Cranberry Sauce

Recipe From: Simon and Everett Behr's Thanksgiving Cooking Show, Thanksgiving 2012

Ingredients

1 bag fresh cranberries, rinsed
1 large or 2 small apples, peeled and chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch cloves
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup port wine
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar

Instructions

Place all ingredients in medium pot.  Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cool.  Remove cinnamon sticks.  Serve cold or room temp.

Raspberry Dessert Sauce

Recipe From: Ruthanne Hassing

Notes: Use with Norwegian Rice Pudding

Ingredients

1 12oz bag frozen raspberries, completely thawed
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh raspberries (opt)

Instructions

Puree berries in blender.  Push mixture through a large strainer with the back of a spoon into a small saucepan, discarding solids left in the strainer.  Stir in sugar and lemon juice.  Cook over medium-low heat until mixtures comes to a slow boil.  Boil slowly for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and cool.  Serve at room temperature or chilled.  Stir in fresh berries just before serving.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

Virginia's Very Simple Marinara

Recipe From: Virginia Behr, Williams New Year's in Charlottesville, VA, November 2012

In large pot with thick bottom, saute on medium-low heat for a few minutes: one medium onion, diced, in about 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  Add four to six cloves of garlic (smashed with the side of a large knife blade to release the oils and then dice small) and saute another few minutes.  Make sure that you do not burn the garlic- it will ruin the sauce.  If you like mushrooms, you can add some sliced mushrooms when you start the saute. If you like meat sauce, turn the heat up a bit and brown about 1-2 pounds ground beef or sausage in the already cooked onion/garlic.

Add in two 28 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes and one can of peeled plum tomatoes.  Use the stirring spoon to mash up the whole plum tomatoes. Brands imported from Italy are best, or use RedPack.  Hunt's and other American brands aren't very good.  Stir.

Stir in:

*2 T fresh or dried basil

*2 T fresh or dried parsley

*1/2 cup red wine- Merlot or Cabernet Sav best

*2 bay leaves

*pinch salt, 1/2 t black pepper

*1 t hot pepper flakes (optional)

*One chopped carrot or 2 t sugar (very optional)

Simmer uncovered on medium-low to low for at least one hour. In the last 10 minutes, add in some fresh or dried oregano.  It adds depth.  If you add it too early, it makes the sauce bitter.

Pull out the bay leaves. Serve over pasta sprinkled with parmesan cheese.  Serves 8.