Thanksgiving

"I had lunch at a historic spot in Berryville, Virginia, called the Battletown Inn," says Judy Owens of Round Hill Virginia. "For dessert, I ordered bourbon walnut pie. If chef Robin Smith would share her recipe, I know that baking the pie during the holidays would become a family tradition." The sweetness of the filling is offset nicely by the bourbon. Serve the dessert with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Jeanne Thiel Kelley, Bon Appétit contributing editor, says, "My dad makes a great stuffing that has sweet Italian sausage in it. I used to love going with him to get the sausage from Pumas Italian market in Los Angeles. I would pick out a new cookie and come home with a shape of pasta I had never seen before. These days, I don't always get to celebrate Thanksgiving with my parents, so rather than make a wanna-be version of Dad's stuffing, I developed this one, which is pretty darn good."

Edible wild mushrooms, are featured in a rich-tasting gravy for this delicious turkey. Because it is cooked slowly at a low temperature, the turkey is extremely moist and flavorful. Apply the spice rub one day ahead. Uncork a bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir.

This super easy relish stays on the savory side. It makes a wonderful accompaniment to poultry, beef, or game.

Sicilian cooking is hot right now, so we've taken some of its classic, assertive ingredients and put them into a hearty stuffing. It's something new for the turkey. See how to chop peppers .

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 3 hr.

The gravy can be started while the turkey roasts. When the turkey is through cooking, finish the gravy with balsamic vinegar and the pan juices. Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says, "During my high school years, I always had two Thanksgiving dinners: one with my family at midday, and another later at the home of my girlfriend, Susie Mednick. Her mother cooked the turkey on a bed of caramelized onions, which mixed with the turkey drippings to produce the best gravy I’ve ever tasted. This gravy features those onions along with my mother's favored seasonings: sage and nutmeg." Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

Multi-grain breads can vary widely in density. As a result, the 10 cups diced bread called for below may weigh a little more or less than 1 pound. We preferred a light-textured seven-grain bread for this stuffing.

The gravy is a refined, delicious sauce in this duo from Barbara Shinn and David Page, co-owners of Home restaurant in New York and co-authors of Recipes from Home.