Bon Appétit

María A. Alvarado-Gómez of Erie, Pennsylvania, writes: "I came to the United States as an exchange student, after spending the first 18 years of my life in Mérida, Yucatán. On school vacations I would go home and cook with my mother and sisters so that I wouldn't lose my touch. My mother was a skilled cook, and I was lucky to have learned at her side. Her food was so popular in our neighborhood that she sold portions of our daily meals to other families. With nine well-fed kids, she said we were her best advertisement. "I still take great pride in the food of my homeland. Yucatecan cuisine is known for its Mayan influence, and the essential ingredients we use — limes, spices, avocados, tomatoes, peppers — make for wonderful flavors. Now that ground spices are readily available and vegetables can be quickly chopped in a food processor, preparing traditional Mexican dishes is easier than ever." Fresh and lively, like a cooked ceviche.

A celebration of midwestern cherries.

Cream cheese enhances the texture of the custard in this tart. To create the pretty wave pattern, use an icing comb, available in cookware stores. Begin making the dessert a day ahead.

Michael McLaughlin, cookbook author, says, "Not all Thanksgiving traditions originated decades ago. This recent addition to my holiday menu lineup was inspired by my move to Santa Fe. With locally grown green chilies readily available and pine nuts growing on piñon trees right outside my back door, a southwestern-style stuffing incorporating both ingredients seemed a natural. The tequila-soaked raisins are a sweet surprise." Make the corn bread a day ahead.

This classic chocolate cake gets its unlikely moniker from its color--the same as the deep, rich soil that lines Old Man River. It's usually made in a single-layer rectangular baking pan, but we dressed ours up and fashioned it into a layer cake.

Root vegetables are always for sale at the Central Market in Lancaster, but are especially nice this time of year. Rutabagas have a distinctive bitterness that makes them good with rich meats like pork. Tamed by the onions and honey, these rutabagas are a terrific side dish.

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says, "During my high school years, I always had two Thanksgiving dinners: one with my family at midday, and another later at the home of my girlfriend, Susie Mednick. Her mother cooked the turkey on a bed of caramelized onions, which mixed with the turkey drippings to produce the best gravy I’ve ever tasted. This gravy features those onions along with my mother's favored seasonings: sage and nutmeg." Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

Cream cheese was added to the ricotta for this smooth, luscious dessert. But if you can find fresh ricotta, which is less grainy than some of the commercial types, use it and omit the cream cheese.

This pretty slaw with a celery seed and cider vinegar dressing is perfect for a Fourth of July picnic. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Sicilian cooking is hot right now, so we've taken some of its classic, assertive ingredients and put them into a hearty stuffing. It's something new for the turkey. See how to chop peppers .

Croustades are toasted shapes or shells of bread or baked pastry crusts used as bases for serving various mixtures, either sweet or savory. Here they're made with slices of toasted pound cake and topped with wine-poached pears and ice cream. It's a dessert that's easy to make and a perfect conclusion to a county-style, French-inspired menu.

Fish cakes make festive party fare. They're especially good when complemented with a cool, colorful and crunchy cucumber, radish and cilantro salsa.

Kevin Prothal of Albany, New York, writes: "While we in upstate New York don't usually get a lot of press about our restaurants, we are still very well fed. I think the best place for any meal is McCarthy's Restaurant in Canton. The service is friendly, and the chocolate chip pie is, by itself, worth a trip up from New York City." This dessert is amazingly easy to prepare.