Thanksgiving

Smaller brussels sprouts are especially pretty in this dish.

Use a clip-on deep-fry thermometer to gauge the oil temperature when frying these doughnuts: too low and they'll absorb oil, turning leaden and soggy; too high and they'll burn before the insides are cooked through.

Camote is Spanish for sweet potato.

Try this pumpkin-infused vodka in the Smashing Pumpkin Martini, or use it to invent a holiday cocktail of your own.The bar at Fifty Seven Fifty Seven in New York City, where it was created, uses a liter-sized Stolichnaya bottle to hold the vodka-pumpkin mixture while it steeps.

If you're expecting a crowd, mix up a pitcher of these drinks ahead of time and refrigerate. Pour over ice and garnish with lime wedges just before serving.

This Franco-American combination of bourbon and bubbles gives you another reason to be thankful. It doubles easily to accommodate the number of guests around your holiday table.

Cranberries are cultivated in Canada, and tradition there calls for hosts to make a punch for Christmas guests. Here, the crop and the custom merge in a delightful champagne cocktail, which takes a French turn with the addition of crème de cassis.

For a cold version of this cocktail, pour rum over ice in a large glass and top off with apple juice or sparkling cider.

This is also very good served hot.

Try floating some fresh strawberries in the punch for a nice presentation.

A lovely champagne cocktail.