Bruce Aidells

Our youth culture has even reached the green market: Baby vegetables are among the most sought-after produce, whether we buy them because they are sweeter and more tender than their full-grown counterparts or just because they look great on the plate. Seek out golden yellow, chioggia (an Italian heirloom variety that has white and pink rings inside), and Albino beets at farmers' markets.

This spoon bread is as tender as a soufflé but much simpler to make.

These popovers are like individual Yorkshire puddings. To make a dozen large popovers, just double the recipe and use two pans.

At the turn of the century, folks were feeling devilish, no longer satisfied with angel food cake, the evangelical treat of the late 1800s. They wanted chocolate and plenty of it, and devil's food cake filled the bill.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Moroccan Lamb Kebabs.

Just about every book we've ever seen on southwest cooking includes a recipe for one of the spicy cornbreads of the region. Once you've tasted one, you'll know why — they are really delicious. This version is more of a pudding than a bread because it is quite moist and cheesy in texture. It makes a wonderful side dish to replace potatoes or rice, or it is quite satisfying eaten as a light entrée or lunch with a salad of fresh young greens.

Braised pork shoulder, spicy Italian sausage, and pancetta enrich the tomato sauce. Dried crushed red pepper kicks up the heat.

Bruce Aidells, founder of Aidells Sausage Company, says, "Stuffing was the most important part of my family’s holiday menu. The turkey was always overcooked, but the stuffing was moist and delicious. We usually had two, sometimes three stuffings, but I leaned toward the kind with sausage. It was meaty and spicy, just like this one."

Bruce Aidells, founder of Aidell's Sausage Company, says, "When I was in college, a friend from Mississippi introduced me to the technique of marinating the turkey by rubbing the meat under the skin with flavorings. Over the years, I've continued to modify the recipe for what I refer to as 'trash bag turkey,' so named because a large plastic bag is the best thing for holding the bird while it marinates for a day or two." Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

This turns a terrific gingerbread—created by Rick Rodgers, an accomplished baker and food writer—into a layer cake. Let the stout stand, opened, at room temperature overnight so that it’s flat when you add it to the batter.

This dessert comes from Boulevard restaurant in San Francisco, California. The pastry chef, Karen Shaw, created the treat.

Here's our version of Barba Yianni's grilled lamb. The marinade works equally well with lamb chops, kebabs, or butterflied leg of lamb. You can also use it on pork or chicken. Skordalia is often made with mashed potatoes or bread soaked in water, but we feel the yogurt gives it more flavor. Skordalia is also good with grilled fish or chicken breasts.

Skordalia is often made with mashed potatoes or bread soaked in water, but we feel the yogurt gives it more flavor. Skordalia is also good with grilled fish or chicken breasts.

Bruce Aidells, founder of Aidell's Sausage Company, says, "I first discovered that fennel was a delicious vegetable while enjoying Christmas Eve dinner at the home of a dear friend of mine, the late cooking teacher Loni Kuhn. At her own family's holiday meals, a gratin of fennel, potatoes and cheese was a much appreciated standard. The mild anise flavor of cooked fennel goes particularly well with roast turkey or roast pork, and it has been a regular at my family's holiday table for more than twenty years."