Fall

Nice with chicken.

Indigo's chef and owner is Glenn Chu, who was born in Hawaii and learned to cook from his Chinese grandmother — and by watching Julia Child on television. The result: Eurasian cuisine, which Chu showcases in selections as eclectic as goat cheese wontons with four-fruit sauce, and grilled shrimp with Thai macadamia-nut pesto. The romantic dining room has a tropical-island motif, with ceiling fans, bamboo, and bird-of-paradise.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 10 1/2 hr Look for sugar pumpkins and cheese pumpkins — we find they make the tastiest purée for pies, tarts, and cakes.

Canned yams make this side dish a snap.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This simple but sophisticated preparation is the star of the Thanksgiving table. Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

A favorite trick is to stuff the body cavity of the bird with bread stuffing and the neck cavity with the following very highly seasoned sausage meat stuffing.

Although bay leaves in this recipe smell delicious and look enticing, they should not be eaten because of their sharp edges.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Baked in individual ring molds, these little desserts feature caramelized pears, streusel topping and sweetened cream.

Coffee Semifreddo "Drowned" in Coffee We have served this dessert at Pó for six years and it is consistently my favorite—a kind of adult milkshake. Be careful to use decaf for the bathing liquid, or your guests may be up yakking all night.

Healthy bonus: Vitamin C and beta-carotene from the squash

This recipe originally accompanied White Chocolate Rice Pudding with Dried Cranberry Compote .