Cranberry Relish

1-12 oz package raw cranberries
1 seedless orange
6 T sugar

If you froze the cranberries, do not thaw! Rinse the cranberries and drain. Put one-third of the cranberries in the bowl of a food processor. Rinse the orange, but DO NOT peel it. Cut the orange in half, and remove the pith running through the center of the orange. Cut each half into three or four slices. Put about one-third of the orange slices in the processor. Process until the mixture is chopped, but not pureed. Remove the mixture to a mixing bowl.

Process the remaining cranberries and orange slices in two batches and add to the mixture in the mixing bowl. Add the sugar. The relish should be tart, but not too mouth-puckering. If necessary add sugar to taste.

Store the relish in a covered dish. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. This relish tastes best when made a day ahead.

Chocolate Coconut Meringue Pie

This recipe was inspired by my Aunt Virgie Lee. She recently served Coconut Meringue Pie and Chocolate Creme Pie, and she gave me a slice of each. I thought, hmmm, I could put these together. So with the help of Grace Parisi (Food and Wine) and Emeril Lagasse (Food Network) (and three or four other recipes), I came up with a custard that could be adapted to both the chocolate pie and the coconut meringue pie.

1 – 9” baked pie shell (see note)
3/4 c sugar
1/3 c flour
Pinch of salt
1 pint half and half
4 large eggs, separated
1 t vanilla
1 c sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (see note)
2 oz bitter-sweet chocolate baking chips
2 t butter
1/8 t cream of tartar
1/4 c sugar

1. In a saucepan, whisk together the 3/4 c sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in the half and half until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking until the mixture is the thickness of sour cream, about eight minutes.

2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then whisk 1/2 c of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened, about two minutes. Stir in the vanilla.

3. Pour two-thirds of the hot custard into a medium mixing bowl.

4. In the saucepan, stir in the bitter-sweet chocolate baking pieces and the butter. Scrape into a small bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the top of the custard. Refrigerate until chilled.

5. In the mixing bowl, stir in the coconut. Press plastic wrap directly on the top of the custard. Refrigerate until chilled.

6. Spread chocolate custard over the bottom of the pie shell. Spread the coconut custard over the top of the chocolate custard, being careful not to mix up the layers. Chill the pie.

7. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a large stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar at medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to high and beat until firm peaks form. Add the remaining 1/4 c sugar, 1 T at a time, and beat until glossy. Bake for seven minutes, or just until the meringue is golden.

Note: For a beautiful pie crust, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. To make a dense pie crust, capable of standing up to custard, roll out the pie dough one inch larger all around than a glass 9” pie plate. Ease the dough into the pan. Fold the edge of the dough underneath itself, then flute or pinch the edge to make a rim. Chill the dough for fifteen minutes. Carefully press a sheet of aluminum foil into the rolled out dough, and pour pie weights (or a pound of dried beans) into the foil. Bake for 30 minutes (you may need to reduce the heat, if the crust is browning too much). Carefully remove the foil and weights, and return the crust to the oven for another 7 – 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool completely before filling the pie.

Note: To toast the shredded coconut, preheat the oven to 350ºF, and spread the coconut evenly in the bottom of a 9" x 13" cake pan. Toast the coconut for two minutes. Remove it from the oven and turn it with a pancake turner. Return the coconut to the oven for one minute, then remove the pan from the oven and turn the coconut. Repeat the toasting and turning until the coconut is as brown as you like it. The coconut burns very easily, so never keep it in the hot oven for more than a minute.

Cornbread Dressing

1 box corn muffin mix
1 onion, chopped
2 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 c butter
1-1/2 c chopped, cooked necks and giblets
1 lb roasted, peeled chestnuts
1/4 c raisins
2 small potatoes, diced
2 apples, diced
1 t sage
1/2 t rosemary
1/2 t black pepper
salt, to taste
2 eggs
2 c stock

The night before: Prepare the corn muffin mix, but bake as cornbread. Cool, and break it up into very coarse crumbs. Cover and set aside. Roast and peel the chestnuts. Leave them in halves or quarters.

The day of: Put the cornbread crumbs in a large mixing bowl. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery. Fry until the onions begin to brown (about 5 minutes). Add the onion mixture to the cornbread crumbs. Add the meat, chestnuts, raisins, potatoes, and apples. Toss together. Add the seasonings, and adjust seasonings to taste.

Add the eggs and stock and toss until the mixture is moistened. If it is too dry, add milk, 1/4 c at a time, until it is the right consistency. Do not over mix or compact the dressing.

Grease a 9 x 13 backing dish, and heap the dressing in the dish, being careful not to compact it too much. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Thanksgiving Yams or Sweet Potatoes

2 lb yams or sweet potatoes
1/4 c butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c water
1/2 t cinnamon

Cut any blemishes from the yams or potatoes. Put in a large sauce pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Turn to low, and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes.

Drain the yams and cover with cold water. Let them cool for a few minutes. Peel the yams and slice them into 3/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices in the bottom of a large casserole or cake pan.

In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the brown sugar, water, and cinnamon. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the yam slices. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, until the syrup is bubbly.