Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

No, these are not chestnuts pictured here, but pumpkin seeds. And no, it’s not coming on Christmas We’ve already skated on a river past that. Still, the smell of roasted seeds and nuts in our soul food kitchen — pumpkin,. cashew, hazelnut, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans — does more to bring back the past in full wham than just about anything else I know.

You should see the bottom drawer of one of our refrigerators, crammed full of all of these various nuts. It looks exactly like how my mom stored them as well, with the single but important exception that we actually go through our stock whereas she was more or less simply hoarding them.

And you should be here to absorb the pops of these seeds and nuts as they roast, the small bits of moisture exploding like toy guns.

And you should be here to watch how the colors subtly change, each nut a different variegation of browns and greens and gold.

And you should be here to take in the smells of these various roastings, each one topped on a dish to put a special smile on our guests.

In fact, as I think of it right now, the whole process of roasting seeds and nuts during the holidays is a seasons greeting across time, a way of saying you are here with me now, despite the vast reaches that seem to divide us.

Happy holidays to all. Love m