Broil

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Thick slices of eggplant are topped with a salad of roasted red bell peppers, feta cheese, olives and garbanzo beans; then the salad is drizzled with a tangy balsamic dressing. It's nice with a Pinot Blanc or a Chardonnay. Pears poached in red wine and served with chocolate sauce and a glass of Sauternes make a lovely dessert.

Lane Crowther, a contributing editor at Bon Appétit, says, "Every year, I try to get my tradition-bound family to eat something new at Thanksgiving. This year, I'm hoping everyone will accept this dish in place of yams with marshmallows. It will take a lot of convincing, but I think they'll be pleasantly surprised. The orange juice gives the acorn squash a nice sweetness. Besides, Asian ingredients have become such an important part of American cooking lately that I thought it would be nice to fuse Pacific Rim flavors with a classic of the American table in autumn."

Plump scallops, sprinkled with salt and pepper, are lightly grilled and served with a salsa rich in parsley and diced vegetables. The salsa should be made just before eating; otherwise the liquid content of the vegetables will turn the dish watery.

Crepas de Cajeta con Nuez Cajeta (or dulce de leche, as it is known in other Latin American countries) is a thick caramel sauce traditionally made with goat's milk, though cow's milk is also commonly used. If you can't find cajeta, you can substitute dulce de leche, now available in many supermarkets (look for it next to the ice cream sauces). Cajeta is sold at Mexican and Latin American markets.

The simplest of preparations and a sprinkling of fleur de sel — a delicate sea salt — are the only enhancements these naturally crisp sweet peas need. Fleur de sel is sold at cookware stores, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

The fabulous texture and perfect balance of coffee and brandy flavors in the custard are enhanced with a crunchy brown-sugar topping. Bake the custards a day ahead so that they chill fully before the topping is broiled.

If fresh figs aren't available, dried black Mission figs can be substituted here; look for ones that are soft and moist. What to drink: Crisp Pinot Grigio pairs nicely with the entire meal.

Black olives absorb the flavor of red wine and fennel in this warm appetizer.

I like to serve these colorful peppers, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, as part of an antipasto platter. Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 3 hr (plus 1 week for flavors to develop)

This dessert hits both sweet and savory notes. Aged balsamic vinegar has a syruplike consistency, so a little drizzle goes a long way. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

Marsha also uses this versatile sauce (based on the Spanish sauce called romesco) as a pasta sauce, as a dip and on garlic toasts as an hors d'oeuvre.

Broiled pineapple is teamed with an easy-to-make ice cream and topped with toasted coconut for a tropical treat. The pineapple would also be good with purchased mango or coconut sorbet or with vanilla ice cream.

Melanie Riggs of Jackson, Mississippi, writes: "Last winter, I visited some friends in Minnesota. We had a fabulous meal at Redstone American Grill in Minnetonka, where I ordered an amazing steak with a blue- cheese-flavored crust." The Japanese-style breadcrumbs known as panko give the steaks a light, crispy crust.

Maison Novelli offers this great entrée. You can find polenta and tapenade at Italian markets and some supermarkets.

This is exactly the kind of dish that conjures up visions of Greeks spit-roasting lamb on rocky hills above the sea, and basting it with branches of thyme dipped in olive oil. (Which is not a bad recipe itself, especially if you have the rocky hills and sea.)

Serve with: Couscous with lentils. Dessert: Purchased lemon cheesecake.