Cranberry

A unique combination of ingredients gives this compote a sweet and tangy pickled taste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, place the toasted coriander seeds in a plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Sweet-Potato Gaufrettes with Duck Confit and Cranberry Black Pepper Chutney. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 30 min

Fresh cranberries make a tangy, slightly tannic, and very refreshing sorbet. Infused with the fruity aroma of orange, lemon, or English thyme, the sorbet is a delightfully unique cranberry dish to serve before, during, or after Thanksgiving dinner.

Tamales are traditionally served in the southwestern United States and in Mexico at Christmas. In this easy do-ahead version, corn husks are wrapped around spicy pieces of pork tenderloin. The husks keep the pork tender and juicy as it cooks. What to drink: Pinot Noir.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

If you don't have a 2 3/4-inch-diameter cookie cutter, the same size tin can (with top and bottom removed) works just as well.

Pack this delicious condiment in decorative glass jars for a nice gift.

A conserve usually consists of a mixture of fresh fruits, often with raisins, currants or nuts added. New England seafarers prized citrus fruits, which are perfect with native cranberries.

The small, sweet Meyer lemon, common in California backyards, has a thin, smooth skin and a juice interior and is particularly fragrant. These scones, which are lighter than most, will spread slightly during baking.

This refreshing seasonal sorbet is a wonderful mid-meal palate cleanser.

A traditional French cake, the financier is usually made from ground almonds blended with butter and egg whites. Individual rectangular financiers are popular in France's pastry shop.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The bûche de Noël, or Christmas log, was created in the late nineteenth century by Parisian pastry chefs, who were inspired by the real logs that burned on hearths throughout the night on Christmas Eve. Our version can be decorated with Candied Cranberries or fresh currants.

Cranberries are a standard Thanksgiving ingredient that most people think came from the New England area. But the Ojibwa and Sioux of the northern plains taught early settlers how to harvest cranberries. Today, Wisconsin is an important cranberry-producing state.