Category Archives: RECIPES

Best Tomato Sauce Ever (Vol. III)

25 Thursday Sep 2014

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Why am I still single if I can make this sumptuous, irresistible tomato sauce?  Let me explain. Years ago, a friend gave me the recipe for Rachael Ray’s “You Won’t Be Single For Long Vodka Sauce,” which promises that if you make her sauce for a guy, he’s sure to pop the question.  Um, still waiting. Then I went to Nick & Toni’s in NYC and had their version, called Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola, and after discovering the recipe online, I am now convinced I will land a prince.  A gorgeous, food-loving, Jewish prince at that!  It’s that good, and the best vodka sauce I’ve ever had, hands down.

If you can’t get to Nick & Toni’s, make it at home. (Thank you, Barefoot Contessa!) While it needs to bake in the oven for an hour and a half and yes, there’s a heck of a lot of cream, its comforting aromas and super-concentrated spicy/sweet flavor will more than make up for the extra calories and cooking time.  This is the third of my three-part “Best Tomato Sauce Ever” posts, yet it might be the first thing I’ll note if I ever join Match.com. (“Or J-Date!” my mother just screamed.)

Nick & Toni’s Penne Alla Vecchia Bettola

Adapted from Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa

  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 1 medium Spanish onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 cup vodka
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled plum tomatoes (San Marzano are best)
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 pound penne pasta
  • 4 tablespoons fresh oregano
  • 3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream (Feel free to use half ‘n half for a slightly less rich taste)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little more for presentation

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vodka and continue cooking until the mixture is reduced by half.  Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes through a sieve and crush them into the pan with your hands. Add 2 teaspoons salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and place it in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Drain and set aside.

Place the tomato mixture in a blender and puree in batches until the sauce is a smooth consistency. Return to the pan.  Reheat the sauce, add 2 tablespoons fresh oregano and enough cream to make the sauce a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss the pasta into the sauce and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Serve with an additional sprinkle of Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh oregano on each plate.  Good luck!

Serves 4-5

(small photos courtesy of Alexandracooks.com – a great foodie website)

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More World Cup … Cocktails!

17 Thursday Jul 2014

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Why did I only learn about this drink the night after the World Cup ended??  I wanted to enjoy the World Cup, I want to like soccer, I want to call it futbol like cool people, I even want to travel to Uruguay and paint my face.  But let’s face it — I’m a red, white + blue baseball girl to the core, so while I cheered on American Tim “The Human Wall” Howard and marveled at the acting chops of the Dutchmen, I have to admit that I was a little ….. bored.  I promise you I’m no Ann “soccer is foreign” Coulter, and I think it’s a terrific sport, the world’s sport.  I just don’t understand it.

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American Goalkeeper Tim Howard

What I do understand, however, is a good summer cocktail, so when I went out on Sunday after Germany beat Argentina in the Final, I was overjoyed to discover that there’s a companion drink to the Caipirinha, the long-popular Brazilian drink.  It’s called the Caipiroska, equally popular throughout South America and equally delicious.  There’s lots of lime and lots of sugar, yet instead of the Brazilian cachaça liquor, the Caipiroska is made with vodka.  Oh snap, I thought, I’m making these tomorrow!  NYTimes food writer David Tanis says that “Caipiroskas are best served with a beach in view, on the beach itself, or with a beach in mind.”  Anyone know of a good beach in Uruguay?

Cairpiroska
from “One Good Dish” by David Tanis
 
  • 2 small limes, quartered
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 2 oz. vodka
  • Ice cubes

Put the limes and sugar in a cocktail shaker or sturdy glass.  Mash vigorously with a wooden muddler or pestle.  Add the vodka and a few ice cubes, shake well, and pour into a rocks glass.

serves 1

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Best Tomato Sauce Ever (Vol. II)

07 Monday Jul 2014

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Facebook: Scarpetta

24 dollars for a small plate of spaghetti?  That’s what I said to a friend when she told me about Scott Conant’s signature pasta dish at Scarpetta, his fantastic restaurant in the Meatpacking District in NYC (with other locations in Miami, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, and Toronto).  But trust me, it’s not your average plate of spaghetti, no sir.  It’s his simple Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil, and it is simply divine.  His secrets?  A pat of butter at the end (isn’t it always butter?), peeling tons of plum tomatoes and breaking them down with a potato masher (his grandmother’s trick), and infusing his oil with garlic, red pepper and basil, rather than adding them directly to the sauce.  That last bit, which he saves for last, is what defines this dish the most.  As he put it: “The last thing you add will be the first thing you taste,” and that’s so true.

