Leek

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A platter of thickly sliced tomatoes topped with buttermilk-herb dressing and chopped hard-boiled eggs is a colorful partner for the soup. For dessert, have some fresh berries with whipped cream. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

There must be as many versions of this—Ireland's national dish—as there are cooks. One thing all recipes should say is that the stew is to be cooked slowly until the lamb is meltingly tender. This stew is the ideal dish to return to after a day in the open air, as it can be made ahead and reheated while cook and guests enjoy the hot punch.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

"Common crackers," good-keeping hard wheat flour crackers akin to ship's biscuits or hardtack, were found in early New England households and often made their way into poultry dressings. In this recipe, we add leeks and large quantities of the kinds of herbs cultivated in Colonial kitchen gardens.

Bacon was a staple meat for the pioneers. (They stored it in bags surrounded by bran for insulation.) As a result, the cured meat has found its way into a variety of heartland dishes. This all-American bird embellished with sage and bacon is a good example. Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

Works well as part of a vegetarian meal or as an accompaniment to meat or fowl.

Lane Crowther, Bon Appétit contributing editor, "Stuffing has always set the tone for our Thanksgiving dinners. We choose the stuffing—it might be Tex-Mex, or another regional American, or something else—then create the menu around it. A few years ago, the feast had an Italian accent, and a vegetable stuffing led the way."

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Accompanied by Champagne, this beautiful and delicious appetizer starts the meal on a sophisticated note.

This recipe originally accompanied Lemon-Sage Cornish Game Hens with Tomato-Porcini Sauce. If you can get it, use stone-ground cornmeal; it's grainier than regular cornmeal and gives the dish a slightly crackly texture.

Brining the pork makes it especially juicy.

"While vacationing in Vero Beach, Florida, I had a magnificent meal at Tangos," writes Peter Colley of Silver Creek, Colorado. "The food presentation was superb, and the outdoor patio made for a very romantic dining experience. I would like to have the recipe for the divine baked crab, Brie, and artichoke dip."

A star starter from Hubert Keller at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco. A good mold for the timbale is a six-ounce tomato-paste can that has the top and bottom removed.