Fall

Poach the pears and serve with traditional anise-flavored fried pastries. Start the pears one day ahead.

This dessert can be transformed to fit occasions other than Valentine's Day. Try experimenting with round, square, or triangular meringue shapes. And even though you'll only need 4 meringue layers, the recipe calls for 6—thus allowing for the possibility of breakage…or snacks! We loved the look of passion-fruit seeds and sparkling, ruby-red pomegranate seeds (along with a bit of juice) as a garnish, but you could substitute fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries.

Golden Delicious apples are used for this autumnal dessert, but Rome Beauties work well, too.

This homey sauce complements the savory tastes of the turkey and stuffing.

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.