Out of my three “Best Tomato Sauce Ever” recipes, this one is probably my favorite, but I tend to make it the least because it’s pretty labor intensive.  (Ok, and also because I live near the Meatpacking District and tend to pop in to the bar at Scarpetta and eat it faster than you can say “Pass the Ragu” ….. ) You can cut out some of the prep time by using good canned tomatoes (ie. San Marzano) instead of peeling tons of plums, but regardless, it’s so worth the effort.  This simplest-sounding, traditional of dishes packs a mean punch of sophistication and flavor, equaling more than money can buy.

Here is the recipe, below, or for step-by-step instructions by Chef Scott himself, check this out:

http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/10/making-scarpetta-tomato-basil-spaghetti-scott-conant-scarpetta-meatpacking-district-nyce.html

Scott Conant’s Spaghetti with Tomato and Basil
@ Scarpetta: New York City, Miami, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, and Toronto
 
          • 6 oz. spaghetti, high quality dried or fresh
          • Kosher salt
          • Basil – 16 large leaves
          • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
          • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Tomato sauce (2 cups):

          • 12 ripe plum tomatoes (If not in season or if tomatoes lack some flavor, supplement with 1/4 can San Marzano tomatoes)
          • Red chili flakes, 2 pinches
          • Kosher salt
          • 3 tbsp. plus 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
          • 10 cloves Garlic, whole
          • 3 stems of Basil, leaves on

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Directions:

Place a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil. Prepare an ice bath by placing ice in a bowl and filling with cold water. Core tomatoes with a paring knife, and discard cores. Score the bottom of each tomato with an “X.” When water has come to a boil, place tomatoes in water and leave for 15 seconds, until skin begins to split away. Transfer to ice bath. When cool, peel with paring knife.

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Remove seeds with your thumb, and set seeded tomatoes aside. Reserve seeds and excess juices. If using canned tomatoes, seed in the same way. In a new pot, place 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, carefully transfer tomatoes to the pot. Add a pinch of salt and chili flakes. Allow the tomatoes to cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften, then smash them with a potato masher. If the consistency is particularly thick, strain excess tomato juices for seeds and add to pot. Cook tomatoes 30 to 45 minutes over medium heat, smashing and stirring occasionally.

While the tomatoes are cooking, prepare the basil-garlic oil. Take a small saucepan and place the remaining 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil in the pan. Add garlic cloves, basil, and chili flakes. Slowly heat to allow the flavors to transfer to the oil. When the garlic is lightly browned, remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Strain the oil and combine with the tomato mixture.  Remove the sauce from the heat and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, as needed.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heavily season with salt, until it tastes as salty as a broth would. Cook the spaghetti in the water and remove when it is just shy of al dente—depending on the pasta, 3 minutes for fresh, 10 minutes for dried.

Roll basil leaves into a cylinder and thinly cut lengthwise into a chiffonade. Set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, place the sauce into a sauté pan, heat slowly, and reduce slightly. Add the pasta to the sauté pan along with a bit of pasta water, to add starch and seasoning, and finish cooking, over medium high heat. The sauce should coat the pasta and look cohesive. When you shake the pan, the sauce and pasta should move together.

Remove from the heat and add the basil, cheese, and butter, tossing gently to incorporate. Divid the pasta among individual, wide shallow bowls. Adjust the seasoning, drizzle with oil if desired, and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Best Tomato Sauce Ever (Vol. I)

29 Thursday May 2014

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Food lovers, look away, for I have a confession to make:  I hate tomatoes.  It’s blasphemy, I know, for the tomato is one of the staples of practically every type of cuisine, yet since I was young and had my first BLT, I literally gag at the sight of them.  My poor mother spent years picking little cherries out of my salads and big beefsteak slices from my sandwiches, and when I lived in Florence for a semester, it’s possible that I pissed off an entire city. (“Ma che cosa ci fa?? Stupido Americano!”) But what can I say?  Eat a tomato in front of me like it’s an apple and you will see a grown woman squeal like a 5-year-old. (It’s the seeds, by the way.)

