Fall

Feel-good food: New research shows the vitamin C in acorn squash may help boost your mood.

Here's another dessert that was inspired by a wine-tasting dinner. It's often hard to come up with a dessert that pairs well with wine, but this savory-sweet dessert does. At its center is a Seckel pear, a small, reddish pear with a slightly spicy flavor. It has a firm flesh that makes it perfect for poaching. In this dessert I poach the pears in pomegranate juice with some ground black pepper. A chunk of Cabrales cheese, a strong blue cheese from northern Spain, is sandwiched between the top and bottom halves of the pear, and a Szechuan Ice Cream is served with it, sitting on a diamond of baked almond cream.

This corn syrup–based fake blood recipe is edible, making it useful for wannabe vampires on Halloween.

I get no greater satisfaction than knowing we've snuck some sweet potatoes and red cabbage onto the dessert menu at Vedge. This dish was originally inspired by a trip to the Czech Republic, where I enjoyed plum dumplings dusted in powdered sugar and served with vegan sour cream. Here, we fill our turnovers with candied whipped sweet potato, and the kraut garnish offers a nice bright note from the sweet Riesling. If you want to go all out, try serving them with a dollop of vegan sour cream whipped with a little powdered sugar and orange zest.

Yes, gravy should be lump-free (always whisk, don't stir), but it's the flavor of the roux that makes or breaks what gets passed at the table. Toasting flour in butter is what develops its deep, nutty taste. You'll know it's done when it's the color of graham crackers and smells like popcorn.

Cook turkey legs separately from the breasts and be prepared for the greatest holiday-food “Aha!” moment ever.

Thyme syrup adds a savory note to this rum-cider punch that'd be great as a pre–holiday dinner drink.

For this Thanksgiving-in-a-glass cocktail, feel free to sub (thawed) frozen cranberries for fresh.

Pomegranate seeds sub in for cranberries in this bracing, colorful relish.

The dressing should be emulsified when you add the butter. Keeping it warm will prevent it from separating, but if it does, add a couple drops of water and whisk again to bring it back together.

This chocolate and pumpkin mashup is surprising yet delicious. It's so good that you don't have to brûlée the top,though that effect surely makes the pie a show stopper.

We tried all kinds of gingersnaps to make this easy crust. Our favorite? Anna's Ginger Thins.

Kierin Baldwin's pie dough method is special in a couple of ways. First, she uses a combination of butter, which lends rich flavor, and shortening, which makes the flakiest crusts. The best of both worlds. Her technique of repeatedly flattening and stacking the dough coats the flour with fat, which helps make the crust tender.

This cut of pork can be very lean, so take care not to overcook it or it will be dry. Ideally, it should still be a little pink in the center.

We make lots of things from scratch on Thanksgiving, but pumpkin purée isn't one of them.

Kick off the holiday sweet(s) season by sending guests home with this crunchy, easy-to-make-ahead brittle.

The key to gratins is having all the ingredients—whether they're basic potatoes or the mixed root vegetables below—sliced the same thickness so they cook at the same rate. Make friends with a mandoline: It quickly yields precise, even slices.

Diminutive and sweet hakurei turnips are in season and perfect for this dish; find them at farmers' markets.

No patience for a traditional brine? The dry brine is applied directly to the turkey's skin for a few hours, delivering big flavor (thank the salt!) and less hassle.

Transform leftover turkey into the ultimate grilled cheese.