Fall

These subtly spiced pears have an attractive crinkly look and are a lovely finish for an autumn meal. They keep nicely in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days.

These crescents are perfect simple supper fare; there’s hardly any prep time involved, and while they bake, you can make the rest of the meal.

Roasting intensifies the natural sugars in sweet potatoes. These sweeter sweet potatoes come out of the oven soft in the center and crisp around the edges.

Here, I’ve created my version of sweet potato pie, but it’s not as heavy and not as sweet. The cranberry foam gives a nice added pop of acidity.

I really like the combinations of flavors and textures that result when soft-curd cheeses are served with poached fruit. In this dessert, I add to that by layering on an icy granité and a crisp cracker. I’m not giving you a yield here, since this is more of a combination of flavors than anything, and you can make as many as you like.

Pumpkin ravioli is easier to find in the fall through the holidays, when the Halloween mascot is in season and on the minds of cooks. The sauce can also work nicely with any ravioli filling, but the pairing of pumpkin (or another sweet squash) with sage is particularly perfect, especially with the nutmeg and hazelnut flavors. This is truly a seasonal dish; to me, it tastes like autumn—even autumn in Southern California, where I’m from.

I’m really in love with butternut squash these days and I have been finding lots of new ways to use it. Here it brightens up beef stew, which can be a bit dreary looking, turning a tired old standard into something more unexpected and elegant.

I first tasted a risotto similar to this one in South Africa and though at first the idea of adding vanilla to a savory dish sounded a bit odd, I found the flavor combination irresistible. The vanilla adds a lovely aromatic finish but not a lot of sweetness. I consider this the perfect fall dish.

Fennel is best served from fall to spring, when it’s in season, and there are a million different ways to take advantage of its crunchy sweetness. Here, the raw bulbs are sliced and dressed with a nutty pistachio pesto and salty bites of prosciutto. The flavors just pair so well together.

Use a sweet, ripe (but not overripe) pear such as Bosc or Anjou; if it’s not ripe enough, the flavor won’t marry with the cheese. Taleggio is a mild, creamy Italian cheese; if you can’t find it, Brie is a perfectly fine substitute.

Pomegranates and cranberries are both widely available in the fall, making this the perfect cocktail for any holiday party.

Probably one of the easiest soups you will ever make, this smooth, creamy delight is perfect whether you’re entertaining or curling up in front of the fire.

Pat: Let’s face it, one of the great joys of roasting a big ole turkey or ham is the leftovers. Can you imagine what the day after Thanksgiving would be like without a big turkey sandwich? Anytime we have leftover ham, I dream of ham sandwiches on a soft roll with a little dollop of Miracle Whip. When it comes right down to it, I think I prefer the sandwiches to the actual meal. What follows are two of our favorite ways to dress up leftovers. The Turkey, Brie, and Cranberry Panini are crisp and cheesy and have become a year-round lunch staple.

Gina: These days, with both of us being so busy, Pat usually smokes our holiday hams and turkeys at the restaurant (what can I say, it’s a perk of being in the barbecue business), but when we first got married we prepared them at home. Pat and I are holiday people. We love Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the festive traditions associated with each day. It’s a special time of year for our families, and Lord knows we have a lot to be thankful for. When it comes to the holiday table, I want the flavor and presentation of everything to be the best. With this bird you can’t go wrong. We’ve been serving it on the Neely holiday table for decades. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. The flavor, the juicy texture, and, most important, the love that inspires it are simply unbelievable.

Gina: This simple, beautiful braise of sweet root vegetables and shallots is a perfect complement to any roasted meat (a Thanksgiving turkey, Cornish hens, and pot roast come to mind). For the deepest, richest flavor, be sure to get a good brown color on the vegetables before adding them to the chicken stock. We finish the dish with sage and parsley, but any number of fresh herbs will do the trick, including rosemary, thyme, or oregano.