Citrus

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."

This simple appetizer is a clever blend of sweet, salty and tangy flavors.

Serve this home-style treat with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Potatoes are the typical main ingredient in this classic garlicky Greek spread. The use of white beans in their place-plus the addition of tahini along with lots of fresh mint and parsley-transforms the easy appetizer into a whole new treat.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 45 min

Look for wild salmon fillets. You can ask the fishmonger to remove the pinbones, or remove them at home with tweezers. Serve with: Alsatian Riesling • sautéed sugar snap peas • rice pilaf with watercress and green onions • white chocolate crème brûlée

Begin preparing the custards a day ahead so that they can chill overnight.

Fish from the Mediterranean waters is put to a variety of uses in Tunisian cuisine, and a simple soup such as this one of the most common. It's flavored with an appealing blend of herbs, spices and citrus.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or crème fraîche, or with slices of aged kefalotyri cheese or white cheddar.

This refreshing and truly sparkling dessert adds glamour to any summer dinner. If you can't find Prosecco, use any fruity sparkling wine, such as Asti Spumante.

Chill the flans overnight before serving.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Rick Rodgers, cookbook author and teacher, says, "The inspiration for this recipe came to me one Thanksgiving when my friends and I were sipping mugs of mulled wine while preparing dinner. I was doing a basic cranberry sauce and tossed in a bit of the spiced wine. The result was a fabulous mix of sweet and spice—and I've been making it this way every year since."