What is Susan Stamberg's Cranberry Relish? NPR's pioneering broadcaster dies at 87

Pioneering radio journalist Susan Stamberg has reportedly passed away on Thursday, October 16. Stamberg, who was dubbed as the "founding mother" of the NPR network, was also known for her famous Cranberry Relish recipe, a five ingredient dish she recited every year during the live broadcast on NPR's flagship program, "All Things Considered."

According to The Washington Post, Susan Stamberg had retired just last month, in September after fifty years of being associated with NPR. At the moment, a cause of death has not yet been revealed. Following the news of her passing, Katherine Maher, the current President of NPR, released a statement in light of her sudden death. She wrote:

"Susan’s voice was not only a cornerstone of NPR — it was a cornerstone of American life. She showed that journalism could be both rigorous and deeply personal. She inspired countless journalists to believe they could explore life and truth, and lead with both authority and warmth.”

Susan Stamberg, who was born Susan Levitt in Newark, New Jersey, on September 7, 1938, grew up on the Upper West Side. She later attended Barnard College, from where she graduated with a degree in English Literature. Soon after, she married her husband, Louis Stamberg, in 1962.

According to NPR, Stamberg began her career by working at WAMU radio station as a weather girl but later joined NPR in 1972, when the network was still in its nascent stages. Stamberg went on to make history as the first woman in the US to host a national news program. Over her decades-long career, she has received numerous accolades, including being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2020.

More about Susan Stamberg's famous Cranberry Relish recipe, as the beloved former NPR radio host passes away

Susan Stamberg was celebrated for her unique broadcasting style and for debuting the now-iconic Cranberry Relish recipe on the "All Things Considered" back in 1972. According to NPR, Stamberg learned the recipe from her mother in-law, who herself had adapted it from food critic Craig Claiborne's 1959 recipe which was published in The New York Times.

Susan Stamberg was visiting her soon to be mother-in-law, Marjorie Stamberg in 1961, when she tasted the dish for the first time. During the November 2017 episode of the "Morning Edition," she said:

"For the past almost-50 years, I've been sharing an old family Thanksgiving recipe with NPR listeners. Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish comes from my late mother-in-law Marjorie Stamberg, who served it in Allentown, Pa., when I was brought there to be inspected by my future in-laws."

She further shared her first thoughts about the recipe, saying:

"I thought it was delicious, made it every year at Thanksgiving, and because I like tradition, wanted to give listeners a tradition of their own. I always warn them that it's a recipe that sounds awful (whoever heard of putting onion and horseradish in with cranberries?), but tastes terrific. And it does! Trust me."

The recipe, which was also dubbed as "Mama Stamberg's Cranberry Relish" uses two whole cups of raw cranberries, one small onion, 3/4 cups sour cream, 1/2 cups of sugar, and two tablespoons of horseradish. The resulting dish, with its distinct pink color, was introduced as an accompanying side dish to the Thanksgiving Turkey.

According to NPR, the preparation involves griding the raw, washed cranberries and onions into a "clunky paste," then adding source cream, sugar and horseradish. The dish, which has been presented during her broadcast in several innovative ways has to be frozen before serving it alongside turkey on Thanksgiving.

According to New York Times, Susan Stamberg, who was eighty-seven years old at the time of her passing, is survived by her son, Josh Stamberg, and her two grandaughters, Lena and Vivian.

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