Thanksgiving

Toss grilled carrots and fresh avocados with a chile-ginger dressing that's sweetened with honey for a simple side that can easily double as a light lunch.

These tender, fluffy cornbread muffins skip the butter and call for creamy whipped corn instead. A side of homemade jalapeño pepper jelly adds some spice.

Since the crunchy apple and kohlrabi are so refreshing, it would make the perfect palate cleanser between heavier courses at dinner, but most often I eat it for a light lunch.

This versatile condiment brings a balanced mix of sweet, salty, acidic, and herbaceous flavors that complement virtually any pizza. If it’s not pizza night but you’ve got leftovers, drizzle this over roasted vegetables, cooked chicken, or a crispy-skinned piece of fish.

Sour cream isn’t just a gimmick. Used in place of the more typical cream or buttermilk, it adds a rich, tangy flavor, and its acidity helps make the biscuits incredibly tender.

Hate pouring excess sourdough starter down the drain? Instead, use it in this biscuit recipe, where it takes the place of buttermilk, adding tang and just a bit of lift. Milk-based starter (yeah, that’s a thing) is our preference, but for a delicious and totally dairy-free biscuit, use water-based starter and vegan butter.

This salad evolved from my father’s favorite road-trip snack—carrot sticks with roasted almonds, lemon juice, and salt. I’ve punched it up with fresh ginger, lots of parsley, and dates.

For most drinkers of a certain age, Jägermeister is the unofficial source of many bad decisions. But here it acts as the base of a bone-warming drink that combines the herbal notes of the liqueur with apple brandy for a decidedly adult way to fortify oneself after a day out in the cold.

In our cold-weather version of the mojito we sub out white rum for rich, brooding blackstrap and mint for muddled rosemary.

When roasted at high temperature, humble cabbage becomes sweet and incredibly satisfying. In this recipe, the cabbage ‘steaks’ are a base for crispy chickpeas, herby croutons, and a rich and lemony garlic sauce.

Miso and a paprika-packed squash purée makes this dairy-free risotto hearty and satisfying. Double or triple the squash purée, and use it in other meals throughout the week.

Pairing the tangy fruit with Scotch—plus oolong tea that’s been steeped forever—gives a whisper of smoke and a bitter, malty edge to the drink.

This recipe calls for a whole leg of ham, with the bone in, that has been pre-cured and pre-cooked. If you can’t buy a pre-cooked ham, ask your local butcher for a cured leg and follow their cooking instructions before glazing.

Imagine a pumpkin pie with pecan pie’s best feature: the candied nut topping. Now spike the custard with rye whiskey, up the flavor of the crust with rye flour, and voilà.

A sharp lemon filling, sweet-and-salty meringue, and shatteringly crisp crust combine to make a balanced update to this classic.

A dazzling chocolate pudding pie cloaked in voluminous whipped cream. The secret to that whipped cream’s great height: Setting it with dissolved gelatin means it won’t deflate or weep when chilled.

Bake your pie crusts ahead so your oven is free for the turkey on the big day. They will keep at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 days.

Roasted peanuts pull double duty in the graham cracker crust and sprinkled over the topping, keeping the bananas from making this pie excessively sweet.

This sliceable, jiggly sauce is spiced with bay leaves and cardamom, set in a gelatin mold, and crowned with sugared orange zest and cranberries.

On the continuum from slightly textured to exquisitely satiny spuds, use a potato masher (rustic, but fine!), ricer (nicer!), or food mill fitted with the finest disk (woooow!).