Give Thanks for Adel's November Recipe

by Adel Aschenbrener and Amy Robinson

No matter how high your table is piled with Thanksgiving bounty, there is always room for desert. Join us for our December workshops for a sweet ending to a savory year! Your writing will be inspired by treats like Adel's heavenly pear frangipane tart:

• So You Wanna Be a Writer (starting Dec. 1 or Dec. 10)
• Finishing School (starting Dec. 1 or Dec 10)
• Your Life As A Movie (Tues., Dec. 7)
• You - Abbreviated and Fascinating: Delicious Personal Essays (Sun., Jan. 16)
  
• Mini Writing Staycation with Judy Reeves (Jan. 8 & 9)

Sign up by calling 323-333-2954 or emailing marilyn@writingpad.com. Classes are filling up fast!

For our Thanksgiving recipe, Adel tells us about her personal Iron Chef moment, followed by a yummy palette cleansing Cranberry Jell-o Salad.

Adel says, "Coming from a family of cooks isn't always everything it's cracked up to be, especially during the holidays. Last Thanksgiving, inspired by the Food Network, my aunts and uncles decided to have their own Iron Chef battle, with yours truly playing the part of the Chairman.

Days of slicing, dicing, and consulting culminated in an epic feast. There were four turkeys (for fifteen people) and more side dishes than the table could hold: chorizo cornbread dressing, chipotle glazed sweet potatoes, and brussels sprouts with bacon. Pre-dinner tequila shots failed to make my decision any easier.

As I fell victim to a food coma, I scanned the table for something familiar, a palate cleanser if you will. And there it was. Amidst the smoked, rotisseried, brined, and deep fried bird parts, shining brightly in all its jiggly, trashy glory, as red and lurid as grandma's lipstick, was mom's cranberry jello salad. It was the clear winner."

Thanksgiving Cranberry Jello Salad
1 package of cranberries

2.5 cups water

2 cups sugar

2 pkgs Cherry Jell-o (3 oz. each package)

1 package mini marshmallows

1 cup diced apples

1 cup diced celery

1 cup nuts

Cook 1 package cranberries and 2 1/2 cups water until they pop. Add 2 cups sugar, 2 (3 oz.) packages of cherry Jello, 1 package miniature marshmallows and cook five minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add 1 cup diced apples, 1 cup diced celery and 1 cup nuts. Refrigerate. (This salad is better if made the day before use.)