"This recipe is absolutely rock star. I made it last year for Thanksgiving and everyone absolutely loved it. I really don't understand the other reviewers who don't use the chestnuts, they are so delicious, soft, and rich in the final product. Yes they are expensive but it's only once a year. ""

"I'm sorry, but I had to log on and defend the Contessa. If you make this recipe right, it is excellent. I loved it so much I'm going to make it once a week. It's true, Ina is a little heavy handed on the salt. However, she always states that you should use homeade chicken stock, which is inherently much lower in salt than store-bought stock. Also, I used salt-free tomato puree. Why buy salted products when you can adjust it at home? Also, I believe that many home cooks are using table salt. No one on the Food Network is referring to table salt, the implied salt is always Kosher salt even though its not specified.

"I'm sorry, but I had to log on and defend the Contessa. If you make this recipe right, it is excellent. I loved it so much I'm going to make it once a week. It's true, Ina is a little heavy handed on the salt. However, she always states that you should use homeade chicken stock, which is inherently much lower in salt than store-bought stock. Also, I used salt-free tomato puree. Why buy salted products when you can adjust it at home? Also, I believe that many home cooks are using table salt. No one on the Food Network is referring to table salt, the implied salt is always Kosher salt even though its not specified.