Bon Appétit

Thyme adds a holiday touch to these light, buttery biscuits.

An elegant salad that would add a sophisticated touch to any Thanksgiving menu.

Terrific with turkey or any other roasted meats you might serve throughout the year.

Lemon peel also enlivens this terrific dish.

Plenty of black pepper is what makes this simple chicken dish so good. It's also terrific cooked on a grill. Pour your favorite Chianti.

Jason Gareffa of Los Angeles, California, writes: "Pursuing a career in acting keeps me tremendously busy. Between my improv comedy classes, performances, auditions for film and television roles, and gigs as a DJ for weddings, I don't have a lot of extra time on my hands. But good food is important to me, especially since I need a lot of energy to stay on the go. So over the years, I've started experimenting in the kitchen. Now the other members of my improv group even like to come to my 'wrap parties' to taste my creations."

Just right for an elegant meal.

You can use any type of good-quality olive in this spicy dish, but an assortment of black and green olives looks particularly nice.

Here are potatoes with Italian flavor.

Root vegetables were often used to lend sweetness to eighteenth-century cakes and puddings. The carrot cake layers in this recipe are sandwiched with marmalade and iced with a cream cheese frosting.

A salad of baby greens and citrus is a nice accompaniment, and so is rice pilaf studded with chives. Spoon sugared sliced strawberries over scoops of strawberry sorbet for a happy ending. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Potato salad with a southwestern kick‑the perfect partner for grilled flank steak, chicken or red snapper seasoned with cumin.

A nice do-ahead starter for an elegant meal.

Cobb salad was created at the Brown Derby, which opened in Los Angeles in 1926. Owner Robert Cobb placed diced vegetables, chicken and cheese on a bed of greens, and topped it all with his French dressing. Most of the ingredients for this recipe can be found at supermarket salad bars.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. This delicious pasta uses store-bought pesto.

These can be prepared one week ahead.

These light, tender, and delicious scones are a breeze to make with the aid of a food processor.