Cincinnati Chili

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 2 hours

Serves about 12-16

Fuego and family lived in Ohio and Fuego grew up with Cincinnati Chili—it’s a childhood favorite!

The only problem with making it over the past many years is that none of the recipes online matched with her experience, and all of them are too spicy for her mom and her sister.

Last night was the most recent attempt. Since last time I made it, February of this year, it was still too spicy for them, this time I made my own chili powder recipe to bring the necessary flavors with none of the heat (this was for them… personally I like my chili to melt my face off).

The results last night brought back a lot of memories for everyone and it’s the recipe we’ll be using from now on!

So for anyone looking for an authentic experience of Ohio born Cincinnati Chili, I hope this brings you some memories as well :).

Chili ingredients:

26 oz homemade pasta sauce (see below for my pasta sauce recipe or use your own family recipe)

6 oz tomato paste

1T Onion Powder (Fuego doesn’t like the texture of onions, or this would be a grated/minced Maui onion)

2T chili powder (see chili powder recipe below for the no heat version I made for Fuego’s family)

2T cocoa powder

2T sugar

2T Worcestershire Sauce

1T white wine vinegar

2 1/4t salt 

1t ground cinnamon

1t ground cumin

3/4t garlic powder

1/2t ground allspice

1/4t ground black pepper

1/4t ground cloves

2 bay leaves

2 lbs ground turkey(or ground beef)

Other finishing ingredients: 

Fettuccini, 

Shredded Colby Jack or goat cheddar cheese, 

Sour cream (we use dairy free and it works great)

Instructions:

Combine all chili ingredients in stock pot (do not precook the ground meat—in this recipe it is essential for the texture that it be added to the other ingredients raw), add 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for two hours stirring occasionally (be careful not to break the bay leaves). At the end of two hours, gently use a fork to find and remove the bay leaves, then stir well (I use a whisk) before serving.

In a separate stock pot, cook as much fettuccini as needed for the number of people you’ll be serving. Time the pasta to finish when the chili is done.

Plate pasta, top with a generous portion of chili, shredded Colby Jack (or goat cheddar if you’re me), and sour cream.

Refrigerate or freeze left-over chili (if freezing, consider freezing individual portions since it should only be reheated once).

Pasta Sauce:

(For this recipe, store-bought canned tomato puree works perfectly well… The spice measurements are approximate as I don’t measure for my pasta sauce.)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Yield: 26 oz.

1-25 oz can tomato puree

1-2T olive oil

~4T balsamic vinegar

3/4-1t salt

1/4-1/2t black pepper

1/2-3/4t garlic powder

1/2-3/4t onion powder

3/4-1t dried oregano 

2-3t dried basil

Combine all ingredients in a chef’s pan (I use a whisk) and simmer for ~10 minutes, stirring frequently.

“Gutless” Chili Powder

Prep time: 5 mins

Yield: about 1/4 cup (- 1/2t)

2T +1/2t paprika

1 1/2t garlic powder

1 1/2t onion powder

1t dried oregano

1t cumin

Salsa Fresca

Prep time 5 minutes

Makes ~1.5-2cups

This was a quick attempt when we ran out of salsa, and it turned into something beautiful!  It makes about 1 1/2C, so roughly what you get when you buy salsa.

Since Fuego can’t eat onions (texture issue), I used onion powder, but most of the rest was fresh!

1 medium-to-large jalapeño 

6 pearl tomatoes (about 1/2lb)

1t fresh cilantro

1 minced clove of fresh garlic

Juice of 1 lime

Two pinches (~1/8t) onion powder 

Pinch (~1/16t) chili powder

Pinch ground cumin

Pinch salt

Small pinch black pepper

Prep fresh veggies (wash and remove stems). In small insert-bowl of Cuisinart, using the small chopping blade, dice jalapeño.  Add remaining fresh ingredients and pulse until desired texture.

Pour into a bowl and add spices to desired proportions.  Stir with a fork, taste, and adjust as necessary.

Enjoy.

Coctel de Camerones

Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves 4 (or 2 for dinner)

Living in Fort Collins, Fuego and I LOVED going to the Caballero family's taqueria, Los Tarascos, and the restaurant their son, Hugo jr., opened himself, La Buena Vida.  In particular, their Caballero margaritas and their Coctel de Camerones (shrimp cocktail) were our favorites!  Leaving Fort Collins, we just haven't found another Coctel that measures up to the family recipe we enjoyed at our friend's restaurant!

