For me, canned cranberry sauce is the Jar Jar Binks of the Thanksgiving universe. Annoying and mostly unnecessary, it’s mostly there to entertain small children. It doesn’t have to be that way, folks. You don’t have to suffer through it, as Nancy Gerlach showed us with this serrano ginger cranberry chutney recipe she hipped us to in her Spiced-Up Thanksgiving Trimmings story.
Serrano Ginger Cranberry Chutney
Where is it written that canned cranberry sauce has to be served with at Thanksgiving? The sweet, sour, hot tastes of this chutney compliments turkey, chicken, and even pork. The addition of black pepper may sound odd, but it does provide a tasty accent to the chutney.
Mole: Turkey in Chocolate Chile Sauce
If you want your Thanksgiving bird to be a stand-out, try Mole Poblano de Guajolote (aka Turkey in Chocolate Chile Sauce). It’s just one of the great Mexicanized Thanksgiving ideas she put forth in this article at our main site. Although this recipe is for sliced poultry and only serves 4-6 people, I’m sure you can do the math and scale it up if need be.
Mole Poblano de Guajolote (Turkey in Chocolate Chile Sauce)
In an 1870s cookbook from Puebla there were recipes for 44 different moles but only one, Mole Poblano de Guajolote, or turkey in mole sauce, is called the National Dish of Mexico. This mole has descended from an Aztec chilemolli dish and although it’s called poblano, it doesn’t contain any poblano chiles. In this case poblano refers to the people of Puebla, birthplace of this dish. For an authentic taste, lard is used, but if that’s offensive to you, substitute vegetable oil. Also, Mexican chocolate can be used, but if you do, be sure to eliminate the cinnamon from the recipe.
Pickled Habaneros
I have a habanero problem. Not the normal addiction issue (although I do loves myself some hab). My dilemma involves gardening. I have more habanero peppers than I know what to do with. With Christmas rounding third base and heading for home, I’m pickling a bunch of them as gifts. Here’s the recipe I’m using from our sister site, Fiery Foods and Barbecue Central.
Pickled Habaneros
Don’t mess with the vinegar ratio. Unless, of course, you like unhealthy bacterial growth in your food.
Cornferno: Is this the World’s Hottest Popcorn?
When you claim to make “The Any-est Anything Ever” you better be able to back it up. People are going to test you. Pop Pop Shoppe claims its Cornferno is “The Hottest Popcorn. Ever.” After passing it around at a party and having eaten two big handfuls myself, I’m inclined to agree with that claim.
