Relishing My Son’s Cranberry Relish [PHIL-OSOPHY]

A Thanksgiving staple in our family is delicious cranberry relish.

Our son, Alex, who won't be celebrating with us this holiday, has mastered his own recipe of the tastiest cranberry relish this side of Missoula. Truth is, all three of our kids are excellent cooks. I guess they learned a thing or two growing up in a diner.

I'd describe Alex's cranberry relish sauce as sweet rubs unsweet, bursting with a zesty, tangy kick. He's made it so companionable, that the relish compliments everything on the plate, including the gravy.

Cranberry relish sauce isn't only for the Thanksgiving feast, or as a side dish with leftover turkey sandwiches. The bright and piquant flavors serve as one of the finest marinades for pork, chicken, and beef. It also works so well when you grate some fresh ginger on it and serve it with grilled fresh fish.

If you want savory, homemade muffins, just mix the cranberry relish into the batter. Warm some up and top your pancakes, waffles or French toast, or make a simple maple-cranberry syrup by heating some relish with pure maple syrup.

Try it on your hot oatmeal, and you're missing out if you've never married the relish with soft whipped cream cheese and spread liberally on a toasted bagel. And if it goes well with cream cheese, imagine how great it tastes with sheep or goat cheese. And finally, making cranberry butter is as simple as it sounds by just blending the two ingredients.

I wasn't intending to go on and on about how adaptable cranberry relish is with so many foods, but when something is as tasty and versatile as Alex's relish, I wanted to make sure you were aware of some of the sauce's adaptability.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family and bear in mind, the best things in life are the people we love.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.