Cook the little suckers, however, and it’s a whole different ballgame.  It’s ironic that for a girl who shuns gazpacho and bloody mary’s, I salivate at the thought of a sumptuous tomato sauce.  Remember that scene in “The Godfather” when Clemenza was teasing Michael about his phone call to Kay (“Tell her you love her, Michael!”) all the while teaching him how to make the best Italian “gravy?”  I had to make that sauce right away! And when I first made the holy grail of all tomato sauces, Marcella Hazan’s Tomato sauce with Onion and Butter, I felt like writing the city of Florence a mea culpa.  Chefs from Matio Batali to practically every food blogger out there have sung its praises for years, elevating Hazan, the “Julia Child of Italian Cooking” to superstar status.  It’s also ridiculously easy to make, so there’s really no excuse not to try it.  Oh, unless you’re on a diet.  Or watching your cholesterol.  Because what makes this sauce so good is butter, and lots of it.  Yep, it’s not your nonna’s traditional gravy with garlic or wine or sugar, but rather a lush and velvety sauce that is so simple and good, you may never make another tomato sauce again.*

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Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan 

  • 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano if you can find them), with their juices, cut up
  • 5 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion (preferably yellow), peeled and cut in half
  • salt, to taste

Put the tomatoes, butter and onion in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  When the tomatoes start to bubble, lower the heat to a slow and steady simmer, and cook uncovered for 45 minutes or until the fat floats free from the tomatoes.  Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes to the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.  Remove from heat, add salt to taste, and discard the onion before tossing with pasta (Hazan suggests spaghetti, penne or rigatoni).  Add grated parmesan cheese if desired, though most agree it doesn’t need it it’s so good!

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*That is, until you read my “Best Tomato Sauce Ever, Vol. II and III, coming soon!

Friday Night Dinner

16 Wednesday Apr 2014

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my mother Phyllis

Winner winner, chicken dinner!  I grew up Jewish, and Friday nights at our house were pretty sacred. No parties or outings for us at the end of the week, no siree.  Instead, we had the traditional Shabbat dinner at home, complete with yummy challah bread, icky Manischewitz wine, and chicken. Always chicken.

Meanwhile, my mother Phyllis was a “Three Ingredient Cookbook” kind of cook – the easier the better. And my favorite Friday night dinner, by far, was her super-simple Orange Juice chicken. It’s sweet and tart at the same time, with just a hint of a kick, and couldn’t be easier to make. And the best part? The tangy orange sauce that we used to spoon over white rice. I’m serious when I say that for all my high falutin’ foodie airs, if I had to choose a “last meal,” this would be it!

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BUT, since I am a foodie, I wanted to see if I could come up with a new, revised version, using real oranges instead of the canned stuff – go figure! – and making my own “Lawry’s” seasoned salt.  The first is decidedly simpler, but the latter packs a great punch, if I do say so myself!  See which one you like better!

Phyllis’ Orange Juice Chicken

  • 1 whole chicken, cut up (or 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces of your choice, preferably dark meat)
  • 1 lg. can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
  • Lawry’s seasoning salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 orange, sliced*
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced*

*Optional – my mother never did this, but when I make this dish now, I add some orange and onion slices to the roasting dish halfway through the cooking time. It gives a little oomph of flavor, plus it’s nice for presentation.

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Clean chicken pieces and trim off any fat or extra skin. Season generously with the Lawry’s salt and a little pepper and place in a large roasting pan.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the can of orange juice concentrate with 1 can of cold water and stir.
  4. Pour the juice mixture over the chicken and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or when the meat is tender and no longer pink. If adding the onion and/or orange slices, put them in the roasting dish after about 20-25 minutes and continue cooking. And that’s it!

Serves 4-5

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Revised Version! (aka Leah’s Orange Chicken)

  • 8 chicken thighs
  • 3 oranges
  • 3 shallots, coarsely sliced
  • 6 rosemary sprigs
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp. butter

Homemade Lawry’s Seasoned Salt:

  • 2 tbsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • ½ tsp. paprika
  • ¼ tsp. turmeric
  • ¼ tsp. garlic salt
  • ¼ tsp. onion salt
  • ¼ tsp. corn starch

(mix together in small mixing bowl and put in old seasoning bottle if available)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Clean and trim chicken pieces and season generously with the homemade seasoned salt. Heat olive oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium heat and place chicken in skillet, skin side down. Sear about 7 minutes, until the skin is a nice golden brown. Transfer chicken to a plate and pour off fat from the skillet. Return chicken, skin side up, and add rosemary and shallots. Slice 1 ½ oranges into wedges and put in pan, squeezing a little juice over the chicken when you do this. Transfer to oven, and bake until cooked through, about 25 minutes.