I checked with a local friend who lived in Oaxaca with his family for many years, and pieced together what we now enjoy almost as much as the Caballero family's Coctel de Camerones here at home (thanks, Jaybe).  As reported by Jaybe, the missing ingredient was Maggi, what he calls "secret Mexico sauce," which, of course, contains wheat gluten, wheat flour, and wheat bran... so I had to seek out an alternative.  I was able to substitute Bragg's Liquid Aminos with excellent results (thanks, Google ;). 

As usual, I don't measure, so what follows is approximate and should be adjusted to personal taste.

Ingredients:

1lb cooked large prawns (deveined and tails removed)
1-2 medium-large avocados, diced
1-2 large jalapeños, diced
4 limes, juiced (about 2-4 ounces)
1 tub Casa Sanchez, Medium Fresh Roasted Salsa (or pick your favorite)
Bragg's Liquid Aminos to taste (about 1-2T)
2-4 stiff dashes of Cholula hot sauce
1T onion powder (unless your salsa has onion in it :)

Prep:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss until combined.  Spoon/ladle into sundae glasses and serve with tortilla chips (and a margarita!).

Curried Pumpkin Potato Soup

Prep Time:  as little as 25 minutes

Serves: 4

Dubbed “warm potato hummus” to avert Fuego’s gag reflex (15 1/2 years ago, she was the sickest she’s ever been and made the mistake of having carrot soup... She hasn’t been able to eat orange soup  since—until tonight’s “warm potato hummus”).

Ingredients:

15 ounces of pumpkin (I used organic canned—thus the 25 minutes ;)

15 ounces coconut milk 

4 potatoes in 1/2” cubes (also thus the 25 minutes)

4 pinches (~3/4t) salt

~3/4t red curry powder 

~1/2-3/4t onion powder

~1/2-3/4t garlic powder 

~1/8/-1/4t habanero powder 

~1/8t ground ginger

Prep:  

Combine pumpkin and coconut milk in a sauce pan over medium-high heat and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and add diced potatoes and spices.  Cover for 20 minutes, whisking occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.  Serve hot with a sprinkle of sheredded goat cheddar.

Great over rice.  Apparently also good with toast as “hummus” ;)

Ketchup--30 minutes--Yields 2 Cups

Our garden turned into a jungle this summer, resulting in our three tomato plants reaching heights of about six feet and producing about a dozen tomatoes per day.  Now that they're ripening, we get about a dozen tomatoes per day for using in recipes, such as this one!  If you don't like it as zippy as this makes, you can cut out the cayenne and decrease the balsamic vinegar (increasing the white to compensate).  My family loved it, hope yours does too :).

12 medium size ripe tomatoes (makes about 3.5-4 C)
1/2 C Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 C White Vinegar
1/2 C Honey
1 1/2-2t fresh minced garlic
1 3/4t salt
1/8-1/4t ground black pepper
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground cayenne

Wash, de-stem, and puree tomatoes in blender or food processor.

In a medium sauce pan, boil tomato puree.  While boiling, add vinegar and honey and return to a low boil.  Add spices and whisk, boiling until reduced by half (about 10 minutes).

Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I don't know how long this will keep--we've never had it last longer than a week ;).

Thanksgiving Stuffing--30 min prep (add 2 hours if making croutons from scratch)--serves 8

Every Thanksgiving for the past five years since being diagnosed with Celiacs, I have tried a different variation of several stuffing recipes.  Last year I finally loved it!  So, barring any anomalous cause to the enjoyment of last year's recipe, here it is in the hopes that it will be just as satisfying this year (and thereby confirmed as a recipe that will stay on my blog ;).  (Stuffs a 16-18 pound turkey)
10C Croutons (I make 2 gluten free French loaves and then cube them --about 1/2" cubes-- toss with olive oil, and bake single-layer on a cookie sheet at 325 for 20 minutes, tossing once or twice to evenly brown)

1t salt

1t dried thyme

1/2t dried (powdered) sage

1T fresh rosemary

1/2t black pepper

1/8t cayenne

1/8t cinnamon

1/8t cloves

1/8t nutmeg

1/8t allspice

1 onion (1T powder)

4 cloves garlic (1/2t powder)

10T butter

1 1/4C turkey broth (boil the neck for 20 minutes)

Mix spices in a small bowl, 

Place 10c croutons in a large bowl

Boil turkey neck in 2-3c water for 20 minutes to make broth and measure 1C for the stuffing

Melt butter in a skillet over med-low heat

Pour butter over croutons and toss to coat thoroughly.

