Bon Appétit

No patience for a traditional brine? The dry brine is applied directly to the turkey's skin for a few hours, delivering big flavor (thank the salt!) and less hassle.

This recipe is ripe for reinvention; use different breads and add-ins to vary the flavor.

Diminutive and sweet hakurei turnips are in season and perfect for this dish; find them at farmers' markets.

We make lots of things from scratch on Thanksgiving, but pumpkin purée isn't one of them.

Kick off the holiday sweet(s) season by sending guests home with this crunchy, easy-to-make-ahead brittle.

A splash of brandy—plus orange zest and juice—in the doughnut batter complements the fruity jam filling perfectly. Try it with any preserve, pastry cream, or sugar coating you like.

This zabaione (zabaglione) and lemongrass ice cream dessert is adapted from Chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy. It is his unique take on a lemon tart, served upside down and smashed. According to Chef Bottura, "this dessert pokes fun at our daily striving for perfection and pristine beauty. I love the dynamics of a lemon tart but hate all the fuss—cream decorations and stubborn crusts. To get around all that nonsense, we purposefully crushed our tart. Of course, it isn’t just a one-liner but full of flavored experience from the most fragile crust to the peaks of tart, sour, sweet, cured, and candied lemon on the plate." This recipe makes 2 large tarts: You can make 2 and freeze 1 (keeping all elements separate in the freezer and assembling just before serving) or you can halve the ingredients.

Customize this recipe by subbing in other nuts and seeds.

A surprisingly easy sweet-tart lamb roast is just the thing to feed a crowd this Easter.

Wine spritzers are an excellent way to bluff your way through the wine hour. Spend your time and money on the accoutrements ("fancy" club soda, fresh garnishes, big ice cubes) instead of the main ingredient (wine) and still impress guests.

These old-fashioned marshmallows look beautiful in apothecary jars. Find one at a flea market, Williams-Sonoma, or on etsy.com.

Most fish markets will sell you the bones you need to make the rich broth, but avoid those from oily fish like mackerel or bluefish, which will overpower the stew's flavor.

Shredded coconut, which is cut more finely than the thick flaked type called for here, will work in a pinch.

Raspberries or blackberries can be swapped in for the blueberries.

Hot-smoked salmon, unlike cured, is fully cooked.

The frittata will be easier to remove from the skillet if it sits for a few minutes—the top will deflate and the edges will pull away from the pan.

Totally elegant, easy, and seasonal, this is just the main to make for your next fall dinner party.

The ultimate holiday vacation cooking project: lasagna with two homemade sauces and layers of homemade pasta.