Cranberry Memories

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

Thanksgiving is a food person’s special holiday! How could it not be? It’s all about sharing great food – and lots of it – with family. What’s not to like?

Okay, okay, there are some things that are not to like but let’s forgo the drama for at least one week and enjoy and embrace the holiday and each other.

My favorite part of the meal is dark turkey meat, crispy skin, stuffing made from day-old, cut-up bread or cornbread ; a root vegetable gratin; creamed onions like the kind my mother makes with the jarred onions. (I know, not so PC!)

Food and taste memories should not be underrated. It’s not the food that makes us keep going back to the same dishes, year after year. It’s the tradition and the experiences of eating them together with people we love.

Sometimes, taste memories bring back to mind people who are no longer with us. So we may love some foods of our past, even if our taste buds, food knowledge and age have developed and outgrown those foods over the years.

I have two cans of jellied cranberries on hand since that’s my dad’s favorite and part of his taste memory. Sadly, he has Alzheimer's brought on by Parkinson's disease but he remembers the old days still, and jellied cranberries from a can.

The rest of us have moved on to cranberry chutney. Every year, I am asked to make it…well, at least when my youngest brother lived in the States. He now lives in Australia with his lovely wife and two adorable children.

So in honor of Peter and for selfish reasons, because you see, I also happen to adore the chutney, it’s become an annual tradition. This is an adapted version of the original.

I created the first one while working at Gourmet Magazine. It was called Cranberry Quince Chutney and published in the November 1994 issue. (Wow, that was 18 years ago!) It was made with jarred quince jam that gave it a lovely sweetness and texture.

Sadly, Gourmet is no longer, but it lives on as Gourmet Live and in delicious special issues that come out during the year. The latest one is a special edition, Gourmet Holiday, of which my former Gourmet colleague, Kemp Minifie, is the Food Editor. I had the sheer pleasure of having 13 wonderful years working at the magazine and still keep in touch with many of the other food editors.

I regress… so on to the chutney and hope that it will be a family favorite of yours for years to come, as it is with my family. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

To get the recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

Spiced Cranberry Chutney
Makes about 3-1/2 cups

1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries, picked over
1 cup hot pepper jelly
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2-inch strip fresh lemon peel
2-inch strip fresh lime peel
1 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup sliced fresh scallion for garnish (optional)

1. Combine cranberries, hot pepper jelly, brown sugar, coriander and mustard seeds, salt, pepper, raisins, vinegar and lemon and lime peels in a large saucepan. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Add red onion and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chutney is thickened, about 15 minutes more. Let cool.
2. Chutney will keep, once cooled, stored in an airtight container and chilled for up to 3 weeks. Garnish with scallions before serving.

Serving suggestions:

• Add to a cheese platter for a pre-Thanksgiving Day dinner...pairs well with goat cheeses, creamy cheeses, Manchego and blues.
• Serve on bagels with a generous smear of cream cheese. Or top a block of cream cheese with the chutney. (This is Southern style, where the cream cheese would normally be topped with hot pepper jelly.)
• Spread onto your Thanksgiving Day leftover turkey sandwiches.
• Add to a grilled cheese sandwich or panini…believe you me, it just the best thing, ever!
• Add to ground chuck to take burgers to another flavor dimension. Or simply use it as a condiment instead of the usual ketchup.
• Lip smacking with roast pork.
• Serve as a dipping sauce for meatballs, such as Swedish style meatballs, in place to the traditional lingonberry jam.

Special Fork is a recipe website for your smartphone and PC that solves the daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now! Our bloggers blog Monday through Friday to give you cooking inspiration. Check out our recipe database for quick ideas that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Related posts:

1. In Love with Cranberry Beans
2. Fall Memories – Candied Pecans
3. Sandwich Dinners to the Rescue
4. All about Chives
5. Shaved Raw Beet Salad