La Casa de la Abuela is a restaurant with weathered wood tables and a big covered patio. It sits on the main road of La Union, a small town that doesn't even leave a mark on the Google Map of Ecuador. There, in that little town, I experienced the best meal I ate in Ecuador, despite the road noise.

One of the first things that was brought to the table was sliced fresh tomatoes with basil and a drizzle of garlicky, herby oil. There was something about that oil that made those tomatoes shine! Next arrival to the table was a big bowl of seemed muscles and clams, without a doubt freshly caught that morning. We drizzled the same garlic oil over each clam shell in delight. Was it the clams that were stellar or just the oil? Or both?

We took turns guessing how they made the oil, until finally the owner and chef came to the table, bearing a jar full of the stuff, and the list of the ingredients.

Just garlic, parsley, and red chiles in olive oil will give you a taste of that night in Ecuador. Drizzle it freely over seafood, dress a caprese salad, use it to make a salad dressing, or drip your favorite bread into it. 🤤

Ecuadorian Garlic-Chile Dipping Oil

Published August 8, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Yields: 1 cup | Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup olive oil
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresno chile (in Ecuador, they would use a small red chile called Pico de Pájaro, but I am unable to find that locally)
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Mince garlic, fresno chile and parsley and place in jar.
Add salt and oil, to jar. Allow to sit covered, in fridge, for 24 hours so that the flavors seep into the oil.
Use as a drizzle or dipping oil.

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Last week, I shared a recipe for coffee cake that was inspired by my grandmother. This recipe also makes me think of her, because for years I thought it was a family tradition--you know, passed down from my Grandmother, to my father, and finally to me. My Grandmother taught me to make blueberry muffins, and inspired so many other dishes: Every time she had guests over for dinner, she would spend the next day on her typewriter, writing up a thank you letter and a recipe card for the meal she had made.

So it only seemed natural that this recipe, like so many others, was one of hers. Pass down the family line. This was such a nice thought that somehow, it stuck. It stamped out my memories of canned cranberry sauce, jiggly and can-shaped. It made me forget that I used to despise cranberry sauce.

But one day, many years after trying this recipe for the first time, I told my dad that I had made his favorite cranberry sauce--his mom's version. He gave me puzzled look, trying to figure out what "recipe" I may have used, since in reality she had always just used canned cranberries. Quickly the truth became clear: I was confused! My dad had actually found this recipe years ago on his own. When it was passed to me, and described as "our family recipe," well, things got confusing.

It is still a family recipe, in a sense--two generations counts, right? But mostly, it's just the best cranberry sauce I've ever had. It converted me from a cranberry sauce hater (or a cranberry sauce poker — someone that just pokes the slice of canned red stuff with their fork, never taking a bite), into a cranberry sauce fanatic (someone that can’t wait to make cranberry sauce come November).

This, my friends, is what cranberry sauce is all about. Refined sugar has been taken out of the equation, and what's left is a pure, delicious, tangy cranberry and apple relish. Studded with pecans, for a bit of texture, too.

Cranberry sauce isn't just for dinner! It makes a pretty awesome desert, served over ice cream or a slice of pound cake. If you eat dairy, it's delicious on yogurt, cottage cheese, or perfect for making an appetizer platter with baked brie or gruyere. Or, try it on french toast!

TIP: You can make this sauce a week ahead of the big day! Store in the fridge in air-tight containers.

Paleo Cran-Apple Relish

Published December 15, 2014 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2 cups | Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup diced apple
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional: 1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, combine the cranberries, chopped apples, water, and honey. Cover and bring to a low simmer for 10 minutes.
After ten minutes, the cranberries should be puffed or popping, and the honey should be dissolved. Add the lemon, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir. Simmer for five more minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the toasted pecans. Serve immediately or allow to cool and place in an air tight container to serve later.

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