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Roasting Chestnuts

George Hirsch December 16, 2025

La caldarroste Italian for Roasted Chestnuts.

Roasting chestnuts has always been a longtime tradition in my family; one of my fondest food memories is of all of us gathering ’round the table, peeling and savoring chestnuts after supper at Nana’s. Life was a bit simpler then, but I will carry on our European tradition for many years to come and hope to inspire you to do the same!

You’ll enjoy my grill or oven-roasted nuts; once cooked, its texture is similar to that of a baked potato, with a delicate, sweet, and nutty flavor. -

Roasted Chestnuts

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

Preheat the grill to medium-high temperature or oven to 425 degrees F.

Clean chestnuts and dry. Use a sharp paring knife to cut a small X into the flat, pointed tip end of each chestnut, or prick chestnuts with a sharp church key (can opener) fork to allow steam to escape, preventing them from exploding.

pre roasting L- raw chestnuts, R-chestnuts cut with an X

Place chestnuts in a shallow roasting pan. Roast on a grill or oven for 15-25 minutes, shaking occasionally or until chestnuts are tender and shells peel easily. Chestnuts are best when eaten warm.

Tip: Roasting time of chestnuts is variable depending on freshness. Choose firm, heavy nuts, not hollow, when buying.

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

AS SEEN ON PUBLIC TELEVISION & CREATE TV- SEASON ONE
FEATURING CHEF GEORGE HIRSCH DEMONSTRATING HIS SAVORY COOKING, BAKING AND GRILLING RECIPES; WITH HIS EXPERT CULINARY TIPS & TECHNIQUES, ALONG WITH VISITS TO HIS INSPIRING HAMPTON LOCATIONS.

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

LIMITED OFFER, LIMITED EDITION, signed by Chef George.

From the original Grilling TV Series host, 200 Fabulous Recipe—Celebrating the joyous rituals of sharing food at year-round festivities, the star of PBS's Grilling with Chef George Hirsch provides a wealth of recipes and ideas for great party foods, plus advance preparation tips to ease the strain of last minute chores.

Hardcover: 310 pages
Publisher: Hearst Books-HarperCollins; 1St edition (June 12, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0688142257
ISBN-13: 978-0688142254
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

This easy to live with lifestyle plan; with more than 165 of George's easy-to-prepare gourmet recipes, you can lose weight, maintain energy, look better, and enjoy a longer active life, by eating great food!
M.Evans and Company, Inc.

George Starts your year off right!

George Hirsch Living it UP
Recipes for a Healthy Active Life
Product Details
Hardcover: 240 pages; $24.95
Publisher: M. Evans and Company, Inc.; 2000
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0871319241
ISBN-13: 978-0871319241
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches

Creative Cooking tips
Fast Easy recipes that allow for an active lifestyle
A 30-Day Menu Plan you can adapt throughout the year
Support and motivation for staying on a healthy eating & exercise routine
Tips for easy food shopping & eating healthy on the run

Each book is personally autographed by George Hirsch.

The Feast of Seven Fishes

George Hirsch December 14, 2025

The Feast of Seven Fishes

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a popular Southern Italian tradition celebrated worldwide. In Italy, it is called “la Cena Della vigilia,” or Christmas Eve Dinner, December 24th, observed by abstaining from eating meat on Christmas Eve and enjoying the holiday meal with family, filled with a seafood spread.

WHY SEVEN? Some say the number seven represents the seven sacraments, seven days of creation, or simply the fact that seven signifies perfection in the Bible. This may be speculation; however, what is known is that this celebration is much appreciated and shared by most Italians and fish lovers.

Fish: You will find virtually any Mediterranean fish prepared from this region—everything from anchovies to eel. Popular fish in the feast include calamari, smelts, clams, and shrimp.

One of my favorites is baccalá, a dried, salted cod.

Baccala How To: To reconstitute the baccalá, you soak it for two days, changing the water three or four times.

I prepare the baccalá in several ways, including sauteed and with tomatoes. Still, it's also quite popular to prepare it in the oven with potatoes or even in a salad with potatoes and black olives.

The Seven Fishes is a feast that brings family and friends together to celebrate a significant evening. The seafood is only the centerpiece of what really takes place, keeping a tradition alive with family and friends. Isn’t that what holidays are really about? Buone Feste!

Seafood Chowder

Fritto Misto

Linguini Calamari Sauce

Baccala and Potato Recipe

Capitone Arrosto & Fritto

Clam Pie Recipe

Mussels in White Wine Sauce

Stuffed Calamari Recipe

Shrimp Risotto Recipe

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

LIMITED OFFER, LIMITED EDITION, signed by Chef George.

Hardcover: 310 pages
Publisher: Hearst Books-HarperCollins; 1St edition (June 12, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0688142257
ISBN-13: 978-0688142254
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

George Hirsch Lifestyle Biscotti

George Hirsch December 8, 2025

One of the most often asked questions regarding biscotti is, Do you dunk? ” And I’m not talking coffee or espresso. Biscotti is ideally dipped into sweet wine; the dry cookie soaks up the beverage, giving it a perfect flavor.

Cantucci Di Prato or Biscotti? Biscotti (twice-baked) originated in Roman times as soldiers carried preserved biscuits. Later, they found their way to Prato, where they were flavored with almonds from the plentiful almond groves. There, the cookies are known as cantucci.

Whichever name you prefer, they are perfect for dipping into a sweet glass of Tuscan Vin Santo (holy wine).

Chef George on the set of George Hirsch Lifestyle, dunking biscotti. This recipe is an ideal do-ahead sweet, as it only gets better a couple of days after baking.

