Chestnuts by Another Name Are Sweeter

Eating warm roasted chestnuts from a street vendor in Manhattan is, for me, a cherished holiday tradition. And since the chestnut harvest occurs in October and November, it's no wonder that chestnuts, whether "roasting on an open fire" or not, bring to mind winter, snow and Christmas.

When I lived in Paris many years ago, I developed another holiday tradition, some might say an obsession, that had to do with chestnuts, but these chestnuts were candied and called marrons glaces.

While there is some dispute as to the date and place of the birth of these beautiful, decadently sweet chestnuts, most people, I think, will agree that the best are soaked in a sweet vanilla syrup and then allowed to dry so as to form a crystallized outer shell. I'm sure you can buy marrons glaces any time of year, but in December you see them everywhere in France, perfect, mouthwatering chestnut decadence.

What about you? Have you borrowed any traditions from other countries or cultures that you like to indulge in over the holidays?

--Tracy Schneider