Sprinkle spices over croutons and toss to coat thoroughly.

Pour 1c of broth into croutons and fold by hand until mixture is coated thoroughly

Add remaining 1/4c of broth into croutons only if they are not moist enough.

** If you are not stuffing the turkey with the stuffing, add upto an extra 1/2c of broth to ensure it is moist enough to bake in a casserole dish (or get fancy and use a muffin tin for a shapely presentation at dinner!)

Tuna Cakes -- 15 mins -- serves 2

Description
This is a quick, easy, and delicious recipe for lunch or dinner - and it is a GREAT way to use up some left over mashed potatoes.  Easily adaptable depending on the quantity of potatoes you have on hand, and the number of people you want to serve.  This was another of those spontaneous creations that was worth repeating.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
2C left over garlic mashed potatoes 
2 eggs
3/4C shredded cheese
2 habaneros (minced)
1C pancake mix
1 5oz can tuna (Wild Planet's Skipjack is excellent - remember to keep to the smaller species to limit mercury)

Directions
Beat eggs.
Stir in the potatoes and pancake mix, then cheese, peppers, and tuna.

Make thin patties and fry like pancakes.

Pepper Salmon Béchamel -- 45 minutes -- serves 2

Description
On occasion, I can get away with preparing fish for Fuego - provided we know and trust the source of the wild catch, the way in which it was caught, and the region from which it came.  This means that fish is an occasion worth celebrating with a certain culinary flair.  The following rather serendipitously came together in my imagination while shopping, and was AMAZING.  This is almost a Bearnaise Salmon, but without the egg yolks it is technically more of a Béchamel.  Whatever you call it, it is delicious - Fuego asked me to write down the recipe so we could make it again - so here it is!  We'll be tasting this one again next month - hope you enjoy it too!  (I recall this being somewhat spicy... adjust peppers to your personal tastes.)


Ingredients
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 T onion powder
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t thyme
3 tomatillos
2-3  jalapeños
1-1 1/2 T ghee
2 Salmon fillets (about 6-8 oz each)
1/4 t salt
1/4c goat milk
12-16 oz broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
1 lemon
Directions
While fish is simmering, prepare spiral pasta (enough to cover each plate).
To serve, place pasta on a plate as a bed for the Béchamel, carefully place one salmon fillet on each plate (it should want to fall apart - thus the care), surround with broccoli, then top with the Béchamel sauce.  

2T Olive Oil
1T minced garlic
1/2 t pepper flakes

2 Serrano chilies

1 Package spiral pasta

Oil wok (2T Olive Oil) and preheat for about 20 seconds over medium high heat. 

Add garlic, pepper flakes, cayenne, onion powder, black pepper, and thyme.
Dice 3 tomatillos and sauté with spices for 2 minutes.
Dice  jalapeños and serrano chilies and sauté with other ingredients for 3 minutes
Add Ghee, stir mixture until fully melted.
Add Salmon (move pepper mixture out of the way and lay on the bottom of the pan in ghee/oil and spices - SKIN DOWN)
Sprinkle salmon with about 1/4t salt.
Add goat milk to sauce (not on top of salmon).
Add broccoli florets (not on top of salmon).
Slice lemon and lay on top of salmon.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Chili Paste -- 15 mins -- yields 8-10 oz.

Description
Why buy chili paste with all the extra ingredients (MSG, food dyes, preservatives, and unidentifiable chemicals - what are those for??), when fresh ingredients make perhaps the best chili paste I've ever tasted!?  This is fairly spicy - but then chili paste is supposed to be spicy!  As an uncooked paste, this should be made when you need it, and then used within about a week to ten days (we put the leftovers on EVERYTHING - it was particularly delicious on eggs!)

Ingredients
3 habaneros (including seeds)
2 Serano chilis (+ seeds)
1 large jalapeño (+ seeds)
2 limes (juiced)
2  grated lemon grass stalks (white only)
1 T onion powder
1 T minced garlic
1 1/2 T grated fresh ginger
1/2 t fish sauce
1 T salt (really)
1 T ground black pepper
1 T honey
1-2 T olive oil (sesame if avail)
1 T rice vinegar
Dash of soy sauce


Directions
No cooking necessary... Combine all ingredients in a food processor and liquefy.  Adjust oil until the right consistency (acts as an emulsifier).

