Fall

Bosc pears must be very ripe; Anjou, which are juicier, can be slightly firm. Avoid enamel baking dishes, as they cause the syrup to burn.

Halving the yams before roasting greatly reduces the cooking time and allows them to develop a nice golden crust.

For a less formal but equally appealing presentation, you can spoon rather than pipe the filling into the shells.

This recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; reheat before serving.

This recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; reheat before serving.

We used acorn squash for this recipe, but other types, such as butternut or pumpkin, work as well.

Use a citrus reamer, juicer, or press to extract the pomegranate juice.

If you like, snip the prickly points of the leaves with scissors before you cook the artichokes. The tender leaves and hearts are delicious dipped in Aïoli (page 305).