I'm always looking for a new way to put cranberries on the table during the holidays - they add such a wonderfully tart taste and beautiful color to any plate. As they say, we eat with our eyes before any food hits our tastebuds, and that canned jellied cranberry sauce leaves a plate begging for more color, more texture and more taste.
For decades, canned cranberry sauce has been a stalwart of most holiday feasts. But in recent years, more consumers are walking right past the cans and into the produce department to buy fresh cranberries, according to Massachusetts-based Ocean Spray, the largest producer of cranberries - both canned and fresh - in the United States. This falls in line with the make-it-yourself trend in many homes with people wanting to follow a more healthful lifestyle.
When buying fresh cranberries, shake the bag a bit and make sure there aren't any soft or mushy berries. At home, keep them in the refrigerator where they can stay fresh for up to a month. After that, store them in the freezer for up to one year.
Everyone has a favorite cranberry sauce recipe, and most are quite simple using few ingredients, allowing the berries themselves to play the starring role. This recipe, though, combines a few more. It's a cornucopia of fruits and textures that doubles as a salad and a cranberry sauce - one less thing for you to make on Christmas Day. You're busy enough as it is.
Anne BralyThe recipe is a take on the marshmallow-pecan salad many of us enjoyed back in the 1970s. It's a classic that, with the addition of cranberries, gets a 21st-century update. It's simple, taking only minutes to throw together after allowing the cranberries and marshmallows to marry for a few hours. In fact, do that step the night before. This salad serves a crowd, something many of us expect during the holiday season.
Cranberry-Grape Salad
1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup sugar
2 medium apples, diced
1/2 cup halved seedless red and green grapes
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Coarsely chop the cranberries; place in a large bowl. Stir in marshmallows and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Just before serving, stir in the apples, grapes, walnuts and salt. Fold in whipped topping. Makes 8-10 servings.
SEAFOOD BUFFET BONANZA
Seafood buffets were once a common sight in restaurants, but for some reason, they disappeared somewhere in the 1990s. But now, they're trending once more in restaurants around the country, and Broad Street Grille is the first in Chattanooga to bring it back. The restaurant inside The Chattanoogan hotel at 1201 Broad St., has a new Friday night seafood buffet that is swimming with a bounty of choices to satisfy the craving of any seafood lover.
The menu will change weekly, says executive chef Tanner Marino. It all depends on what's fresh and available. But you might find blackened salmon, beer-battered shrimp, New England lobster rolls, shucked oysters and/or a build-your-own shrimp and grits bar. And you'll always find fresh salads, such as the amazing wedge salad with huge chunks of tangy blue cheese.
For landlubbers, there's a chef's carving station with prime rib and huge crab legs you can have cold or boiled to warm them up. An enticing dessert bar awaits your finish. It's an all-you-can-eat gastronomic event. Cost is $38 for adults, $18 for kids 5-12 and free for those under 5. Prices do not include tax or gratuity. Reservations are a good idea. Call 423-242-3700. The buffet opens at 5 p.m.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.