Broil

Lane Crowther, a contributing editor at Bon Appétit, says, "Every year, I try to get my tradition-bound family to eat something new at Thanksgiving. This year, I'm hoping everyone will accept this dish in place of yams with marshmallows. It will take a lot of convincing, but I think they'll be pleasantly surprised. The orange juice gives the acorn squash a nice sweetness. Besides, Asian ingredients have become such an important part of American cooking lately that I thought it would be nice to fuse Pacific Rim flavors with a classic of the American table in autumn."

Begin preparing the custards a day ahead so that they can chill overnight.

This dessert hits both sweet and savory notes. Aged balsamic vinegar has a syruplike consistency, so a little drizzle goes a long way. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min

Serve with jicama sticks, radish slices, peeled cooked shrimp, and corn tortilla chips.

At the restaurant Antico Martini in Venice, Italy, they include the scallop coral-or roe-in the dish and use fresh porcini when in season.

This starter is an easy version of the fried cheese dish, saganaki, which is traditionally paired with a glass of ouzo. It's great with freshly grilled pita bread.

I like to serve these colorful peppers, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, as part of an antipasto platter. Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 3 hr (plus 1 week for flavors to develop)

These peppers flavor up Fireside Lamb Stew as well as a simple sandwich.

This delightful open-face omelet is aptly named; it's bursting with flavor and style.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The perfect accompaniment to grilled fish, chicken or meat. Try cooked bell peppers, mushrooms and onions over the coals, too.

This recipe is from Winnie Spazano, my second mom/housekeeper, who by day ran an elementary school cafeteria and by night cooked "something special" for my brothers and me. The following is a standout. As it was placed in front of my nine-year-old face, I thought, "I can't each something this large!" To this day, I don't understand the name.

This sauce uses roasted fresh poblano chilies and their dried form, ancho chilies.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr