Thanksgiving

This is a sweet dessert compote — it does not go with the turkey. The oranges are cooked to make sure all the bitterness is released, so it's important that they're sliced very thin — an extremely sharp thin-bladed knife is best for the task.

This chutney, which would be at home in India or England, goes well with turkey, pork, or venison.

Chunks of tender cauliflower and potato tossed with Indian spices give this stuffing a lovely, distinctive texture and flavor.

Of all the rich and succulent winter squash varieties, delicata, with its long and uniformly narrow shape, is the easiest to work with. And its thin, pale-golden skin with green striations is more than just pretty — it's edible, too.

Spaetzle, tender little morsels that are like a cross between a noodle and a dumpling, are common to Austrian, German, and Swiss cuisine.

Here, you only boil the rice briefly before combining it with the dried fruit and cooking it without water. We adapted this rice from a Persian method that yields a buttery crust (called tah-dig) on the bottom of the pan — later the crust is served with the rice. Usually you have to dip the pot in cold water at the end of cooking to release the crust, but a happy kitchen accident occurred when we tested this recipe. Food editor Ruth Cousineau let the rice stand for almost an hour (things can get hectic when you're preparing a holiday meal), and the crust came right out without the dipping. Using a heavy pot helps keep the rice hot, too.

Truffles add a flavorful woodsy note, but if you make this French-influenced celery-root purée without them, it will still be delicious.

Pomegranates are plentiful this time of year, and easy to juice; we found bottled pomegranate juice too sweet for this particular recipe.

An Italian salad of squash, chicory, pancetta, and chestnuts gets an American spin from a tart cranberry vinaigrette.

Discovered on Long Island in 1759, Pippin apples are one of the oldest U.S. varieties. Their bright tanginess and crisp texture make them excellent for baking.

Smaller brussels sprouts are especially pretty in this dish.

Use a clip-on deep-fry thermometer to gauge the oil temperature when frying these doughnuts: too low and they'll absorb oil, turning leaden and soggy; too high and they'll burn before the insides are cooked through.

Camote is Spanish for sweet potato.