Cranberry sauce can be controversial.  In fact, often enough the issue cannot be resolved unless a family can agree to have two types of cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving dinner – fresh and canned.

Though often treated as a supporting character in the feast, cranberry sauce is certainly the most versatile dish next to gravy, delicious piled atop nearly any other dish.  Cranberries were considered a seasonal fruit until Marcus L. Urann, an attorney, realized he harvested more cranberries than he could sell.  So he made a sauce, canned it, and called Ocean Spray.  In 1941, the jellied cranberry log was put on the market.

Canned cranberry sauce is made with berries, high fructose corn syrup, water, and corn syrup.  As fresh cranberries were once a rare thing in the U.S., the canned relish gained popularity until it became a Thanksgiving staple.  If you’re interested in seeing Ocean Spray’s instructions for removing the log, intact, from the can, they offer detailed steps here.

A log of cranberry sauce, naturally, was not served at the first Thanksgiving – sugar was scarce in colonial times.  There may well have been fresh cranberry relish, however.

Fresh cranberry sauce has been gaining popularity since fresh cranberries have become widely available.  The berries in fresh relish are generally not cooked, but simply mixed with sugar and anything from orange zest and nuts to ginger and kumquats.

Because fresh sauce tends to be more tart than the canned, it actually makes a lot of sense to serve both at Thanksgiving.  A little of one balances out a little of the other.  And any leftovers can easily be incorporated into Morning After Cranberry Muffins or Cranberry Ribbon Cake.

Lastly, a little known fact about cranberry sauce – while listening closely to the end of the song Strawberry Fields Forever, John Lennon can be heard repeating the words “cranberry sauce”.  In an interview, Lennon said that the words have no special meaning except to contribute to the weirdness of the song.

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Categories:	Fruit • Holiday	Leave a Comment
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If you want to keep someone busy for a half an hour, ask them to crack open a pomegranate and pick out seeds. You will be lucky if they even get out half of the seeds without feeling frustrated or manage to keep their shirt clean in the process. If you are not picky about saving the precious pomegranate juice,  here’s a quick tip to getting all the seeds out of a pomegranate without the struggle or the juicy mess.

1.Fill a deep bowl with at least four cups of water.

2. Slice open a pomegranate into quarters.

3. Immerse each quarter of the pomegranate in the water and break open the spongy honeycomb membrane of the pomegranate, allowing the seeds to fall to the bottom of the bowl and the spongy pith to rise to the surface. Continue with each quarter until all the seeds are resting at the bottom of the bowl of water.

4. Toss out the spongy pith. The little bits of pith with continue to float to the top. Skim the little bits and discard. Drain the water. Voila! Clean pomegranate seeds.

This is a great tip when you want to sprinkle pomegranate seeds on a salad or as a garnish. Also a great technique when you want to add a couple pomegranate seeds to a glass of sparkling wine.

Pomegranate Recipe Inspiration

YumSugar’s Sparkling Pomegranate Drinks with St. Germain

Tartelette” Pomegranate and Caramelized Pear Panna Cottas

Coconut & Lime’s Pomegranate Pulled Pork

Above photo by Massdistraction

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Categories:	Fruit • Technique	3 Comments
Tags:	getting the seeds out a pomegranate • pomegranate seeds • quick technique

Though overshadowed by their pumpkin cousins, squash have an appeal all their own.  Their mottled orange and green skins, excessively bumpy or smooth, and many different sizes and shapes draw us to the piled-high grocery store bins.  A symbol of fall, squash is a food that is versatile and even healthful.

All squash can be designated as “summer” or “winter”.  Winter squash has a hard skin that allows it to keep well without spoiling and is usually picked before it is fully ripe.  Though available throughout the year, the peak season of winter squash is right now.

Look for squash that are heavy for their size, with dull-colored skin (shiny skin means it’s not ripe) and firm shells.  Avoid squash with damaged spots or cracks.  There are eight types of winter squash, including familiar examples such as butternut, turban, acorn, and spaghetti.