Pumpkin Syrup -- 10 minutes -- yield 2 1/2C

Description
I LOVE pumpkin lattes, but since I don't necessarily love the extra ingredients, food dyes, high fructose corn syrup, and DAIRY found variously in the majority of commercial coffee purveyors, I thought it might be fun to create my own pumpkin syrup.  I tinkered with this a bit to get it just right - so far I love it!  (Though it does require a vigorous shake before you add the 3T to your latte in the morning).  

Enjoy this fall treat!

Ingredients
1/2C organic pumpkin
2C Water
1 1/2C honey
2t vanilla
2t cinnamon 
1t nutmeg
1/2t cloves

Directions
Start heating water in a sauce pan while adding the rest of the ingredients.
Bring mixture to a low boil (careful, the sugars will want to foam up if the heat is too high).
Boil for five minutes to dissolve all ingredients and thicken.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (yes, it WILL mold if you leave it out for a couple of days).

Almond Milk -- 12 hours -- yield 1Qt

Description

I have always wanted to learn how to make my own almond milk.  One day in the grocery store I happened upon a nut-milk bag and decided to give it a try... It is surprisingly easy, and the results are delicious!

Ingredients

1c Almonds

4c Water

3T Honey

1/8t Cinnamon

1 pinch Salt

Directions

Soak 1c almonds overnight (about 8-12 hours) in about 2-4c water.

Drain and rinse almonds.

Combine almonds, 4c water, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a blender and blend at highest speed for about a minute.

Strain "milk" through a nut milk bag (commonly found at Whole Foods, Food Co-ops, or other hippie-type grocers).

Enjoy!

Dairy Free Sweetened Condensed Milk -- about 2 hours -- yields 2C

Description
Gluten and Dairy free living can be difficult - particularly when you need things like sweetened condensed milk.  I tried sweetening evaporated goat's milk... I don't recommend trying to sweeten evaporated goat's milk... it wasn't good (you might have guessed that, but I'm stubborn and insist on trying things that sound gross with the hopes that they will actually be yummy - this sometimes works out great for me... this wasn't one of those times).  

The next try was with homemade almond milk, which makes for a lovely base - as would soy milk, or another nut milk.  The most important part is getting it down to the right consistency, which is what takes most of the time.  While I haven't tried this as a crock-pot recipe, it would likely be a GREAT way to cook it down overnight without the fuss of stirring more than every few hours (or once before bed, and again in the morning).

Ingredients
3 1/2 c fresh almond milk
2C honey
1t Vanilla
1 pinch salt

Directions
Combine ingredients in a sauce pan.
Boil uncovered until 2C

Notes:  
Consider marking or taking mental note of where 2C is on the pot you are using so you don't have to pour the entire contents into a measuring glass and then back into the pot when it's still not done yet (yes, this comes from experience).

Thai-Island Iced Tea - 5 mins - Serves 1

Description
Was looking for more uses for the dairy free Sweetened Condensed Milk I made (also posted), and thought of Thai Iced Tea.  While yummy, it seemed that it could be improved upon as an evening cocktail, so I pulled an old page out of the DJA history book and reinvented the Long Island Iced Tea with a tropical flair.  I really enjoyed the results - hope you do too!

Ingredients
1 shot tequila
1 shot Captain Jack
1 1/2-2 shots Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions
Fill a rocks glass with ice.  Add the rest and stir.

Veggie Tomato Curry -- 40 Mins -- Serves 4

Description
So I was looking for a curry spin on my normal tomato sauce... and then I just kept adding stuff until it was a wholely new delicious creation.  Fuego and I loved this spontaneous dish so much that I recreated the recipe so we could make it again and again.  

As presented this isn't a particularly spicy curry, but then if you know me, you might guess that my perception of spice may not match well with yours ;).  Adjust the spices depending on your 'heat' tolerance.  

