Getting saucy

As part of our continuing series on "How I spent the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving", we present: fresh cranberry compote in three easy steps.

Step 1. Sort berries and combine with apple, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, and spices.

Step 2. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until everything is nice and warm and the cranberries have (mostly) burst open.

Step 3. Try to keep people from burning their lips and mouths on hot sugar and syrup when they are too impatient to let the compote cool a bit and insist on eating it right out of the steaming pot because geez, that smells good and when will it be ready, already?