Roast

Steaming the carrots tenderizes them before baking. The honey really heats up; during baking, check once or twice so it doesn't burn the carrots.

One of the most popular items on Peacock's menu at his Watershed restaurant, in Decatur, Georgia, these tomatoes are concentrated and soft, and sugar plays up their sweetness, making for a homemade flavor riff on ketchup that you'll want to serve with everything. The tomatoes shrink quite a bit—but a little definitely goes a long way.

Pan-sear to crisp the skin, then pop the fillets in the oven to finish the job.

Thick-cut oven fries are delicious—and so easy, especially if you don't have time to make the deep-fried version. Use russet or purple potatoes, or a mixture of both.

You can also roast asparagus alongside. Toss the trimmed spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place on a separate rimmed baking sheet.

When a meat is "potted," it's usually preserved beneath a layer of fat or made into a paste such as shrimp paste or deviled ham. Miss Lewis, however, merely cooked the birds in an iron pot on the stove. She gives the option of roasting in the oven, and that's what we did because it plays up the contrast between the rich, tender, moist dark meat and the crisp skin. Miss Lewis would never waste any part of such a luxurious bird, so she chops up the livers and adds them to the bread stuffing, which may look unprepossessing but is actually delicious. This is a simple, elegant meal, so treat yourself to a wonderful Bordeaux.

You'll find this tenderloin a wonderful change of pace—since it's not seared before cooking, the tenderness extends all the way through the crust (and it's less work for the cook). A woodsy suggestion of rosemary on the meat's surface is underlined by the lusciously savory, almost jammy tomato confit.

Trompe l'oeil as much as hors d'oeuvres, these rolls use carrot where nori would usually be at a sushi bar and boneless beef top loin instead of tuna. The pungent mustard sauce is an artful counterpoint to the sweet carrot.

This soup, served hot in a shot glass, is wonderfully warming, and the spicy heat from the chiles will wake up your taste buds. It's a great way to kick-start some festive conversation.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Laurent Tourondel's book Bistro Laurent Tourondel. Tapenade, a paste of puréed black olives and other flavorful ingredients, is a typical seasoning for lamb in the Provence region of Southern France. You can buy it ready-made or make it yourself. This lamb is also good made with a paste of marinated sun-dried tomatoes instead of the tapenade.

Roasting the turkey under foil for the first 1 1/2 hours infuses lots of moisture and flavor into the bird.

A fiber-filled belly warmer from Brian Scheehser, chef at Trellis in Kirkland, Washington.

To keep this dish colorful, be sure to layer the red tomatoes inside the yellow peppers and the yellow tomatoes inside the red peppers.

Be sure to cook the beef just to rare or medium-rare. This way, the meat won't overcook or dry out when you use the leftovers in the other recipes.

This pretty side dish (the onions open up like flowers) would be great alongside steak or roast chicken.

This needs a long, lazy roasting, so enjoy the aromas as you get ready for the party.

This is the perfect entrée for a holiday dinner for two. Complete the meal with sautéed green beans and wild mushrooms and a wild-rice pilaf with chopped fresh parsley and hazelnuts. For dessert? Chocolate mousse topped with rum-spiked whipped cream and chopped crystallized ginger.