Food Stuff

There’s a Thanksgiving episode of The Simpsons that shows Bart dumping a can of into a bowl. The sauce slithers out humorously, still in the shape of the can. It jiggles momentarily and then collapses like a rotten tomato. Such is the character of many modern Thanksgiving dinners, and it is sad enough to make a pilgrim weep. You can easily prepare a more dignified sauce. Buy a bag of fresh cranberries. Boil a cup of water and a cup of sugar. Add the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Mash through a strainer for smooth sauce or leave the berries whole for a chunkier texture. That’s all there is to it. You also can add custom touches such as grated orange zest, or you can reduce the sugar to make the sauce more tart. Save the can opener for your housecat’s meal.