Chestnuts dead? Nah.
I do hear a lot about them being old, though.
My Dad actually used to microwave 'em, and they came out pretty good.
Besides roasting them, you can boil them in water (without cutting them, this time, you don’t want them t be filled with water. Also, when you drop them in the water, if some float, they’ve pockets of air, which often indicate that they’re too old or bad). It’s a little more inconvenient to peel them once they’re boiled, but I like them better this way.
You can also but them in vegetable soup, or, my favorite use, make a puree, mixed with seasoning, maybe meat (there are probably a lot of recipes out there) and use them to stuff some poultry before roasting it. A turkey, for instance. You can use them in a sauce served with meat, or make pastries with shesnut puree, and so on…
Chesnuts are just a wonder, that you can use in many ways.
They smell like sperm.
Besides roasting them, you can boil them in water (without cutting them, this time, you don’t want them t be filled with water. Also, when you drop them in the water, if some float, they’ve pockets of air, which often indicate that they’re too old or bad). It’s a little more inconvenient to peel them once they’re boiled, but I like them better this way.
Boil in lightly salted water. Slit the shell almost all around before, that makes them easy to shell when cooked.