Cashew

The coating on these nuts is wonderfully delicate, and the method couldn't be simpler.

A sweet snack, full of chewy dried cherries and apricots, to nibble or wrap as a gift.

Inspired by custom-made Indian snacks sold all over Chowpatty Beach.

We think all turkeys are improved by brining (soaking in salt water), but it's a cumbersome task that few holiday schedules can accommodate. We find kosher turkeys, which are salted during the koshering process, to be just as flavorful and succulent as brined ones, without all the fuss. However, if you'd like to try brining, stir together 8 quarts water with 2 cups kosher salt in a 5-gallon bucket lined with a large heavy-duty plastic garbage bag and soak your raw turkey, covered and chilled, 10 hours. *Note: The Spinach, Bacon, and Cashew stuffing for this turkey is contained in the Stuffed Onions recipe.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 1 hr

These biscotti are equally delicious made with roasted almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts in place of the cashews.

Nuts, lemon juice, and fresh herbs punch up this terrific side dish.

These cookies are also great made with regular semisweet chocolate chips.

Many people consider stuffing the best part of a Thanksgiving meal, and they can be quite particular about it — some like it dense and moist from the turkey juices, others fluffy and browned from the oven. We've made sure everyone will be satisfied: This recipe makes enough stuffing for the turkey and the onions, with plenty left over for another baking dish of stuffing. You can easily adapt the recipe to suit vegetarian guests — simply eliminate the bacon (use olive oil instead of bacon fat for sautéing the vegetables) and substitute vegetable stock for the turkey stock. Active time: 2 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr

Mushrooms and cashews give a slight seventies flavor to this terrific salad.

From India's restaurant in Denver, this side dish has whole peppercorns, cardamom and cloves. They are not meant to be eaten, so discard them when serving the rice.

You might be tempted to bake 2 sheets of bars at a time in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Don't give in to this urge—they must go in the middle of the oven to cook through and brown evenly.

Peyton Hughes of Iowa City, Iowa, writes: "My extended family met for a reunion in Boston a few months ago. For our last night together, we decided it would be appropriate to have dinner at Finale. I'll never forget the unusual grilled portobello salad." Farro, or spelt, is a cereal grain that's been eaten in southern Europe for ages.

Here's a nutty brittle-style candy for spice lovers with a sweet tooth.