Cranberries: A Side Dish of Memories
My mother never trusted me with too many activities in the kitchen on such a momentous day as Thanksgiving. But I do remember one trivial chore on my list: preparing the cranberry sauce.
Cranberries in a Can
At the time it was easily done. You just opened both ends of an Ocean Spray can and nudged the quivering mass onto a plate before slicing it into rounds. (I’m not sure you needed to open both ends of the can, but I always did.)
What fun it was to watch the jellied sauce wobble onto a serving dish. At the time, cranberries were not a favorite of mine—no competitor for turkey and dressing. But I did my duty getting it to look as attractive as possible on one of Mama’s prized Noritake plates.
Getting Sassy with the Sauce
Nowadays, the cranberry sauce has been fancified with oranges, lemon zest—even pomegranate juice and booze. Here’s a few recipes for fresh, raw cranberries that will save you the trouble of opening both ends of a can. 🙂
The New York Times shows how to make a cooked, molded version as well as a cranberry relish. Both are excellent.
Baked Camembert Brie, a stunning alternative to the traditional cranberry relish. Recipe.
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