Turkey

These patties get their moistness and delicious flavor from a combination of light and dark meat. We don't recommend using all breast meat—they just won't be as good.

Chipotle chiles are quite spicy; choosing a mild enchilada sauce will temper the heat of this dish. Look for chipotle chiles canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, in the Latin American foods section of the supermarket. Serve with: Avocado, red onion, and grapefruit salad with citrus vinaigrette, and Spanish rice.

Moroccan Turkey Pie Traditionally, Moroccan b'stilla is a pie made with minced squab.

Bruce Aidells, founder of Aidell's Sausage Company, says, "When I was in college, a friend from Mississippi introduced me to the technique of marinating the turkey by rubbing the meat under the skin with flavorings. Over the years, I've continued to modify the recipe for what I refer to as 'trash bag turkey,' so named because a large plastic bag is the best thing for holding the bird while it marinates for a day or two." Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

This turkey is basted with Port, a wine exported to the colonies by English merchants in Portugal; for a time it was boycotted by the revolutionaries. Here, the Port gives the turkey and the gravy a rich flavor. Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

Turkey may not have played as big a part in the first Thanksgiving, held back in 1621, as it does in our contemporary celebration. If turkey was served at all, it was probably one of many game birds, that were served along with venison, oysters, clams, lobsters, and eels, as well as succotash, beach plums, sweet potatoes, leeks and cornbread. My own Thanksgiving menu is intended to pay homage to the foods of the first Thanksgiving , as well as to the foods that have become associated with this holiday. I believe that holidays by their own nature demand that traditional foods be served. In America, there is no stronger correlation between the food and the day than that of the venerable Thanksgiving Day turkey.

This is a kind of picadillo, a typical Spanish stew. It's also a great way to use up the (usually) less popular dark meat from the turkey. Readily available pumpkin pie spice introduces a touch of sweetness — and makes a nice addition to the spice shelf. Accompany this dish with steamed rice, a basket of warm tortillas, and an arugula and red onion salad. For a Latin-style dessert, drizzle warm caramel sauce over caramel ice cream and top with some sliced bananas.

A crowd-pleasing standard gets a makeover with ground turkey instead of beef; sautéed vegetables and sun-dried tomatoes add flavor. Round out the meat loaf with the mashed potatoes, some green beans and dinner rolls. Pour a dry white or light red wine.

Ask the butcher to bone, skin and butterfly the turkey breast. You will also need some cheesecloth (available in most supermarkets) for wrapping the roulade before cooking.

A watercress salad would be good with these. And how about a lemon meringue pie to finish?

Serve with: A black bean salad and burger toppings like pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. Hamburger buns are optional. Dessert: Dulce de leche ice cream and sliced strawberries.

A healthful version of meatloaf that doesn't sacrifice taste for a lower fat content. Put leftovers on onion rolls with lettuce and tomato for a great sandwich treat.