Beer Scribes in the Kitchen for Thanksgiving: Cranbeer-y Relish
On my bookshelf is a swingtop bottle of beer from the Faust Brewery in Miltenberg, Bavaria, labeled with a photograph of a dozen beer writers —a surprise gesture from the brewery to commemorate our visit in 2007.
Standing to my right in the picture is a beaming Lisa Morrison, a woman whose sunny nature must brighten the sometimes drizzly city of Portland where she lives. Beer writing used to be her off-hours occupation while she kept her day job in journalism, breaking some important stories in the early hours. But, with a Beer Writer of the Year award and a guidebook to the breweries of Oregon to her credit, she’s claimed the handle Beer Goddess and moved to the brew side full time.
Still in the broadcasting world, she is the producer and host of “Beer O’Clock!—The Show for People who Love Great Beer.” It’s live each weekend in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest through the Radio Northwest Network and can also be heard on Saturdays at 3 p.m. PT on kxl.com. You can get the podcast on iTunes, kxl.com and beergoddess.com.
Here’s what the Beer Goddess creates in the kitchen. —JJ
Lisa Morrison’s Cranbeer-y Relish
Published in The Christmas Table: Recipes and Crafts to Create Your Own Holiday Tradition by Diane Morgan
Makes 2 1/4 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 12 ounce bottle Lindemans’s Framboise Lambic beer
- 1 12 ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/4 cup finely diced crystallized ginger (see Cook’s Note)
- 1/4 cup sugar (or more or less to taste)
1. In a deep four-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the beer to a boil. Add the cranberries, ginger, and sugar.
2. Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have popped open, about 10-15 minutes. You can assist the cranberries by pushing against them and the side of the saucepan with a spoon. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
3. Refrigerate in a covered jar or container until ready to serve. The relish can be made up to 10 days in advance.
Tomorrow: An over-the-top pecan pie brings Thanksgiving dinner to a stupendous close.