Winter squash is also able to retain nutrients throughout storage.  It’s a great source of vitamins A and C as well as potassium, dietary fiber, beta-carotene and manganese.

Cooking squash is easy – just slice the squash in half through the stem, then scoop out the seeds.  At this point, you can bake, steam, or microwave it until tender.  Cooked squash can be eaten simply with butter and salt, or added to soups, casseroles, breads, curries, pies, and more.

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Categories:	Fruit • Vegetarian • Veggies	Leave a Comment
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Our omnivore’s attempt to go vegetarian for a week of Meatless Monday led us to the discovery of a new food – the breadfruit, native to the Pacific Islands. We’d seen it before in Asian markets, but for some reason, were never compelled enough to buy one. This week we finally did, and I have to say, it is now one of my favorites.

I have a deep love of potatoes and breadfruit is quite like the potato – starchy, bland and high in carbs – but ready and able to take on any flavor. The football-sized fruit is also fast-growing and high in fiber and protein, which makes it a great food for combating world malnutrition. See this interesting article in Newsweek titled Breadfruit to the Rescue. If you were a fan of Mutiny on the Bounty, you’ll find it quite fascinating!

Most recipes we found called for stuffing it whole with any combination of meat and vegetables, then grilling it on an open fire. Since it’s quite cold now here in Seattle we opted out for the outdoor cooking, and instead cracked open the fruit and cut the flesh into cubes. We then simmered it in coconut milk, turmeric, garlic, ginger and a bit of chili powder – a delicious concoction we’ve named Breadfruit Coconut Curry.

For the full recipe and instructions click below:

Here are some other interesting breadfruit recipes:

• Find  breadfruit appetizers, main dishes, desserts and more on National Tropical Botanical Garden
• Breadfruit Cake from GroupRecipes
• Vegan Breadfruit Pizza from Child of the Nature Isle
• Breadfruit Casserole from Nevis, West Indies

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Categories:	Fruit • Meatless Monday • Vegetarian • vegan	2 Comments
Tags:	breadfruit • coconut curry • curry • malnutrition • Meatless Monday

Right now our farmer’s market is a virtual cornucopia of fresh delights. The smell of just-off-the-vine tomatoes and huge bunches of basil sitting in the sun was beautifully overwhelming! Perfect fava beans  laying in heaps, squashes of all shapes and sizes, potato “marbles” no bigger than the tip of your pinky finger, and Rainier cherries as big as your head (okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but they were the largest I’ve ever seen).

We were there on a mission: to stock up on cherries and apricots for our canning party the following day. But it was oh so hard to stay focused! Everything looked so divine! Did I mention those tomatoes!?

We stuck to our rule: only two foods were going to be canned in one day and we had collectively chosen cherries and apricots. We bought a case of Bing cherries, about a half case of a mix of cherry varieties, and a case of apricots. Buying in bulk got us some big discounts too.

We arrived at Tracy’s house on Sunday rearing to begin. We pitted all the cherries (now there’s a job!), sterilized all the jars, and started our first recipe: Cherries in Wine. This is such a simple recipe and the result is excellent with both sweet and savory dishes (think roasted duck breast with a nice cherry in wine sauce). Recipe:

While the cherries were processing we moved on to the apricots. We cold packed them (canned them fresh rather than stewing first) and each of us “personalized” our simple syrup. We added lavender to some jars, star anise to others, vanilla bean, hibiscus, and even a version with white pepper corns, mustard seed and coriander. It may sound strange, but I guarantee it’s a scrumptious combination. And come winter, what a wonderful variety of flavors we’ll have!

Next weekend: peaches and tomatoes.

