It’s officially the holiday season, which means it’s the best time of the year to test your skills baking gingerbread cookies for the first time, and romanticize roasting chestnuts on an open fire.

Nat King Cole crooning that first line from “The Christmas Song” sends holiday vibes buzzing wherever you are. But have you smelled, tasted or even seen a freshly roasted chestnut? Until a few years ...

I read a couple recipes that called for wrapping the chestnuts in a kitchen towel after they come out of the oven, to trap some of the steam, which helps the peels slide off. Cooking them in an ...