Poultry

The trick to having a turkey ready in two hours is to use a hot oven and a small turkey. I learned this recipe originally from Julia Child, but I've changed it along the way. The turkey should be no more than 14 pounds. If the roasting pan is more than 2 inches larger than the turkey, the juices may burn. (If you use a larger pan, add a little broth to the pan as needed.) Always remove any bags or parts from the large and small cavities before cooking, and start with a clean oven to avoid excess smoking. Because I make my turkey broth months ahead of time and freeze it, I can use that for the bird and the gracious amount of gravy. After Thanksgiving, I make another broth or stock from the turkey bones, leftover skin, and parts. I even add any leftover gravy, and freeze that whole stock for yet another turkey.

This recipe adapts traditional Indian tandoori cooking for a barbecue. The chicken needs to marinate overnight, so start this one day ahead.

Pat Christofolo runs the kitchen at this restaurant, located only a few minutes from downtown Phoenix. She's particular about the way she puts this sandwich together: The mayo should touch both the chicken and greens, so each has its own bit of dressing.

There's nothing more comforting than this version of chicken pot pie. Each individual serving is topped with a Pennsylvania Dutch-style buttermilk biscuit. Pour a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc.

Serve with: Parslied new potatoes and a frisée salad with goat cheese. Dessert: Pineapple sorbet with sliced strawberries.

Offer a colorful side of steamed broccoli with slivers of red and yellow bell peppers and a lemon dressing. Finish lavishly with chocolate pecan pie à la mode.

Marjoram's full flavor does all the work in this incredibly simple recipe. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the delicious juices.

This sophisticated main-course pasta goes wonderfully with garlic bread, Italian-style mixed greens drizzled with vinaigrette, and raspberry gelato with Italian macaroons.

Begin making this one day ahead. If you plan to take this on a sailing trip or a picnic, grill the chicken at home, then transport it in a cooler and serve it cold, or let it stand at room temperature up to two hours. Crusty bread and white wine are perfect accompaniments.

Chipotles give these burgers — from Hal's Bar & Grill in Venice, California — a terrific kick.

Serve this entrée with steamed white rice and warm pita rounds.

Lemongrass lends a delicate flavor to this simple roast chicken from Market. Begin marinating the chicken one day ahead.

Serve steamed rice with this dish to sop up all the garlicky sauce. You'll be amazed at how much the turkey tastes like veal—at a fraction of the cost.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

We've substituted Cornish game hens (which are much easier to find) for the squab used at Gary Danko in San Francisco. At the restaurant, the squab is stuffed with a mixed-grain pilaf. We suggest serving this with couscous or rice pilaf.

If mini pita breads are unavailable in your area, split larger pita breads horizontally in half and cut out smaller pita rounds using a 3-inch-diameter biscuit cutter. You can streamline the process by preparing both the chicken salad and the toasted pita rounds one day in advance.

Jerk seasoning — here a spicy blend of garlic, onion, chiles, thyme, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon, though recipes vary — originated in Jamaica and is traditionally used on pork and chicken. Because the jerk marinade can burn easily, the chicken requires slow cooking on the grill, which also helps keep the meat moist.

If there were just one stock I'd encourage you to make, this is it. Why? Because it is the foundation of more soups and sauces than any other stock I use. For this recipe, you'll need a large stockpot, a colander, and a fine-mesh strainer (or a colander lined with cheesecloth). This recipe is a component of Grill-Roasted Rack of Lamb in Red Mole and Tamarind Barbecued Duck with Smoky Plantain Crema .

My recipe was adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I've changed the meats (a lot) and the seasonings (a bit). I've also tinkered with cooking times and sequence.