George’s Biscotti

Makes 3 ½ dozen cookies

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup pure cane granulated sugar

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon baking powder

3 drops pure almond or anise extract + 1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest

1/2 cup mixed pistachios pieces and slivered almonds; or, use 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate and dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, beat the oil, eggs, sugar, and almond flavoring until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, and nuts. Stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough.

Place the dough on the parchment-lined sheet pan and divide it into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as your sheet pan. Press down to 1/2 inch thickness, and with a rolling stick, even out the top height of the dough by rolling evenly and gently.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven until a light golden brown. Remove the two biscotti bars from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack. When cookies are cool enough to handle, slice each one crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Place the slices, cut side up, back onto the baking sheet. Bake for an additional 4-5 minutes on each side or until slices are lightly toasted.

Cool, and store for two weeks in a tightly sealed container.

Tip: Save the biscotti crumbs when slicing cookies; they make an ideal topping on gelato and ice cream.

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

LIMITED OFFER, LIMITED EDITION, signed by Chef George.

Hardcover: 310 pages
Publisher: Hearst Books-HarperCollins; 1St edition (June 12, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0688142257
ISBN-13: 978-0688142254
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Making a Yuletide Flip

George Hirsch December 6, 2025

Whether you spike or not, it's known as ait de poule from the French, which means hen milk or egg flip by the British. With low-taxed rum readily available from the Caribbean, it allowed the British to extend their dairy inexpensively. Here in North America, it's eggnog. The popular yuletide beverage received popularity with the colonies in the 18th century due to the large amount of dairy available in the New World. As corn and rye became staples in the colonies, whiskey and bourbon became the standard dairy stretcher to the traditional British egg flip. So you could say Americans gave rum the flip, to speak, as whiskey and bourbon found their way into glasses in North America.

There is a good reason why rich and delicious eggnog is limited to being served up only during the holiday season. Is it possible the caloric intake, or is it just a reason to reserve it to be one of those nostalgic beverages you look forward to toasting every year? Maybe a bit of both.

Cheers!

Chef George’s Traditional Eggnog

Makes 4 Servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

6 egg yolks, save the whites *see below

2 cups of milk

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup bourbon or rum

1/4 brandy

1/2 cup pure cane sugar or Turbinado

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated orange rind

Using a mixer with a whip attachment on medium speed, whip the egg yolks until light in color, about 4-5 minutes. Add sugar and mix until completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a double boiler, combine the milk, heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange rind and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and combine while tempering the hot milk-cream mixture into the egg-sugar mixture.

Return all ingredients to a double boiler and heat constantly, stirring with a spatula until the mixture reaches 160 degrees (well below a simmer), and eggnog begins to resemble custard.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the bourbon and brandy. Pour into a bowl, cool, and refrigerate for at least two to four hours. It is best if refrigerated overnight.

Serve in cups with shaved chocolate or unsweetened cocoa powder dusted on top.

Optional Toppings: a dollop of *meringue (made from all the leftover egg whites), ice cream, or whipped cream.

To Make Meringue, six egg whites, 1 Tablespoon pure can sugar, or Turbinado.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running, gradually add one tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Sold out

13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

$19.95

Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

$50.00

LIMITED OFFER, LIMITED EDITION, signed by Chef George.

Hardcover: 310 pages
Publisher: Hearst Books-HarperCollins; 1St edition (June 12, 1995)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0688142257
ISBN-13: 978-0688142254
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 8.1 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds

George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

$24.95

Cranberry Hootycreeks

George Hirsch December 4, 2025

I always look forward to this time of year, sharing a post from my dearest friend and co-author of four of my cookbooks. I've enjoyed many days with laughter with Marie and her husband Frank's great espresso. A tradition in my book for the Christmas season, I hope you make Marie's Hootycreeks a holiday tradition too.

Guest holiday post + recipe today by Marie Bianco, my dear friend, food writer, and author.

Edible holiday gifts always make a hit, and this one is about as easy as it can get. Even school-age children can get into the act.

The cookie ingredients are layered in a wide-mouth canning jar, which you can buy for about a buck each. Make sure you get the wide-mouth ones because it’s easier to get the ingredients into those jars rather than the narrow-neck ones. If you’re planning on making a large quantity of mix for all those people on your list who you want to give “a little something,” invest in a wide-mouth funnel.

Tap each layer down in the order given. Once the lid is in place, cut a circle of gingham or holiday fabric and fasten it with a rubber band. Then tie a ribbon around the jar and include the recipe directions printed out on the computer or written in your best handwriting.

Cranberry Hootycreeks

1 jar Cranberry Hootycreek Mix

½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter, egg, and vanilla. Add the Cranberry Hootycreek Mix by hand until the mixture is well blended. Drop by tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cook. Makes 18 to 24 cookies.

Cranberry Hootycreeks Mix

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup old-fashioned oats

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup chopped pecans

Layer the ingredients in the order given into a 1-quart, wide-mouth canning jar. Pack each layer into place before adding the next ingredient.

Attach a gift tag with the mixing and baking directions.

A Cookie Legend

A long-time friend who assisted me during a TV marathon passed along his connection to Hooty Creeks. Now, David related to me that the name of these cookies originated in the mountains of North Carolina. An uncle of his named Bubba “Hooty” Gibson operated a still way back up in the hollows near a creek where they got water for the still. To pass the time in the fall, they would pick wild blueberries and black walnuts to make cookies. These cookies became well known in the area as “Hooty’s Creek” cookies. Well, as fate would have it, some Yankee Revenues found the still and the recipe for the cookies. They took it back up north, where they changed the recipe to cranberry “Hootycreek” cookies, and they have been famous ever since.

Thank you, David, for passing along the legend of Hootycreeks.