Thanksgiving

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.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 hr

For years, pumpkins were planted in central-state cornfields to help the corn's roots cool in the summer. This pretty roll cake is an impressive alternative to classic pumpkin pie.

Pears and pear nectar add a delightful accent.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

California is among the four leading honey producers in the country. And Texas produces some of the finest pecans. This pie has a touch of honey in the filling, in the topping and in the crunchy coating for the pecan garnish. An extra batch of the honeyed pecans is a great snack or holiday hostess gift.

The Mexican sausage called chorizo teams up with other southwestern ingredients-including corn bread, an Anaheim chili, cilantro and oregano-for a delicious stuffing.

Port and orange juice accent this cranberry and dried fig sauce.

Caramel-flavored apples combine deliciously with a crisp streusel topping. A bonus: There are plenty of juices from the pie to spoon over scoops of ice cream.

San Francisco is famous for its sourdough, and a wide variety of apples are grown in Sonoma. In this sensational dressing, both ingredients are combined with almonds, which are harvested throughout the state. If you are roasting a turkey in a 350°F oven, cook the stuffing alongside, covered for 45 minutes and uncovered for about 15 minutes.

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.