Quick Cranberry Sauce

From: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/quick-cranberry-sauce

Quick Cranberry Sauce

Prep: 5 minutesTotal: 55 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 8
1 bag (12 ounces) frozen cranberries
1 jar (12 ounces) red-currant jelly
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries and jelly.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring
occasionally, until cranberries have burst and liquid has
reduced to a syrup, 20 to 30 minutes.

Transfer to a serving dish, and let cool.
Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve, up to 3 days.

Turkey Day

FROM THE ARCHIVES: HERE'S ANOTHER--MAKE TWICE AS MUCH STUFFING AND MASHED POTATOES AS YOU THINK YOU'LL NEED:
Ease Turkey Day turmoil with a few handy tips (Mercury News Wire Services, 11/23/06)
Magazine tips

Instead of brining, salt the turkey for 24 to 48 hours before cooking. Massage salt into the turkey meat under the skin and inside the cavity. Be sure to rinse and dry the bird thoroughly before roasting (Cook's Illustrated, December).

When baking stuffing separately, use an ovenproof glass baking dish instead of a ceramic one. The bottom of the stuffing will brown better (Fine Cooking, November).

Two ways to handle problem gravy: Too thick? Add a splash of fortified wine such as Madeira or sherry. Too pale? Add a few shakes of soy sauce (Real Simple, November).

Four steps to light and buttery mashed potatoes: Boil the potatoes whole, with the skin on. Dry them out in a large saucepan over medium heat for two minutes before you rice or mash. Add butter before you add any liquids. Add milk/liquid that has been warmed (Bon Appetit, November).

To peel and cut butternut squash: First, trim an inch from the bottom and top for stability; use a serrated peeler on the thick skin; slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the membrane and seeds with a spoon (Cooking Light, November).

Three ways to handle Thanksgiving leftovers: Refresh undressed salad and crudites the next day by soaking them in water for 10 minutes. Make savory bread pudding with leftover stuffing; add meat from turkey legs to make it a strata. Freeze pecan pie by wrapping it tightly in foil and placing it inside two resealable plastic food storage freezer bags (Gourmet, November).

If you're not making your own pie crust, try Pillsbury's already-rolled or Pet-Ritz pie crust in a pan. They were rated best among ready-to-bake brands (Food & Wine, November).

When refrigerating pumpkin pie, lay a piece of paper towel lightly across the top, then cover the pie with plastic wrap. The towel will absorb any moisture and keep the pie surface free of droplets (Everyday Food, November).

Rosemary-Parmesan Icebox Crackers

Rosemary-Parmesan Icebox Crackers
Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream

Equipment:
measuring cups and spoons
pepper mill
citrus zester or rasp grater
cheese grater
food processor
baking sheet
parchment paper
decorative cutters
wire cooling rack

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, salt, pepper
and rosemary and pulse twice to mix. Add the butter and pulse
until the mixture resembles course meal, about 10 pulses.

Add the cheese and pulse twice to combine. With the motor
running, pour in the cream and continue processing until the
dough forms a single mass.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and roll into a log about
2 inches in diameter. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate
for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the dough into 1/8-inch-thick slices and place on the
prepared baking sheet. If desired, using miniature decorative
cutters, cut out the center of each slice, then place the cutouts
on the baking sheet. Bake until the crackers are light golden
brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack. When the crackers
are cool to the touch, transfer them to the rack.
Makes about 24 crackers.

VARIATIONS

Cheddar-Cayenne Icebox Crackers: In a food processor, pulse
together 1 cup flour, 1 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. cayenne as
directed above. Add 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter and
pulse as directed. Pulse in 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese,
then 1/4 cup cream. Following the instructions above, refrigerate,
slice and bake the crackers.

Black Pepper-Lemon Icebox Crackers: In a food processor, pulse
together 1 cup flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1 1/4 cracked pepper and zest of
2 lemons as directed above. Add 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
and pulse as directed. Pulse in 1 cup shredded Asiago cheese, then
3 Tbs. cream. Following the instructions above, refrigerate, slice
and bake the crackers.

MAKE-AHEAD TIPS
Prepare the dough, shape it into logs and refrigerate for up to 2
days before baking. If desired, bake crackers up to 2 days in
advance, store in an airtight container at room temperature.

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/food/2007/11/07/2007-11-07_plan_a_perfect_thanksgiving.html