Buttermilk

A flavorful turkey prepared in an interesting way. It is soaked in brine, which helps tenderize the bird, and then rubbed with a citrus-thyme butter. The butter keeps the turkey moist and also enriches the pan drippings for the gravy. The stuffing borrows from the long tradition of corn breads in America. Be sure to make the Giblet Broth before you start roasting the turkey. Pour hard cider throughout dinner. Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

At restaurants, onions can be sliced into very thin rings on a meat slicer. By cutting the onions in half first, home cooks can get close to the same thinness with a knife, even though it means sacrificing the ring shape.

Peter Reinhart, a baking instructor at the California Culinary Academy, says, "Ever since I was a kid, the cranberry relish has been just about my favorite part of the holiday dinner. I love how its juices run in every direction to blend with everything on the plate. Of course, it has to be good cranberry relish, with coarsely chopped berries and walnuts and plenty of orange flavor. The cranberry-walnut braid captures those flavors, and the shape makes a beautiful presentation, too.

Using Stilton and sharp cheddar is intended to mimic English Huntsman cheese, in which Stilton and Double Gloucester cheeses are combined. The biscuits have a crisp crust and tender texture, despite requiring no kneading, rolling or cutting.

St. John's Jug Muffins "I was given the recipe for these muffins years ago, and I make a batch of the batter every winter," writes Judith Cadigan of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania."When the urge for a muffin strikes, you can bake just one instead of a whole batch, and put the remaining batter back in the refrigerator." Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

"When I was a small child, my father used to take my elder brother and me to New York City for St. Patrick's Day," writes Stephanie Foley of Massapequa, Long Island. "We would spend the morning marching in the parade while my mother, back in Long Island, prepared a feast of corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes. But what we all truly looked forward to was her Irish soda bread. It's savory and substantial — and unlike any other I have tried. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do."

On a recent trip to California, Susan Livingston of Marblehead, MA had a caramelized garlic and onion bisque at the Edna Valley Bistro in San Luis Obispo. It was so unique and outstanding that she made a point of complimenting the chef, Herbert Norton. Active time: 50 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

The King Arthur Flours, its catalog (1-800-827-6836) and web site (www. kingarthurflour.com) are, in our opinion, a baker's best friend. The staff of exemplary Vermonters is unfailingly courteous and helpful should you have a baking problem or question. They appear to be serious at-home bakers too — many of the recipes on the web site and in the catalog are contributed by employees. These cheddar and pepper scones from the web site are really part angel biscuit, part scone — not the usual dry, crumbly, heavy scone, but rich and extraordinarily light. The black pepper is a powerful ingredient, by the way — timid palates should use less.

Crema Espesa It isn't uncommon to see three of four buckets of cream in Central, West-Central and Tabascan markets: from thin, sweet and fresh to well ripened, thick and tangy. It's all heavy cream — not the light, low-butterfat "cream" that is cultured for sour cream here — so it has a richer, glossier texture. And you can bet it's not pasteurized, because the process would have killed the natural bacteria that perserves and thickens the riper cream. To me, this thick, ripe cream (similar to French crème fraîche) is one of the great pleasures of Mexican cooking. Mixing a little milk or cream into our commercial sour cream is a passable substitute here, but nothing like the smoother, less acidic taste of this recipe

Adding Beaumes-de-Venise — a delicate, fruity dessert wine — keeps this cake moist and adds a whole new dimension to its flavor. Combining blackberries with blackberry preserves for the topping brings out the best in the berries, whether they’re tart or sweet. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

This recipe is an accompaniment for Southwestern Corn Pudding . This is also great on its own.

This southwestern version of fried chicken needs only two sides: purchased Mexican-style rice pilaf and a sauté of bell peppers and carrots. Flan with sliced kiwi would be a nice finish. Look for ancho chili powder in the spice section of your supermarket.

You'll need six baby loaf pans for this recipe. Look for disposable ones at the market.