Thanksgiving

Present the turkey before carving it. I suggest garnishing it with fresh sage and kumquats.

Caramelizing the top of this pudding adds an extra depth of flavor, but it's equally delicious without doing it. A blowtorch works best here; the broiler didn't give us the uniform browning we wanted.

These potatoes and the fish can be roasted at the same time, using the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

The porcini mushroom soaking liquid moistens this stuffing from Rochelle Palermo Torres.

This pie needs no introduction. It probably doesn't even need a recipe—everyone has a favorite way to make it. Here is mine.

Fresh cranberries are usually sold only from November through January. So freeze a few extra bags to make this anytime.

Always cool the stuffing completely before filling the turkey.

We've combined two holiday heavy hitters — chestnut stuffing and sausage stuffing — into one delicious dish. We call for bacon in addition to fresh pork to bring in a bit of smokiness.

We strongly recommend using light-colored metal (including nonstick) shallow baking pans (1 large or 2 small) for this recipe. When we used dark baking pans, the potatoes blackened before they were completely cooked through.

This flan is my variation of a classic Cuban dessert that's usually made with calabaza (also known as West Indian pumpkin). I've added a crunchy gingersnap crust, and the overall effect is like a cheesecake with a crispy crust. Use canned pumpkin if calabaza is unavailable.

Fresh orange juice always makes the best cranberry relish. Zest whole oranges before squeezing them for juice.

Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 5 hr If you decide to use fresh pumpkin purée for this cake, be sure you drain it for the full eight hours we recommend in the procedure.

Raisins or dried cranberries could easily stand in for the dried tart cherries.

Butternut is one of my favorite squashes. We often bake a small butternut squash (about 1 pound) at home; we split it lengthwise, seed it, score the flesh with a knife, sprinkle on a little salt, and bake, skin side down, for 1 hour in a 400-degree oven. Excellent in soup and pureed, butternut squash is always welcome at our table. This gratin is quite rich and should be reserved for special occasions, like Thanksgiving.

"I have never been a bread-pudding fan," writes Marie Hernandez of Chicago. "But after trying the pumpkin bread pudding at Wildfire restaurant in Oak Brook, Illinois, I think I've changed my mind. Had I know that this dessert could be so good, I would have started eating it long ago." Do as the restaurant does, and serve this with sweetened whipped cream.

Serve this curry with condiments such as dried currants, sliced green onions, shredded coconut and toasted slivered almonds.

The cranberries add tartness, color and texture. Serve the pie with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, if you like.