Pumpkin

This retro favorite was popularized by the Hawaiian Pineapple Company and Gold Medal Flour in the 1920s. Here, the classic goes autumnal with the addition of pumpkin, molasses, and a mix of warming spices.

Vegetarians deserve a showstopping centerpiece for their main course, too, and this burnished pumpkin, filled with a fragrant stew, will have even meat eaters saying, "Who needs a turkey?" Root vegetables, mushrooms, and seitan—a firm, meatlike wheat protein that soaks up all the flavors of the sauce—mingle with roasted vegetables inside the pumpkin, whose flesh you scoop out along with servings of the stew. (Don't be intimidated at the thought of assembling such a masterpiece—if you've ever made a jack-o'-lantern, you have the skills to prepare this dish.)

A thin layer of plum jam beneath the custard is visually gorgeous—it's a magenta pinstripe just under the pumpkin orange—and provides a surprisingly delicious twist, since the tart plums bring out the best in all the other traditional flavors of pumpkin pie.

Use any seasonal squash you like in this comforting and creamy soup.

Mascarpone lightens up the filling of this classic pumpkin pie.

Warm up on a chilly fall evening with this pumpkin spice bread pudding.

Moist spice cake layered with cream cheese frosting adds up to one irresistible autumn treat.

Using turkey makes this take on the Hungarian beef stew lighter. Adjust the heat level by using all hot paprika, all sweet paprika, or a combination.

In the islands, black-eyed peas are known as black-eyed beans.

Named after the heart-shaped callaloo leaves from the taro plant, this traditional stew can be made with crab, lobster, and shrimp, or taro root and coconut milk. But all versions of the dish call for okra and, of course, callaloo leaves. Spinach makes a great substitute for the callaloo.

Pumpkin, packed with vitamin A, proves it has a life after Thanksgiving.

This recipe was created by Melissa Walnock, the pastry chef at New York's Tabla. It's part of a special menu for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

Caramelized sugar laces this classic with a sensuous richness, extraordinary in the context of this unbelievably light and delicately spiced pie. And since it's cooked in a deep quiche pan, a single pie will serve 12 guests.

Embrace the flavors of autumn with this luscious take on a classic. The pumpkin not only lends richness but also makes the pie a stunner, with mesmerizing swirls of orange. Ginger adds a subtle snap.

A favorite from the '70s, pumpkin cheesecake is even more fun as a crumbly, nutty bar.

This recipe comes from John Josselyn, an early traveler to New England. Stewed pumpkin was common, everyday fare—a "standing dish"—particularly in the fall and winter.

Kibbet Yatkeen These flavorful patties, which contain no eggs, are denser and more healthful than typical Western pancakes. In Syria, bulgur supplies the body in these patties, but in America some cooks discovered that oats make a suitable substitute. Of course, traditionalists insist on bulgur. Syrians tend to prefer their pumpkin pancakes savory and somewhat spicy, while Sephardim from Turkey and Greece generally like them slightly sweet. These might be served at a Syrian Hanukkah meal alongside bazargan (Syrian bulgur relish), yerba (stuffed grape leaves), spinach salad, and rice with pine nuts.

In Trinidad and Tobago, crabs are traditionally cooked whole and the meat picked out. This sophisticated dish combines American-style crab cakes with the island flavor of callaloo, a green stew that's the national dish of Trinidad. Here, the stew becomes a sauce, creating an elegant starter or light lunch.