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Don’t get me started on jellied cranberries plopped out of the can with the ridges still intact.

At least get the whole berry variety.

I crave them with add-ons, listed below. This culinary adventure is about me coming into a bag of fresh whole berries and finally taking my niece’s advice to follow the simple directions on the back to cook them whole.

I did it!

It was quick, easy and so much fun to hear them pop. So, now I’m a pro.

Here are some things I like to add into the cranberry mash:

• Diced fresh jalapeno
• Diced onion
• Cinnamon
• A spoon full of spirits of your choice
• Vanilla
• Orange peel
• Tabasco
• Toasted nuts, chopped

Get cranny, Culinary Thrill Seekers!

“My Culinary Love Story” – Pauline Parry didn’t really know she was a foodie until she kept running into the best luck – after she and her husband split.

This English woman ran into a job at an English restaurant and got to live upstairs with her kids, stumbled upon another job at a castle, created and enjoyed amazing food and wine along the way, and a found a man to spend her adventures with. This book is a true story and features recipes and art work of dishes.

Fancy Whole Salmon En Croute and Venison in Red Wine Sauce with Sweet Potato Herb Mash and Pear and Mandarin Pavolva?

This chapter book note’s Pauline’s job duties including driving into the countryside for cheese and cream and harvesting snails.

It’s a page turner as we see how her relationship progresses with Dennis, who would love to marry and take her family to California. It’s well written because it was well lived by Pauline Parry.

“Be You, No Filter” is Latasha Blackmond’s advice on “How to Love Yourself and Stay #SocialMediaStrong.” She’s written it to young girls and encourages them to think about what and why they post, and the messages it sends to others.

I’m sure any age reader could benefit from her discussion questions. Now here’s some advice we may not have considered just a decade or two ago.

When a couple begins to date, Blackmond asks them to discuss how they will handle their relationship via social media.

Darragh Castillo is a Port Arthur area foodie dreaming of Christmas Eve gumbo. Email her darraghcastillo@icloud.com.