Our Gram used a manual grinder to make her signature Thanksgiving cranberry orange relish for most of her 98 years. This family favorite was certainly a labor of love. So you can imagine the wonder on her face when my Mom pulled out a food processor and chopped those cranberries in a minute flat several years ago.
We all have a lot to be thankful for this time of year, including the storied dishes that bring us together around the table. Chefs around the Main Line agree:
“I love to tell the story of my grandmother’s wonderful apple pies from her backyard apple tree. I would climb the tree and pick the apples and then we would peel them and throw the whole peel (only if they didn’t break) over our shoulder to form letters. Of course they were the first initial of the person you would marry,” said Meridith Coyle (pictured, left), owner of Berwyn’s Aneu Bistro & Wine Bar and Fresh Ideas Market. “Then she would make the most wonderful pies you could ever hope for. It is still the first thing I bake for my girls but it is never quite as good as when my Muncie made them,” she shared.
“Thanksgiving throughout the years has a special place in my heart. I loved the preparation time, spent together as a family,” said Cristina Giannandrea, who owns Paoli’s Trattoria San Nicola with her husband, Chef Vito. “My Mom makes an amazing stuffing, full of savory ingredients, some of which are nutritious, which is how I rationalize eating so much of it!”
The whole family contributes during Thanksgiving with Georges’ Chef Chris Siropaides (pictured, left): “My Mom does her green bean casserole and famous pumpkin cheesecake. My dad does the turkey, sometimes a ham as well with his awesome chestnut rice pilaf. I will chip in with some mashed potatoes and vegetables.”
Executive Chef Eric Gantz of Sullivan’s of King of Prussia has a yearly tradition of giving back through his culinary talents. Right now he’s in the midst of planning 300 three-pound Thanksgiving turkeys for the nonprofit Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly.
And, like me, cranberries are also close to restaurateur and chef Michael Schulson (pictured, left), who has just opened The Saint James, an American bistro in Ardmore. “My mother makes the best cranberry mold. She uses canned sauce, walnuts, jello and pineapple. I have to have it every year. She still makes it and it’s still the best!”
So, with cranberries on the mind, I’m sharing Gram’s cranberry orange recipe, as well as one by Main Liner Mandi Zola. Having whipped up dozens upon dozens of new sauces over the years, she’s got to be crowned a cranberry sauce connoisseur. (Email me for Mandi’s coconut lime cranberry chutney recipe.)
Gram’s Fresh Cranberry Sauce
- 3 bags fresh or frozen whole cranberries
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 oranges
Slice unpeeled oranges into sections, removing ends and any seeds. Process in food processor in batches until evenly chopped. Pour cranberry mixture into a large bowl and stir in sugar. Put in
containers and freeze or refrigerate.
Mandi’s Super Cranberry Chutney
- 1 bag (12 oz) whole cranberries
- 10 oz Açai juice, such as Bossa Nova organic original
- 1/2 cup Dried cherries, chopped roughly
Bring açai juice to boil in large saucepan. Add whole cranberries and cherries. Continue to boil on medium/low heat, stirring intermittently. As cranberries burst, use a large spoon to push the softer ones up against the side/bottom of the pot. Once all berries have burst, remove from heat and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Serve or refrigerate.
Meredith photo courtesy of Aneu Bistro; Georges’ Chef photo courtesy of Georges’, Chef Michael image courtesy of Saint James.