When chicken is done, take the skillet out of the oven (don’t forget to use a towel or oven mitt!) and place on stovetop. Using tongs, remove chicken to a plate, along with the shallots and oranges. Discard the rosemary, leaving just the sauce. Squeeze the juice of the rest of the oranges into the sauce and heat over medium heat. Add vinegar and stir, then reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Take pan off heat and add butter, stir, then put the chicken, orange wedges and shallots back into the pan and coat. Serve warm, especially over rice!

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I hate baking.

20 Thursday Mar 2014

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NOT me.

I hate baking.  No, let me correct that – I’m afraid of baking.  All the exactness of it, the “don’t open the oven until it’s done!” stuff, the science of it.  Ask me to make a last-minute Thanksgiving dinner for 12?  No problem.  Ask me to bake a cake?  HIVES.  But that all changed when I learned that Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa herself, was intimidated by baking too, or more specifically, making pastry dough.  Then she discovered frozen puff pastry.  And I did too.  It’s easy, it’s timesaving, it’s inexpensive, and it’s just a great short cut to creating simple, homemade desserts.  Most of all, Ina approves.

Here’s a simple but impressive recipe for Palmiers, sometimes called Elephant Ears or French Hearts.  Why impressive?  Because they’re French, fancy, and flaky.  But shhh, so easy!

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Palmiers

  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry*, defrosted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  1. Mix the salt with the sugar and pour half the mixture onto a counter or cutting board.  Unfold the sheet of pastry dough onto the sugar and pour the rest of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it out evenly.
  2. Roll the dough into a 12”x12” square, rolling the sugar into the pastry.  Idiot  alert!  If it’s your first time using a rolling pin, don’t get all excited and roll it out too large and thin (“Wooooo, I’m baking!”). You’ll burn whatever you’re doing because the bottom will be too thin.
  3. Now it’s time to fold and fear not – you’ll get it.  Fold the two sides a quarter of the way inwards, then a quarter of the way inwards again so that they’ll meet in the middle.  Then fold one half on top of the other, culminating in six layers, and you’ll now have a long vertical strip.
  4. Slice the dough into strips about ¼” thick and place strips on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure you leave about 2” in between slices so that they can spread while baking.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes until brown and caramelized on the bottom, then turn and bake for 3-4 minutes more.  Let cool on a wire rack and Voila!  Fancy, French cookies you made all by yourself!

Makes 20

*Tip  Any puff pastry will do, but if you can find Dufour Pastry Kitchens Classic Puff Pastry, I promise you, you will never use another kind again.  It’s crazy good, and no one will ever believe it’s store-bought.  I found it at Whole Foods and almost wish I hadn’t, ka-ching!

Om shanti, honey.

03 Monday Mar 2014

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Cold enough for ya?  If you’re in any part of the US besides perhaps California, then you’ve been suffering just like me through this horrid winter that just won’t quit.  I truly think that the only thing that’s gotten me through has been my friend Grace’s homemade Chai Tea recipe.  It’s so good, and I’ve made it so often, it’s almost replaced my morning coffee.  Almost.  Make a large batch, and either heat it up, cup by cup, or serve it iced – also so good. It’s much tastier than any artificial, too-sweet version you’d find at Starbucks, and you’ll really impress your friends.  Especially those in extra layers and down parkas and mittens and hats and scarves and long underwear and wool sweaters and OMG WHEN WILL THIS FRIGGIN’ WINTER EVER END?!?!

Grace’s Homemade Chai Tea

  • 15 cloves
  • 15 peppercorns
  • 10 cardamom pods, gently crushed
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 star anise (optional – I love its licorice flavor and its look)
  • 1” piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 3 bags of black tea, preferably Assam or Darjeeling
  • 2 -3 cups milk (depending on how latte-like you like it)
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Add 6 cups water to medium saucepan on medium-high heat.  Add cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and ginger and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add tea bags and let simmer for only 2 or 3 minutes more.  Strain liquid and then pour back into saucepan on low heat.  Add milk, honey and vanilla, stir for a few minutes, remove from heat, and ahhhh, enjoy!

