This oyster stew is spilling over with fresh, plump oysters. The rich broth is made with both milk and cream. This is a great Thanksgiving and Christmas starter.

Fresh popovers, flavored with ground hazelnuts and zesty herbs, are a Thanksgiving must. Making these popovers is easy because the batter is made ahead then baked off right before dinner.

A hearty autumnal or winter soup, this dish is brimming with the kind of soul-warming ingredients we all love: pumpkin, chicken, ginger, and leeks.

Mashed potatoes are mixed with root vegetables to make a deeply flavored, satisfying side dish. For the mashed potatoes, use russets or Yukon Gold.

Dream bars–rich, nutty coconut bars–have been called Hello Dolly bars, seven layer bars, and magic bars. But there’s only one true Dream bar.

This is the real thing: an old-fashioned roast turkey. Roasting the turkey using a water-soaked cheesecloth gives the bird crisp skin and moist, juicy meat.

This bread stuffing with bacon, sage, and onions is the perfect accompaniment to all types of roast Thanksgiving turkeys. It’s versatile and can be made ahead.

This grilled vegetable sformato is pretty and filling enough to be a main course. Inside the sformato are peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, cheeses, pasta, and pistachios. It makes a stunning weekend meal.

For this hearty Moroccan tagine, squash, whole shallots, prunes, garbanzos, and almonds are slowly cooked until tender then is served over couscous.

This wintertime salad is composed of salad greens, pomegranates, and tender pears. Sweet and crunchy caramelized pumpkin seeds round out this leafy delight.

Cranberry-orange pecan bread is a holiday morning favorite. Fresh OJ and orange zest add zing while the cranberries lend tartness to the pecan bread.

Bread pudding muffins are just that: bread pudding baked in muffin tins. These smaller, easier-to-handle puddings are great for breakfast–even on the go

Jammers are warm-from-the-oven biscuits with jam bursting from their centers. The biscuits cradle the jam, so there’s jam and biscuit in every bite.

This french molten chocolate cake flows seductive when cut into with a fork. A cinch to make, this molten chocolate cake is an elegant, impressive dessert.

Salmon mousse pinwheels are an elegant way to kick off a tea, cocktail party, or dinner. The pinwheels can be made ahead and sliced just before serving.

Serve these traditional crumpets with butter and jam. Crumpets follow the sandwich course, so be sure to leave room. These crumpets can be made ahead.

This fast, easy fudge has the surprise of cocoa nibs—roasted and crushed cocoa beans. Filled with intense chocolate flavor, this fudge is a cinch to make. It’s a great project to do with the kids.

This flourless chocolate-vanilla marble cake has a texture between fudge and cheesecake. The chocolate marbles between the vanilla for a gorgeous look.

These Kahlua truffle triangles are great bar cookies. Rich Kahlua truffle tops a vanilla crumb bottom. Serve these cookies as a snack or an elegant desert.

Grasshopper pie, the minty ice cream pie, is reworked. This version of the pie is made with homemade ice cream, less creme de menthe, and chocolate crust. You have to love it.

Beef goulash, the Austro-Hungarian dish, is a simple meal. Beef is seared and simmered with the goulash ingredients. Beef goulash is a great autumn dish.

Clams casino, the classic American dish, get a facelift here. The clams get the casino treatment with big shards of bacon, parsley, and garlic.

This steamed cranberry pudding is moist, and bright with bits of berries, and the mild, buttery sauce provides balancing richness and sweetness.

Eggs in purgatory–or eggs simmered in tomato sauce–is a simple breakfast or supper. Serve the purgatory eggs over toasted bread rubbed with garlic.

This spaghetti with red wine is made more like risotto than typical pasta. The cooked spaghetti is tossed in oil in the skillet while red wine is slowly added.