Ingredients
25 oz. diced tomatoes (fresh is awesome, but if this is a winter dish for you, 25 oz. canned tomatoes works well too).
6oz red wine
4oz balsamic vinegar 
14oz coconut milk
1T minced garlic
1 onion (1 T onion powder for the texturally challenged ;)
1 1/2 T curry powder (I use Simply Organic as a good basic blend, or mix your own if you have more time and are feeling adventurous)
1t cayenne
1/4 t black pepper
1/2t crushed red pepper
1t basil
1/2t thyme
1/8 t salt (add more to cut down spice if you've gone and hurt yourself ;)
1t sugar
8 oz edemame
8 oz broccoli
1/8 t chili powder

Directions
Saute onion in olive oil until soft.
Add tomatoes, red wine, and balsamic vinegar and bring to a simmer.  
Add the rest of the ingredients and continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until the desired consistency.
Serve over Thai rice noodles, jasmine rice, potatoes, or whatever favorite starch you'd like underneath.

Pasta Sauce! -- 45 mins -- serves 4-6

Description

I have been making this pasta sauce for almost ten years now without thinking of writing down the recipe.  Thanks to Greeniesan for requesting it so I had a reason to write it out (surprisingly little effort ;).  I use this as a base for most of my tomato sauce recipes, including pasta, pizza, and lasagna.  It is also great as a meat sauce - and even as a salmon tomato sauce for vege-pescetarian lasagna (if you're feeling risqué).  I have also added diced zucchini, edamame, sausage, broccoli, and a variety of other veggies when using this as a pizza sauce.  I don't use any tomato paste, just simmer it down to the desired consistency - which takes longer for pizza sauce than for pasta sauce depending on your preferences.  Note: If you plan to use this for a lasagna, puree the tomatoes and make a double recipe.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

25 oz. diced tomatoes (puree for lasagna)

2T garlic

1T Onion powder (this, as usual, is for Fuego's onion aversion - saute the onion before hand if you want to use 1 medium diced onion).

1t salt

1/4t black pepper

1/8t cayenne

1 pinch chili powder

6 oz red wine

2 oz balsamic vinegar

2T basil (dried)

Directions

Bring tomatoes to simmer in a sauce pan, add salt, then wine and vinegar, then the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer until desired consistency (~20-40 mins).

Oven Baked Spanish Brown Rice -- 105-120 minutes -- serves 4-6

Description
Moving to high altitude has made for some interesting changes in how I prepare food.  For one, rice doesn't cook in the normal amount of time when you boil it (since boiling temperature is lower here than at sea level).  Solution?  Bake it!  There is no difference in oven temperature regardless of altitude, so working from a constant I consulted a few different recipes (one of which actually gave temp and timing for baking rice), and after a few attempts, I came up with what seems to be a consistently delicious recipe that is almost fool proof!  Combine this with taco-seasoned refried beans, cheese, a gluten-free tortilla, some avocado and fresh diced tomatoes from the garden, and you've got a burrito that rivals "Gordo's" back on Telegraph in Berkeley!  Also great as a side, or as a bed for your favorite Latin-flair dishes.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1  1/2 T Minced Garlic

1 T Onion Powder (as always, this is for Fuego - actual diced onions would be EXCELLENT in this dish - about 1 medium onion)

1/8 t cayenne

1/8 t chili powder

1 t paprika

1/2 t black pepper 

1 C tomato (crushed or puréed)

1qt chicken broth

4 pinches salt (~1/2-3/4t)

2 C brown rice

1T olive oil 

2T balsamic vinegar

1 t dried basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350•

Toast rice, garlic, and onion in olive oil on stovetop (in oven safe pan).  

Add broth, tomato, and other spices.  

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Cover and place in oven.  

Bake 45 mins.

Stir and bake another 45 minutes to an hour (or until desired consistency has been reached).

Honey Barbecue-with-a-Bite Sauce -- 60 minutes -- Yields 1 Qt.

Description
First post in two years... embarrassing.  Oh well.  At least I have about six to ten new recipes to add!

This is a honey barbecue sauce with a kick - I wanted to have barbecued chicken (tofu for Fuego), but most of the sauces on the market either have high fructose corn syrup, gluten, mustard (Fuego repellent), or just aren't very tasty.  Fuego and I loved this one (as did Sonic-the-Nephew when he visited!).  Hope you enjoy it too.

Ingredients
25 oz tomato purée (fresh is always best - parboil to remove skins, then use a blender or food processor)

5 pinches salt (~3/4 - 1t)

1/2 t cayenne

1/2 t chili powder

1/2C honey

1/4-1/2C molasses

1/4t cinnamon

2T garlic (or 1T garlic +1T onion powder)

1/2 lime (juice)

1/4C red wine

3-4T Balsamic Vinegar

Heat slowly over medium low heat and simmer gently for about 45 minutes.  