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* Feel free to fool around with this recipe to your liking, as I did with the star anise.  Some people add allspice, or use a real vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract, while others use brown sugar instead of honey.  Grace doesn’t like any caffeine, so she actually excludes the tea bags and just drinks the spiced stuff.  And as noted, when it finally warms up, serve it iced and it’s a real treat. *

Ho ho ho, Jewish/Chinese style!

26 Sunday Jan 2014

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Me and Alan, my sous chef!

What does a nice Jewish girl do on Christmas Eve when eight goyim* come for dinner?  Order Chinese food, of course!  But last Christmas, I decided to throw caution to the wind and make Chinese food rather than call for take-out.  And I didn’t want to be fancy… I wanted to serve the staples of Chinese-American restaurants:  hot and sour soup, shrimp fried rice, beef and broccoli, and my favorite, General Tso’s chicken.  Boston chef Ming Tsai’s website (Ming.com) helped me with most of the recipes, but then I found a lighter version of General Tso’s chicken that’s pan-fried instead of deep-fried.  Hit of the night, ho ho ho!

*non-Jews : )

Pan-Fried General Tso’s Chicken
from Food & Wine

  • 1  1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 large egg white
  • ¼ cup + 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • ¼ cup + 3 tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp. Chinese chile-garlic sauce
  • 3 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for frying
  • 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 2 lg. garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • Steamed broccoli and white rice, for serving

1. In a medium bowl, combine the sesame oil with the egg white, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, and ¼ cup + 2 tbsp. cornstarch.  Add the chicken, stirring to coat.  Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the chicken broth with the chile-garlic sauce, sugar, and the remaining ¼ cup soy sauce and remaining tbsp. cornstarch.

3. In a large saucepan, heat the oil, add the ginger and garlic, and cook over high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the broth mixture to the pan until thickened and glossy, about 3 minutes.  Keep warm.

4. In a large, deep skillet, heat ½” oil until shimmering.  Add the chicken a few pieces at a time, and fry over high heat, turning a few times until very browned and crisp, about 4 minutes.  Drain the chicken on paper towels and add to the sauce, along with the scallions.  Cook briefly, until coated.  Serve immediately with steamed rice and broccoli.

  • Serves 4

 

The New Pesto

17 Friday Jan 2014

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Move over pesto, mama’s got a favorite new sauce!  If you’ve ever been to any of the Momofuku restaurants in NYC, maybe you, too, have savored every bite of Chef David Chang’s classic Ginger Scallion Noodles.  But did you know how great that sauce is on almost anything, and how easy it is to make?  So far, I’ve had it on roasted salmon, pan-fried shrimp, ramen noodles, jasmine rice, and even vermicelli.  It’s also great on grilled fish or meat.  It’s just a whole lotta’ sweet ‘n sour goodness with a kick (read: ginger!) and even though, consistency-wise, it’s more like a relish than a sauce, it’s my new favorite ‘must-have’ in the fridge!

Momofuku’s Ginger Scallion Sauce

  • 2 ½ cups thinly chopped scallions (white and green parts, from about 1-2 bunches)
  • ½ cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger (that’s not a typo, go for it!)
  • ¼ cup grapeseed or canola oil
  • 1 ½ tsp. light soy sauce
  • ¾ tsp. sherry vinegar
  • ¾ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl, adding more salt if needed.  Let stand at least 15 minutes, open your refrigerator, and see what you can put it on!

    • Makes about 3 cups.
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Ginger Scallion Noodles @ Momofuku

Cranberry Delight

05 Sunday Jan 2014

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Got a pesky mother-in-law coming for dinner, or maybe an always-hostile ex over for the holidays?  Worry no more.  I made a cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving once that was so good, my sister, who wasn’t speaking to me at the time, felt compelled to actually look my way and mutter “This is incredible!”.  Yep, it was so good she lost herself and just had to speak to me.  It’s spicy and sweet, with regular and brown sugar, and the pièce de résistance?  WINE instead of water.  You’re welcome.

Boozy Cranberry Sauce
adapted from Bon Appetit

  • 1 3/4 cups red Zinfandel  (plus 1 glass for the cook  ;-)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 8 whole cloves
  • 8 whole allspice
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 3×1-inch strip orange peel
  • 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

Combine all ingredients except cranberries in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Strain syrup into large saucepan. Add cranberries to syrup and cook over medium heat until berries burst, about 10 minutes. Cool. Transfer sauce to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

  • Makes about 3 cups.