Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Yuletide Youtube: Kitchen Witch Corner

Sounds of the Season:

A little traditional. I love this voice, and I love the presentation of Christmas as a city thing and not just for country folk with snow and horses and chimnies.


And because we all need some Spike, ca 1980s.


Merry Moments, Midweek Cartoon Edition:










Kitchen Witchery

Let's talk about cranberries a minute. They're a holiday staple, but what do you do with them? Just cook them with some sugar? Or are you like me and open the can to slice up the red jelly cylinder?

Here are a couple of Kitchen-Witch Tested recipes.

Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish
Mama Stamberg is the mother-in-law of an NPR host.

2 cups whole raw cranberries, washed
1 small onion
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons horseradish from a jar ("red is a bit milder than white")

Grind the raw berries and onion together. ("I use an old-fashioned meat grinder," says Stamberg. "I'm sure there's a setting on the food processor that will give you a chunky grind — not a puree.")

Add everything else and mix.

Put in a plastic container and freeze.

Early Thanksgiving morning, move it from freezer to refrigerator compartment to thaw. ("It should still have some little icy slivers left.")

The relish will be thick, creamy, and shocking pink. ("OK, Pepto Bismol pink. It has a tangy taste that cuts through and perks up the turkey and gravy. Its also good on next-day turkey sandwiches, and with roast beef.")

Makes 1 1/2 pints.


Aunt Jen's Cranberry Sauce
My sister makes this and my kids devour it.

1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 orange, peeled and pureed
1 apple - peeled, cored and diced
1 pear - peeled, cored and diced
1 cup chopped dried mixed fruit
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
In a medium saucepan, boil water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. 

Reduce the heat to simmer, and stir in cranberries, pureed orange, apple, pear, dried fruit, pecans, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 

Cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst. 

Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.

Note: Jen says, “I juice and pulp the orange (basically scoop it out with a citrus reamer or a fork), I have even used orange juice instead.”

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