Parsley

This play on osso buco forgoes veal for the dark meat of turkey legs. A vibrant gremolata made from lemon and orange zest and fresh parsley offsets the richness of the meat.

This recipe was created by chef Ryan Hardy of the Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado. It's part of a special menu he created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Roasting the fish in salt makes it very moist — without, surprisingly, making it taste too salty. The lemony salsa verde adds zing and freshness that contrast nicely with the roasted fish.

Rustic, tangy salmoriglio is the Italian equivalent of chimichurri, the popular Argentinean herb sauce.

Cooking a pot of rice is much easier than tearing up and toasting bread for stuffing. Assembling the side dish a day ahead saves time, too.

Leaving the skins on small red-skinned potatoes adds wonderful color and texture and makes this dish even easier to prepare.

What to drink: Roberto Santibañez recommends a Petite Sirah (a full-bodied, peppery red wine varietal) from L.A. Cetto in Mexico's Guadelupe Valley. Or try the Guenoc Petite Sirah from California's North Coast.

Chef Rathbun's method of roasting a turkey involves brushing the skin and packing the cavity with butter, then starting the roasting at a relatively high temperature — 450°F. As the turkey browns, the butter and turkey fat melt and pool under the grate, eliminating the need to add water to the pan juices. After 40 minutes, the oven is turned down to 350°F and the buttery drippings are used as a basting liquid. This technique seals in the bird's natural juices, producing crisp, golden skin and moist meat.

The garlicky spread that tops this steak is also excellent on fish, chicken, and pasta. Make extra and freeze it for a super finish for future weeknight dinners.

Roasting a whole head of cauliflower at high heat creates beautifully caramelized florets. It's perfectly offset by fresh parsley and a drizzle of a quick lemon dressing.

Also great with lamb, duck, or chicken.

Charmoula is a tangy, spicy sauce—in this case, made with cumin, cilantro, garlic, and lemon—that's traditionally served with meat in Morocco.

While 17th-century English diners had never heard of the word "appetizer," they certainly understood the idea of foods served in several large courses for formal or court dinners. For modern diners, however, this lovely 17th-century mussel recipe makes a perfect first course. After months of eating a sea diet of dried peas, oats, and salt meats, the passengers on the Mayflower were delighted to find mussels when they first made landing on Cape Cod. They were abundant and easily gathered. This recipe is adapted from Thomas Dawson, The Second Part of the Good Huswives Jewell, 1597.

If you have never thought to boil a turkey, this 1623 recipe will make a believer out of you. While the original recipe calls for a whole bird, the modern recipe is adapted to use with prepackaged turkey pieces. If you would like use a small whole bird (10-12 pounds), cut it into ten pieces before boiling—it is really difficult and potentially dangerous to lift a whole steaming turkey from a pot of boiling broth. For this larger amount of turkey, you will need to double the other ingredients.