TP2000
Well-Known Member
Welp, like most of America I am taking stock before the holiday frenzy begins this week... the Molly Maids have gone, the house is ready for the family's arrival, and it's only two days until Turkey Day, one of the most American of holidays and a wonderful tradition!
Here's a tip from an old bachelor, for my fellow bachelors or those without a kitchen-friendly wife, so you can bring something to Thanksgiving that isn't just a veggie tray or the last supermarket bouquet of yellow and orange daisies... Homemade Cranberry Sauce!
It's very easy (I swear!), it keeps and travels well, and it's infinitely better than the canned or jarred stuff. When I lived in Boston, I went to the Ocean Spray Cranberry Bogs on Cape Cod and did their factory and farm tour. It was fantastic! And a more American and traditional thing like cranberries and homemade cranberry sauce barely exists in our young nation's culinary history. All you really need is a bag of Ocean Spray cranberries, a fresh orange, plus some spices you should already have in your cupboard; cinnamon, sugar, and maybe some star anise or ginger or nutmeg. A fun addition I always add is a healthy splash of cognac (I justify it on Thanksgiving because France was our nation's first ally in our fight against the British), but brandy works too, or Grand Marnier. Just use fresh ingredients, and it will taste ten times better than a can. And most recipes make enough to feed the crowd on Thanksgiving, with enough left over for you to put in a small Mason jar with a pretty bow on it as a hostess gift.
This is a basic and easy recipe to use below, and it's easy to add in any other spices or liqueur you'd like with it. You can make this tomorrow to take on Thursday. It will only require $10 and 20 minutes tops, and you'll be better thought of than if you just bring a veggie tray or supermarket flowers, trust me.
But whether you make fresh cranberry sauce or not, I hope everyone has a wonderful and fun Thanksgiving!
Here's a tip from an old bachelor, for my fellow bachelors or those without a kitchen-friendly wife, so you can bring something to Thanksgiving that isn't just a veggie tray or the last supermarket bouquet of yellow and orange daisies... Homemade Cranberry Sauce!
It's very easy (I swear!), it keeps and travels well, and it's infinitely better than the canned or jarred stuff. When I lived in Boston, I went to the Ocean Spray Cranberry Bogs on Cape Cod and did their factory and farm tour. It was fantastic! And a more American and traditional thing like cranberries and homemade cranberry sauce barely exists in our young nation's culinary history. All you really need is a bag of Ocean Spray cranberries, a fresh orange, plus some spices you should already have in your cupboard; cinnamon, sugar, and maybe some star anise or ginger or nutmeg. A fun addition I always add is a healthy splash of cognac (I justify it on Thanksgiving because France was our nation's first ally in our fight against the British), but brandy works too, or Grand Marnier. Just use fresh ingredients, and it will taste ten times better than a can. And most recipes make enough to feed the crowd on Thanksgiving, with enough left over for you to put in a small Mason jar with a pretty bow on it as a hostess gift.
This is a basic and easy recipe to use below, and it's easy to add in any other spices or liqueur you'd like with it. You can make this tomorrow to take on Thursday. It will only require $10 and 20 minutes tops, and you'll be better thought of than if you just bring a veggie tray or supermarket flowers, trust me.
But whether you make fresh cranberry sauce or not, I hope everyone has a wonderful and fun Thanksgiving!
