Bacon

The heartland is known for its grains and its pork; this first course features two of the region's best products—corn and bacon.

An updated southern side dish.

We think all turkeys are improved by brining (soaking in salt water), but it's a cumbersome task that few holiday schedules can accommodate. We find kosher turkeys, which are salted during the koshering process, to be just as flavorful and succulent as brined ones, without all the fuss. However, if you'd like to try brining, stir together 8 quarts water with 2 cups kosher salt in a 5-gallon bucket lined with a large heavy-duty plastic garbage bag and soak your raw turkey, covered and chilled, 10 hours. *Note: The Spinach, Bacon, and Cashew stuffing for this turkey is contained in the Stuffed Onions recipe.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

This is one of my all-time favorite sauces. It is excellent with grilled or roasted poultry or pork dishes. When I travel and cook at various events, I often include this on the menu. This recipe is a component of Tamarind Barbecued Duck with Smoky Plantain Crema .

Sweet, sour, and meaty, this is summer food to eat with your hands.

An easy version of the famous Cobb salad.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 20 min

Once the ingredients have been combined for this dish, use immediately. Serve the potato pancakes while crisp. These pancakes were developed at Dublin's Gresham Hotel and were featured on the "Bird Flanagan" bar menu. The "Bird" Flanagan was a celebrated Dublin character who once rode his horse into the lobby bar of Dublin's famous Gresham Hotel and requested a drink for his horse.

Boeuf bourguignon may be made 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, then chill, covered (it tastes even better made ahead because it gives the flavors time to develop). If making ahead, it's easier to remove fat from surface after chilling.

Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 40 min

(OMELETTE AUX ASPERGES)