Decades ago cranberries used to be boring: Just a ho-hum side dish that made holiday appearances and disappeared into culinary obscurity the rest of the year. Often, cranberries were simply dumped from a can, either jellied or sauced. When jellied, they conformed to the shape of the can; cut, the jiggly slices toppled like cascading dominos.

Seems like mundane treatments for a berry so revered by Native Americans long before the arrival of the first Europeans. These tangy berries deserve more respect. Over the last couple of decades or so, they’ve gotten it. Now culinary movers and shakers place fresh cranberries in more prominent roles.

Tantalizing salsas, chutneys and sauces appear more frequently on menus and in cookbooks. Glamorous cranberry desserts show off on dessert carts and bak

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