Thanksgiving is only a few days away and across the country, people are looking forward to a festive meal. Whether you’re sitting the family down to a turkey or a Tofurkey, everyone will have an opinion on cranberry sauce.

Some love cranberry sauce from a can — a cylinder of sweet-tart goodness. Even then, there are two camps — jellied or whole berries. And, while I now realize that some people actually heat up canned cranberry sauce, I will forever remember my mother plopping it straight from the can onto a plate and slicing the gelatinous red goo.

It was only when I grew to adulthood that I even learned that cranberries could be bought in a store. And that these berries, when heated with some sugar and water, could turn into cranberry sauce. For years since, making cranberry sauce has been my Thanksgiving ritual.

I set the pan on the stove and pop open a bottle of prosecco (some for me, some for my recipe). I pour a cup and a half of prosecco into a pot, with equal parts sugar, and sip on my wine while the sugar dissolves. Then I add the cranberries and wait for the gentle popping to start. For some reason, that sound is my official start of the holiday season.

I’m single now and I usually go to a friend’s house for dinner, but I still make my cranberry sauce. I use it as a topping for ice cream, mix it into Greek yogurt, or add to a simple vinaigrette which I toss into a salad made with turkey leftovers, lettuce, and avocado.

Chef Jet Tila has a great cranberry sauce recipe on his site, which he gracefully shared with Broken Palate.

However you celebrate, we wish you a festive day.

Jet Tila’s Cranberry Sauce

• 2 1/2 cups sugar

• 1 1/2 cups orange juice

• 6 cloves

• 6 allspice berries

• 4 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks

• 2 (12-ounce) bags fresh cranberries

• Grated zest of 2 oranges

Bring sugar, orange juice, orange zest, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon sticks to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan. Cook, stirring until syrup is clear, about 3 minutes.

Add cranberries and cook just until they begin to pop, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool. Refrigerate 1 to 3 days before serving. Remove cloves, allspice, and cinnamon sticks before serving.

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