Cosmopolitan magazine…circa 1988. It’s the last place I ever thought I’d find a usable recipe. But I did. And it was so simple, I committed it to memory in the confines of that sweat bath of a studio apartment I rented on the upper west side that summer.

There’s no sugar in this, which is amazing for a cranberry recipe. Use it any way you like: in yogurt, oatmeal, on ice cream, waffles. No rules. Except one: don’t under any circumstances leave the stove while this is simmering. You haven’t really cleaned until you’ve cleaned molten cranberry sauce off a burner.

I’m naming this concoction in honor of the woman who (on some level) must have given it the green light:

Cranberry Sauce A La Helen Gurley Brown

1 bag fresh cranberries

1 can frozen grape juice concentrate (100% juice)

Place both ingredients in a sauce pan on medium heat and cover. Cook about 5-10 minutes, or until it begins to simmer. Uncover and turn heat to medium-low. Let simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool before serving or storing. Keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator. Months if frozen.

Bon Appetit!