A Better Cranberry Condiment

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, and it's time to think about the cranberry options we cooks and diners have. I agree with this writer at Serious Eats who much prefers cranberries served as a thick or chutney-type consistency, instead of the gelatinous "cranberry sauce" that comes out of a can. SE's Kerry Saretsky admits that the latter is "iconic Americana" but the former is tastier.

His observations are followed by this recipe for cranberry chutney with crystallized ginger.

This recipe is another one of my favorites -- cranberry sauce with dried tart cherries. (You can use canned tart cherries if you can't find the dried variety.) The cloves in the recipe add a nice twist.

Savory, Versatile Ginger

I love the flavor of ginger in just about anything, from Thai food to gingerbread. So this article posted on the Washington Post's "All We Can Eat" blog caught my eye.

As Monica Bhide exlains in her blog post, ginger is one versatile food. And she offered this advice when you're shopping for fresh ginger:

When buying fresh ginger, look for pieces that have relatively smooth skin, without blemishes and wrinkles. Ginger keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. If I buy extra, I make a paste and freeze it. Many times I will grate it along with garlic and green chili peppers ...

Another thing that caught my eye is the recipe (at the end of the article) for double-ginger doughnuts. I recently combined olive oil, maple syrup and grated fresh ginger and tossed it with root vegetables (diced carrots, parnsips and brussels sprouts), roasting them for about 45 minutes. It was a marvelous side dish. And how's this for a beverage?

Getting Some Ham Help

Turkey has always been the entree that adorns my family's Christmas dinner table. But for many families, the choice is a ham. If you're one of the latter, check out this web page at Delish.com for "12 Classic Christmas Hams."

Te Apple-Ginger Glazed Ham, one of those 12 options, looks darn good to me.

Be sure to look for the link to 9 "must-have recipes" for side dishes and appetizers.

Foodphoria will take a holiday nap for the rest of this week. Happy cooking and happy holidays!