Oven Bake

Though the chips and purée can be served at room temperature, the caviar should be chilled, so assemble these hors d'oeuvres in batches as platters need replenishing.

This recipe is intended as a baked dressing to accompany the Thanksgiving turkey . It can be used as stuffing (a practice I do not recommend for turkey), if you desire. It also makes a good stuffing for capon or pork.

Purchased puff pastry simplifies this flavorful starter. What to drink: Open a bottle of Champagne or Sancerre to pour with the cheese twists and the Corn and Lobster Chowder.

Hot-smoked fully cooked salmon is flaky in texture and fragrant with alder smoke. This dish can be completely assembled and chilled one day before baking.

"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."

For this recipe, David Pasternack uses "unrefined" sea salt, which has no additives such as iodine or those that prevent caking, so these salts are often moist. He also told us we could coat the fish with an additive-free kosher salt. It worked nicely but required more egg whites (6 total).

This tiny meatloaf should not be overbaked! Once removed from the oven, it will keep cooking for a few minutes. The chili sauce is the American kind, not the Asian.

A favorite steak-dinner starter served at Cattlemen's Steakhouse in the historic Stockyards City area of Oklahoma City.

Coconut, lemon rind, and raisins are a bright surprise. "A lot of people buy my cookbook just to get this recipe," says Mrs. Wilkes.

"I developed this recipe last winter and think it makes excellent cold-weather fare," says Lora Anderson of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Nearly every cook in Newberry County makes his or her own rendition of Dunbar macaroni. In Gourmet's kitchens, we combined some favorite additions to the basic recipe to come up with this version.

Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 4 hr (includes making fresh pasta)

Despite its English roots, this dish has become a cherished American favorite at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in New York and beyond. But why save it for special occasions? Creamed onions are so delicious that you'll want to eat them year-round.