Chile

If canned chipotles are not available, simply use the same amount of chipotle hot sauce. Tilapia, branzino, or petrale sole are other fish that would work in this complete meal.

The technique: To show off the tangy freshness of cranberries, don't cook them at all. The payoff: Chopping the berries in the processor gives them a coarse texture, which is great alongside the turkey and the trimmings. Plus, the recipe comes together in 20 minutes.

The technique: Cornbread made with masa (the corn flour in corn tortillas) is the foundation for this Latin-flavored stuffing. < The payoff: Masa adds a natural sweetness to the cornbread. Timing note: The cornbread needs to be baked at least one day ahead.

Eat this with plain rice and make the sauce as hot as you like. In Bengal, the mustard seeds are ground at home, but to make matters simpler I have used commercial ground mustard, also sold as mustard powder. You may also use halibut instead of the salmon.

Vitaly Paley, Paley's Place, Portland, Oregon
Barb Foulke, Freddy Guys Hazelnuts, Monmouth, Oregon (hazelnuts) Nyora peppers are authentic to making true Catalan romesco sauce. If they're not available, substitute additional large red peppers such as dried ancho chiles. Barb and Vitaly love the idea of using hazelnuts instead of almonds, which are more common in this sauce. Use spot prawn instead of extra-large shrimp when available at your local fish market.

This late-season squash is roasted to coax out its subtle sugars before being mixed with citrus juice, chile, and cilantro.

The glaze adds just the right sweet-hot note to this interesting mix of vegetables. Try the roasted veggies with pork chops or chicken.

The spices that are added to the shrimp cooking liquid were inspired by Cajun crawfish boils.

Save some of the brine that the olives are packed in—adding a dash or two at the end of cooking is a quick and easy way to bump up flavor.

Want to grab a bottle of olive oil and lunch? Then stop by Caseus, a cheese shop/bistro combo. The place is named for drained, pressed milk curds—and the folks here do know their cheese. The shop carries more than 100 artisanal varieties, which show up on the bistro menu. In this recipe, goat cheese adds wonderful flavor and texture to spicy hush puppies.

The rooftop of chef Rick Bayless's Chicago restaurant Frontera Grill is dedicated to growing tomatoes, hot peppers and herbs for fresh salsas. Multicolored heirloom tomatoes can be sweeter than other types, Bayless says, and they offer a hefty dose of infection-fighting vitamin C.

A little taste of the Southwest to get you in the mood for a rowdy game of Texas Hold'em!

Tomatillos are usually the star of salsa verde, but pureed zucchini makes a surprisingly convincing stand-in.

The fillets are cooked in foil packets with a mix of herbs, citrus, beer, and wine, then served with maque choux, a Cajun succotash.

If you prefer a spicier sauce, add two chipotles instead of one.

To make sure the fish doesn't stick to the grill, it's cooked in a metal grilling basket. You can use a fish-grilling basket or an adjustable or flexible grilling basket. The key is to use a basket that keeps the fish secure without smashing it. Look for grilling baskets at housewares and kitchen supply stores and online at cooking.com.