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Categories:	Canned Goods • Fruit	2 Comments
Tags:	apricots • canning • cherries • farmers market • Fruit • lavender • preserving

Little is better than a spectacularly fresh piece of fish that’s been grilled to perfection, like this halibut. Perhaps I’m just easy to please. All it needs is a bit of salt and pepper and the gentle licks from the barbecue’s flames. But when topped with a fruit salsa, such as Papaya Salsa, all the neighbors from blocks away can hear my whoo-hoos.

It’s that damn good.

We based our recipe on our Mango Salsa and substituted with Papaya, either are delicious. Here’s a simple recipe:

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Categories:	Fish & Seafood • Fruit	2 Comments
Tags:	fish • grilling • halibut • mango salsa • papaya • papaya salsa

This last Monday night, Foodista collaborated with Michael Hebb of Onepot.org and Foraged and Found Edibles in the Caffe Vita Loft for a “Friends of Foodista” dinner. What came together in the kitchen was beyond extraordinary. If you have followed Michael Hebb lately, you’ll notice that the guy is involved in a variety of projects all over Seattle and making the rules up as he goes. As part of the evening’s experiment, I showed up to the Vita loft around 11:30 am and set up my laptop at the edge of the kitchen counter right next to Chef Conor Donahue from San Francisco who was busy slicing butter clams, and began to document recipes directly into Foodista as each recipe was created in front of me.

The dinner wasn’t completely thrown together by the seat-of-their-pants. Over the weekend, chef and co-founder of Foraged and Found Edibles, Christina Choi, and Chef Donahue met with Hebb and decided on a menu inspired by seasonal and foraged ingredients from the area. The menu would be about the ingredients. Every recipe on  Monday night’s menu was either foraged wild or locally harvested. Even the butter clams for the Butter Clam Fritter Appetizer was foraged by Foodista co-founders Barnaby and Sheri over a long weekend near Hope Island.

Chef Choi showed up at the loft carrying ingredients freshly picked only 24- 48 hours prior and set to work baking off Elderberry Shortbread to go with the local strawberries with elderberry syrup that we would later eat for dessert. As I was attempting to write precise recipes into the Foodista site, I received less than standard responses to measurements, techniques and even ingredients for most of the recipes. Not to anyone’s fault, it’s just that chefs don’t often use measurements while they are cooking, chefs cook by feel, taste, touch and smell. So when I ask for the recipe on how to make their specific court bouillon, they’re recipe suggestion was to “use what you have lying around,” only half joking of course. For example, while Hebb was preparing the octopus, I asked, “Okay, so what is the next step?” ”

“Use a sharp knife and cut head from tentacles,” he said.

“And then what do you with the head?”

“Say… give it to your cat.”

“Michael, can you tell me what is in the spice rub for the elk shoulder and what the amounts were?”

His response was, “Open your pantry, use a variety of spices that appeal to you. We used juniper berries, fennel seeds, chili flakes, cumin and coriander guajillo chili peppers.”

Over the course of the day and into the evening I watched the three experienced chefs create stunning dishes out of simple, but high quality ingredients and all inside a fairly basic kitchen set up. The dishes were beautiful, delicious and made with respect to the ingredients. I kept thinking as each gorgeous dish was passed around the table, I’ve seen these ingredients before, I can do this at home- with the right recipe that is. When you buy fresh and local, the ingredients speak for themselves and don’t require too much work on your part. Plus, you are supporting local farmers and foragers who didn’t fly your produce from half way around the world to get it to you. If you need a little inspiration for turning your farmer market seabeans or garlic scapes into a great meal, check out the recipes created by Onepot on Foodista.

