Make Ahead

A bâtarde is a loaf of bread that is slightly thicker but shorter than a baguette. This version gets nice texture and flavor from cooked wild rice. Be sure to cook and cool the rice before making the bread.

The earthy flavor of the beet is balanced by sweet raisins, spicy ginger, and sweet-spicy red onion. After Thanksgiving, serve this chutney with lamb.

These hearty rolls are packed with good-for-you stuff: whole wheat flour, old-fashioned oats, and wheat bran.

The stock would also make a good base for turkey soup.

Any leftovers would be great for breakfast.

This deep-dish crumb-topped pie combines several winter fruits and confirms that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The pears become soft, the apples remain slightly firm, the figs add texture and sweetness, and the tart cranberries pop in your mouth, making this rustic pie a sensory treat. Be sure to plan ahead, as this recipe calls for chilling the dough for one hour, chilling it again after you roll it out (this reduces shrinkage of the crust during baking), and then baking the pie for over an hour. It is an hours-long process, off and on, but it is worth every minute. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a glass of apple or pear brandy (preferably from Clear Creek Distillery), it is the perfect final touch to a dinner party.

Tender and crisp, packed with delicate herbal and aromatic lemon flavors, these rolled shortbread cookies accented with a little sea salt are easy to prepare, versatile, and delicious.

The fool originated in England in the fifteenth or sixteenth century. It is a simple dessert that combines tart fruit with whipped cream. The British traditionally made this dessert with gooseberries, but in spring rhubarb is the perfect choice, with its bright, tart flavor. A very simple dessert to prepare (we wince to say any fool can make it), this recipe calls for cooking a compote and then folding in whipped cream. It is elegant served with a shortbread cookie, which adds a delicious crispy element. To really doll it up, add a Candied Rhubarb Strip.

Chocolate and pears make an excellent combination. Here, bittersweet chocolate and sweet pears meld together to form the perfect balance. For this recipe, you can either take a rustic approach and toss the pears haphazardly into the pan or opt for a more elegant look by arranging the pears in concentric circles. Look for a good dark chocolate, which is not the same as unsweetened chocolate. Also, there are two kinds of unsweetened cocoa on the market; be sure to use unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa, not natural cocoa. When combined with baking soda, natural cocoa can impart a bitter taste to baked goods and cause them to rise too much.

Yogurt drinks are popular throughout India—some are flavored with sugar or fruit, while others, like this one, are more savory. "I give sample tastes of this all the time at the restaurant," says Susan Feniger, "and people are shocked by how refreshing it is."

In Vietnam, yogurt is known by a couple of different names: sua chua (sour milk) and da ua, pronounced "ya-orh," which is actually a transliteration of yaourt, reflecting the dish's origins during French colonization. Semantics aside, this just may be the silkiest yogurt you’ll ever taste, with a delightful balance of sweetness—which comes from condensed milk, a staple of the Vietnamese pantry—and tanginess. At Street, Feniger and Alger make and culture their own yogurt, but this recipe produces similar results and is much quicker.

These soupy beans resonate with the deep notes of tomato, garlic, and thyme. Meant to be served with the country hash , they would also go well with pork chops or grilled sausages.

The vegetable stock is best fresh but it can be refrigerated for 2-3 days, or even frozen. It is prone to absorbing other flavors in the refrigerator so ensure the container is airtight.

Every cook should have a good brisket recipe at the ready, and this one's a doozy. Braised with lots of browned onions, carrots, and celery in a mix of chicken broth and crushed tomatoes, the beef exits the oven full-flavored and fork-tender, ready to be shredded for the country hash or sliced and served with mashed potatoes for a homey dinner (though it's even better if you can wait a day). By all means, freeze the leftover braising liquid; it's wonderful as a sauce for fettuccine or as the base for a vegetable barley soup.

Consider making extra of this spicy syrup—it's delicious stirred into tea, added to smoothies, or drizzled over ice cream.

Simultaneously salty, sharp, spicy, and sweet (in other words, completely irresistible), these nuggets are chef Edward Lee's way of saying, "You can have a casual meal without compromising true culinary endeavor." The tradition of serving mustard with a soft pretzel is strictly an American one; Lee makes his own honey mustard, jazzing it up with chiles. For sources for country ham and pretzel salt.

Editor's note: Use this brine to make Diane Morgan's Juniper-Brined Roast Turkey with Chanterelle Mushroom Gravy There are two reasons I am very specific about the salt called for in this recipe. First, I want to use a salt that is 100 percent sodium chloride, without any additives such as calcium silicate, an anti-caking agent, or potassium iodide, a nutritional supplement, both of which I find detract from the salt's flavor. Second, salts have widely varying densities; for example, 2/3 cup of Diamond Crystal salt weighs 3 ounces (85 grams) while 2/3 cup of Morton's kosher salt weighs 5.25 ounces (149 grams), and the same volume of Morton's table salt weighs 6.5 ounces (185 grams)—more than double the weight of the Diamond Crystal! As a result, a brine using table salt may be more than twice as salty as one using the same amount of Diamond Crystal. Now readily available in the spice section of most supermarkets and gourmet grocers, Diamond Crystal is packaged in a bright red box with black lettering. You can substitute any brand of salt, as long as it is pure sodium chloride and you use a weight of 3 ounces (irrespective of volume).

When it comes to dessert, I am a chocoholic first and fruit-pie lover second; but after several test batches to perfect this cake, I am completely won over, and so is everyone who has tasted it. This is simply a spectacular cake—moist and light with spiced pumpkin flavor and sweet bites of coconut and pineapple. In addition, it is a snap to make. It requires two 9-inch cake pans to make the layers, but the cake itself can be mixed together with a rubber spatula and bowl. If all the cake ingredients are pre-measured and the cake pans prepared, this can be a fun kitchen project to do with children, especially since it can be made ahead and frozen.

Although trends come and go, chocolate mousse never fails to impress. Not only does it manage to convey both indulgence and comfort, it couldn't be simpler to make. This version is a true classic mousse in that the eggs are not cooked. You'll find it unbelievably smooth and voluptuous.

As a child, food editor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez regularly enjoyed the hearty stew that her grandmother Mary Pacella prepared as a way to use up surplus produce from the garden. Today, however, Miraglia Eriquez makes it as often as she can during the summer and early fall, using garden produce at its peak.