminous
seeds, although they differ widely from
them in a botanical sense. In Italy the
chestnut forms valuable addition to the
available foods, and besides eating the raw
nut they have three principal methods of
preparing them-"ballatti' (boiled), "arros-
tite" (roasteD and "tegliate." The latter
dish Is made by boiling the shelled nuts
with carraway seeds for favoring and then
mixing with maiZemea1 to make pOlenta.
Necci is a great delicacy in the Apprentices
Flat cakes are made of chestnut flour and
water without salt and baked between hot
fat stones with chestnut leaves between
the cakes.
The chestnuts are far more farinaceous
and less oily than nuts in general, and
from them can be made a cheap and neur-
ishing -four or meal, and this is used IN
can be carefully roasted and ground into
flour. This being caramalized makes a
palatable beverage, wholesome soup or
delicious sauce.
mon to America but the larger kinds are
obtained here through cultivation. The
native chestnut is Sweeter than the Guilt
waited, but they do not keep so long with
out becoming hard and dry when left I'M
shelled and uncooked.
The raw chestnut Is considered difficult
to digest and 1t is not advisable to eat
them in quantities sufficiently large to
constitute the chief part Of the dietary
when other foods are to be had. In their
, raw state they are decidedly indigestible
when not properly masticated; therefore
the fault lies with the individuals who
make such ignorant and Indifferent use of
their teeth as to render harmful many of
our most important and valuable foods.
Knowing what to eat is superfuous knowl-
edge unless We know how to eat.
Chestnuts are excellent prepared as a
vegetable and served with roast beef and
a very agreeable change from the everlast-
ing potatoes
Chestnuts With Roast Beef.
The easiest way is to boil them for an
hour, then remove the outer skin while
they are still hot: peel them and rub
through a sieve and serve as you would
mashed potatoes
Another and much more paIatable way Is
to dip them in boiling water for ten min
utes after Smelling and peeling them, then
stock until tender. Season with salt, pep
per. cayenne and an ounce of butter add a
little caramel to the sauce and serve.
Chestnut PURGE.
Shell, blanch and boil one quart of chest
| nuts until soft, then rub through a sieve;
add two tablespoonfuls of butter, two ia
blespoonfuls rich cream, salt, paprica and
| onion juice to flavor. Serve this as vege-
table or dilute with scalded milk or white
stock and serve as soup course.
Chestnut Balls.
They may be served In this way as a
| luncheon dish: Add two slightly beaten
egg yolks to one cup of cold sieved chest
| nuts; also quanter cup thick cream, ta-
blespoonful sugar. salt to taste and fla
vored with sherry or nutmeg. Stir in the
whites of the eggs beaten to stiff froth,
| form into balls and dip in beaten egg and
bread crumbs and fry in deep fat Serve
with a cream sauce unless served as a
sweet entree; In this case an orange sauce
| is delicious with them.
Chestnut Stufing.
Shell the chestnuts and then boil them in
salt water until the skins soften; drain IN
| a colander. peel and then place the colan-
der over hot water to keep chestnuts warm.
Take few at a time and mash them
through colander or vegetable press.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. add a
| large tablespoonful of butter to each quart
Of chestnuts. II the dressing seems too dry
It can be nnoistened with a little broth; but
I the preferred chestnut dressing has no
other additions except the seasoning and
butter.
Chestnut Sauce for Turkey.
Shell about fifty large chestnuts and place
them in a chestnut roaster or a covered
frying pan, over clear fire; shake and
stir constantly until the inner brown skin
| viii come on easily; peel and put them In
q stewpan with half cupful Of white wine
and SUFFICIENT good stock to cover them;
add two ounces or good lump OF butter.
q heapfng teaspoonfui of granulated sugar
and little grated nutmeg. Boil until quite