Edible Therapy

Cranberry Orange Jelly

It is definitely that time of year. Time for turkey, dressing, ham, yeast rolls, all of the holiday foods we remember from growing up. Thanksgiving started the season off, and now we have leftovers to last us just about until Christmas! This jelly is super simple to make, and it will go on your morning slab of toast as well as your holiday buffet. Don't get me wrong, I actually like the cranberry sauce out of a can, but this is so easy, you will never open that can of cran again. All you have to do is boil your whole fresh cranberries in simple syrup until the sauce thickens. I added the zest of one orange and a little vanilla to suit my personal taste, but you can leave those out or add a little cinnamon to it, or whatever strikes your fancy! Happy Holidays!

Cranberry Orange Jelly
makes about three cups

2 c sugar
2 c water
one 12-oz bag of whole fresh cranberries
1/2 t vanilla
the zest of one orange

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan, stirring frequently. Add the cranberries and cook over medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the vanilla and orange zest, and continue cooking until the sauce is thick, about ten minutes. Pour the sauce into a container and chill. Once the sauce cools, it will thicken even more and you will have jelly.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Why would anyone go to the trouble to make their own tortillas, you ask? Because they are infinitely better than any you can buy at the store, for one, and because you just got a new toy from the Viking Store! I cannot resist a kitchen store- I enter a Williams Sonoma or a Sur la Table the way most women enter Anthropologie. It is physically impossible for me to leave empty-handed. On my last visit to one of these hallowed places, I found a tortilla press. I have always wanted one, but have just never picked one up from the mexican market while shopping for cajeta or some such other mexican delicieux. Finally, I came to my senses and made the purchase, not a big one at all, by the way. About $25 for a new toy? Much cheaper than a pair of jeans at Anthropologie. So, on to the next step: use of the toy. I confess, it was not instant success. I had many throw-aways, but the good news about throw-aways here is that you can just ball the mess up and start over with the same dough! And, ever since I discovered how easy it is to make the dough (just add water to your Maseca), I have wanted to make homemade tortillas. Here's how simple it is:

Prepare your dough according to the instructions on the package of Maseca (the corn flour required to make the dough). Divide the dough into balls just smaller than a golf ball. Do this before you start pressing, trust me, it will be easier that way. You don't want your hands all sticky with dough when you are trying to press out these little buggers. Once you have your dough all rolled up into balls, cover them with a clean damp towel so they don't dry out. Then, put a piece of plastic wrap on each inside plate of your tortilla press. Plastic wrap works better than wax paper, as the dough tends to stick to the wax paper. Pop one of those dough balls onto the center of the bottom plate and press down, briefly closing the latch on the top of the press. Then lift the top plate up, and there you have it! A nice little round tortilla ready for the skillet! Now comes the tricky part, peeling the tortilla off of the press. Just do it carefully, and if it rips, ball it up and do it again. When you are finished pressing your tortilla, put it in the middle of an ungreased hot cast-iron skillet for about a minute per side. Then continue on with the rest in the same fashion. As they come off of the skillet, they can be stacked and covered with a clean kitchen towel. Now you can make enchiladas, tostadas, tortilla soup, or a simple taco like I did, with avocado, thinly sliced radish, a little cotija cheese and some chipotle tabasco. Yummy.