MENU

Appetizers

Butter clam fritters with wild sorrel aioli:

Lemon balm leaves with raw porcini salad and chive flowers:

Plates

Local scallop crudo with sea beans and shiso:

Octopus with fingerlings and wild onion blossoms:

Elk shoulder with porcini, farro, and garlic scapes:

Wood violet and miners lettuce salad:

Sweet

Local strawberries with elderflower syrup and cream:

Farm direct Caffe Vita Sumatra Gayo River coffee

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Categories:	Entertaining • Events • Fish & Seafood • Fruit • Herbs • Meat & Poultry • Pasta & Grains • Salads • Shellfish • Veggies	Leave a Comment
Tags:	caffe vita • christina choi • foodista • foraged • found and foraged • local • michael hebb • one pot • onepot.org

There’s a lovely Spanish restaurant in Menlo Park that Barnaby and I used to frequent when we lived in the Bay Area. We’d ride our bikes the one or so mile from our apartment in Palo Alto to the charming little bougainvillea covered building. We rarely sat in the main dining room, and instead headed to the tapas bar where we’d cozy up in one of the intimate two-person booths or sit back in a pair of the over-sized leather chairs.

We had a repertoire of tapas dishes that we’d always order, but one of my favorites was jamon serrano; gorgeous ham hand-sliced from a whole leg which, clamped in a beautiful wood and iron stand, sat upon the bar counter. Sometimes we’d have it on toasted bread rubbed with garlic and tomato (called Pa Amb Tomaquet in Catalan), other times we’d simply ask for a few nice slices to go with our olives.

Another favorite preparation, Italian-style with fresh juicy melon (called prosciutto crudo in Italian). Spanish or Italian, you can’t go wrong with this ham.

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Categories:	Fruit • Meat & Poultry	4 Comments
Tags:	jamon serrano • melon • prosciutto crudo • smoked ham • Spanish

I don’t know any better way to say it than “my mom rocks.” Really, she does. She has an amazing sense of style, is smart, beautiful, and at 5 feet and one half inch I can almost fit her in my pocket. But, like me, she rounds up and says she’s 5′1″ (I tower over her at 5 and three  quarters, I mean, 5′4″). The little lady can also whip up some serious magic in the kitchen. Her chicken mole is so good you’d think you were in Oaxaca. She can create Asian meals so delicious you’d swear the chef was native. And I mean any kind of Asian food: Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, you name it. She just has a knack.

When I was in the 8th grade she spent what I remember as three solid days preparing what must have been considered an Imperial feast. I don’t remember who she invited or what the celebration was, all I know is she went to China for three weeks with her sister and came back part Chinese. Actually, I think she was probably Chinese in a previous life and was connected with her long lost Chinese spirit while touring the Great Wall. At least that’s what I tell her. Good thing, too, because she channels that spirit and cooks up some darn tasty morsels!

I was talking to her the other night and she told me about these spinach and pork wontons she’d made for dinner. My cell phone almost shorted out from all my drooling. So I made her send me a picture so I could share it with you. “Oh, and I added the recipe to Foodista, too!” she exclaimed proudly.

God I love that woman.

Here’s the recipe:

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Categories:	Asian • Beverages • Fruit • Meat & Poultry • Veggies	1 Comment
Tags:	Asian • chinese • pork • spinach • wontons

We don’t eat much octopus in the U.S., which frankly is a darn shame. My guess is that we shy away from it because of its large tentacles, something that can bet daunting. But fear not! The way I look at it is this: if you can cut up a whole chicken, you can cook a small octopus! Just think of it as yet another culinary adventure! When octopus is prepared properly it is tender, delicate and delicious – though, admittedly, when not, it’s like chewing on erasers. The trick is to cook it slowly for a long period of time until the flesh is tender and succulent.

One of my favorite dishes is ceviche de pulpo. Once the octopus (pulpo in Spanish) has been thoroughly cooked it is then marinated for a few hours (or overnight) in citrus juices and salt. When mixed with diced red onions, cilantro and a bit of avocado it is pure delight! The best thing about any ceviche is it lasts a few days in the fridge – only getting better and better as it marinates in the limey juices. Perfect for a warm weather al fresco dinner or a lovely lunch in the sun.

Click here for the recipe and more on Ceviche de Pulpo:

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Fish & Seafood • Fruit • Latin	3 Comments
Tags:	ceviche • Octopus • Pulpo • seafood