Alcohol

Don't be nervous about making meatless mincemeat if you've never tried it before—it's a knockout combination of dried fruits and spices that adds wonderfully deep flavor to baked goods. Here, chunks of sweet pear and a handful of tart fruit create a pie that's fantastic with vanilla ice cream.

These luscious cranberry-studded cakes enriched with bourbon and pecans break away from traditional pumpkin pie without eliminating all those beloved ingredients that say Thanksgiving.

Adding the cranberries in three stages, along with crumbled nuts, results in a wonderful conserve with layers of texture and flavor. The turbinado sugar imparts subtle caramel undertones.

Sherry lends a nutty note to a big-flavored and colorful sauce.

We couldn't improve much on traditional beef Stroganov, but we did decide to trade up: The usual small tenderloin pieces are replaced by whole steaks, which make for a more striking presentation on the plate.

Part of what makes this luxurious dish so delicious is that the spinach, artichokes, and oysters have a similar texture and the same soft, gentle flavors.

This dish is the vegetable incarnation of mulled wine—the cabbage and onions soak up all the flavor of the red wine and spices, becoming incredibly aromatic.

This recipe brings smoky paprika and a jolt of briny capers to fish and chips.

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Amy Sedaris's I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. For Sedaris's tips on throwing a Halloween party, click here. Meat loaf has a lot of variations so be creative and change it up.

This recipe is adapted from Will Goldfarb, the innovative chef behind Room 4 Dessert in New York City. Egg whites give this drink the body and Chambord provides a jammy punch that complements the berry undertones in this <epi:recipelink id="108967">Chocolate-Cranberry Torte</epi:recipelink>.

These tiny birds, stuffed with creamy goat cheese, make fun yet elegant turkey stand-ins. Since the quail are small and there's not much meat on each one, plan on serving guests two to three per person, and encourage them to chew the meat off the bones rather than trying to cut it off with a knife and fork.

This recipe is adapted from Audrey Saunders, owner of Pegu Club in New York City. The slightly bubbly riff on the Bloody Mary goes wonderfully with Oysters on the Half Shell with Spicy Vinegar. For expert advice on pairing cocktails with food, click here. Editor's note: Saunders suggests that you use your favorite Bloody Mary recipe for this drink. In case you don't have one, we've provided one of our best.

This recipe is adapted from Audrey Saunders, owner of Pegu Club in New York City. Crown Roast of Lamb with Rosemary requires a companion drink with body, and this cocktail has that in spades. Also, like lamb, its flavor is a bit racy.

This recipe is adapted from Ryan Magarian, the Seattle-based cocktail consultant behind Liquid Kitchen (www.kathycasey.com/liquid_kitchen). This bracingly sweet-tart drink acts like a good Riesling, standing up to the sweetness of Butternut Squash and Apple Soup with Melted Blue Cheese . A sprinkle of nutmeg and a dash of cinnamony Angostura Bitters add layers of complexity to the cocktail and go beautifully with the flavors of butternut squash and apple. For expert advice on pairing cocktails with food, click here.

This recipe is adapted from Ryan Magarian, the Seattle-based cocktail consultant behind Liquid Kitchen (www.kathycasey.com/liquid_kitchen). He recommends pairing this cocktail with Braised Short Ribs with Potato Gratin with Horseradish and Parmesan . The drink's luxurious sweetness and body both stand up to the meat and temper the burn of the horseradish. For expert advice on pairing cocktails with food, click here.

This recipe is adapted from Ryan Magarian, the Seattle-based cocktail consultant behind Liquid Kitchen (www.kathycasey.com/liquid_kitchen). This autumn cocktail, with its palate-enlivening bubbles, is light enough not to overwhelm the delicate meat in Roast Turkey with Bacon and Applejack Gravy . The subtly sweet pear flavor echoes the presence of fall fruit in the gravy. For expert advice on pairing cocktails with food, click here.

This soup combines two separate recipes attributed to the agriculturalist and linguist Varro. As a remedy it could be drunk to aid the digestion, and it also served as a soup with the chicken included. I choose to leave the meat in, to give some texture to the soup. The dish is quite unusual in not using fish sauce. The sweet/savoury balance is surprisingly good.