Pecan

From the Pepper Mill in Clearwater, Florida.

Two new flavors enhance a classic.

A different take on favorite Thanksgiving flavors, this beautiful do-ahead pumpkin dessert is made even easier by the use of purchased sauce.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

At the fish market, ask them to remove the head, tail and bones from the trout, then to cut each trout into two fillets, leaving the skin intact.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Christmas cookie baking starts Thanksgiving weekend for one food editor. Together with her mother, she makes family favorites like the buttery balls below.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

I hated this salad when I was growing up: It was pink, had too many ingredients in it, and my very Southern family loved it — three good reasons to abstain. During Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, my mother would always go back for seconds, chiming, "You don't know what you're missing." But I knew, all right — an unappealing mishmash of canned fruit and mayonnaise. No thanks. However, as I've grown older my family's "Southern classics" don't embarrass me as much. I've actually eaten this salad many times as an adult, and though I'm not saying it's my favorite, sometimes I need seconds to be sure.

This dessert, from The Cascades Restaurant, is made with a cookie crust and a brownie filling. The chef serves it with whipped cream, passion fruit sauce and raspberry sauce.

This cake keeps well and feeds a crowd. The "crumble" is simply a middle layer of pecans, brown sugar, butter and cocoa.

The nutty, crunchy topping makes a nice contrast to the juicy peach filling.

These large, hearty cookies are a fairly recent addition to the American repertoire, appearing sometime in the latter half of the twentieth century. Most ranger cookies contain rolled oats and coconut, and some also include pecans and crushed corn flakes. Despite the name, the cookies don't seem to be connected with the Texas Rangers or Texas, or with any particular part of the country, for that matter. These cookies have a rich, satisfying taste and toothsomeness that gives them great staying power and appeal. They are particularly good with a glass of milk.