Adjust molasses, salt, and vinegar to taste.

Taquito Sauce -- 5 mins -- Serves 4

Description

While I am posting this as "Taquito" sauce, it has applications anywhere you want a sweet/spicy dipping sauce. My own memories stray back to afternoons with friends drinking beer at Chevy's and eating their Fiery Flautas (do they still make those? Yum!). The best part was the sauce, and when I set out to make a sauce for taquito night last year, it was that sauce that was firmly entrenched in my taste-memory.

I didn't write down the recipe I made up for the taquitos, which were amazing, so next time I make them I'll post them, but I did write down the recipe I made up for the sauce (we see what the important part was to me! ;o).

Since its creation, I've eaten this on hot dogs, used it as a dipping sauce for things I've beer-battered (mmmm), and used it as a shrimp cocktail sauce. It is versatile and yummy! Hope you like it too.

Ingredients

1/4c ketchup
2-3T Triple Sec (non alcoholic)
1/2t fresh minced garlic
Two pinches onion powder
Two pinches chipotle pepper
Two pinches cayenne pepper

Directions

Wisk together all ingredients thoroughly in a small mixing bowl. That is all ;o)

GF Beer Batter -- 15 mins -- Serves 4

Last summer, Fuegos grandmother, Mam'maw, came to visit us. Yaya, Doodle-bug, and Nene had just moved to town, so she came to make sure everyone was settled and was being well cared for so far from home in Ohio. We decided to rent a 12-passenger van, and all went up to the city for an outing to Alcatraz.

Amongst the memorable moments of that trip were a gull taking a sandwich right out of the hand of some poor guy on the ferry boat (ballsy!), getting to spend time with family, and pining for the onion rings that Yaya ordered and ate on the ride back across the bay. I decided immediately that we would make onion rings that night.

Since there is no greater contribution to fried food than Scottish Beer-Battered Fish and Chips (yes, donuts ARE good too, but not as good as Beer-Battered Fish and Chips), I set out to emulate this culinary favorite from my time living in Scotland from 1998-1999.

I used canola oil as my medium, and used a wok over medium-high flame. Hope this finds you in the mood for a little good-old-fashioned greasy snack!

6 oz GF beer
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1 to 1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 t baking powder
2 eggs
~1/4 C all purpose GF flour mix*
(after the 1/4 C, add 1T flour at a time until batter is thick and sticky).

* GF flour mix: In a large sealable container, combine 2C garbanzo-fava bean flour, 1C Sorghum flour, 3C Corn Starch, 3C Tapioca flour. For a single batch, Tablespoons can replace Cups, producing 1/2C+1T - this should be pleanty for the batter.

Cranberry Sauce -- 20 Min -- Serves 8

This is without a doubt the BEST cranberry sauce I have ever had. No, I'm not just tooting my own horn. I have never liked this particular Thanksgiving side-dish tradition. Having grown up with the jellied cranberry slices from a can, and only exposed to whole cranberries as an adult when someone had the unfortunate idea of mixing in orange peel (if you like that kind of thing, enjoy - I thought it was about the worst spin on an already bad idea I'd had at the time), I had all but given up on this particular side dish.

Last year, I decided to try my hand at redeeming the beautiful (but painfully disappointing) cranberry.

I started, like I frequently do, by consulting three or four different cook-books to get an idea of cooking times, amounts of liquids, etc., and then made up my own recipe based on my personal taste experience of these tart, little, red beauties. The result was something quite unexpectedly sweet, tart, savory, spicy, and altogether delicious - I do like cranberry sauce! My fourteen guests loved it as well, so needless to say, I'll be using this recipe for the foreseeable future! Here's hoping you enjoy it too.

24 oz cranberries

2C sugar

2C Orange Juice (fresh squeezed or Odwalla's fresh squeezed for a shortcut)

1/4t Ground Cloves

1/4t Cinnamon

1/8t Cayenne

1/8t Nutmeg

1t vanilla

Bring OJ to a boil in a 4Q stock pot. Add seasonings and sugar, stirring constantly. Add cranberries and stir until all cranberry skins have popped, turn off heat and allow to cool. Serve warm or chilled.