[The JD]

I'm not a fan of fruitcake, or any Christmas food, even the good stuff....not turkey, not ham, not sweet potato pie. So I can't confess any weakness for holiday food, maligned or no....but there's one holiday standard that I'm fascinated by, in a horrified kind of way: Jellied cranberry sauce.

You know the image. It's the quivering red unappealing mass on the plate that nobody reaches for. It still bears the shape of the can it plopped out of, even after being sliced into half-inch thick medallions. You can even see the ridged indentations on the sides.

Since I've never actually seen anyone EAT this stuff, I'm not sure how it's used. Do you layer it on top of potato salad, slice off chunks and eat it by itself like a steak, or use it as a garnish to cleanse the palate? Can someone please explain this to me?

JD