Sage

These patties get their moistness and delicious flavor from a combination of light and dark meat. We don't recommend using all breast meat—they just won't be as good.

Cabernet Sauvignon can be substituted for the Merlot, but either way, have mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli florets with the veal, and wedges of chocolate mousse cake afterward.

Buttery, slightly sweet pumpkin is the perfect mate for the briny flavor of oysters, scallops, or other crustaceans. This soup is made with shrimp, whose shells are turned into an aromatic stock that serves as the soup's liquid. Classic shellfish bisques are thickened with rice, but here pumpkin provides body for the soup. Sage's earthy flavor complements both pumpkin and shrimp and steers the focus of flavor from sweet to savory. This is a satisfying soup to prepare throughout the fall. If you serve it as a first course for Thanksgiving dinner, you might start a tradition in your family.

Bruce Aidells, founder of Aidell's Sausage Company, says, "When I was in college, a friend from Mississippi introduced me to the technique of marinating the turkey by rubbing the meat under the skin with flavorings. Over the years, I've continued to modify the recipe for what I refer to as 'trash bag turkey,' so named because a large plastic bag is the best thing for holding the bird while it marinates for a day or two." Watch how to prepare and carve your bird with our streaming video demonstration.

One of the signature dishes at Antinco Martini in Venice, Italy. The chef uses veal loin; veal scallops are a convenient substitute.

Lane Crowther, A contributing editor at Bon Appétit, says that "For twenty-five years our family endured side dishes of canned creamed corn and sweetened baked squash—simply for the sake of tradition. With this soup, I was finally able to convince everyone that a few classic Thanksgiving ingredients (like corn and squash) could be combined in a delicious new way."

Turkey may not have played as big a part in the first Thanksgiving, held back in 1621, as it does in our contemporary celebration. If turkey was served at all, it was probably one of many game birds, that were served along with venison, oysters, clams, lobsters, and eels, as well as succotash, beach plums, sweet potatoes, leeks and cornbread. My own Thanksgiving menu is intended to pay homage to the foods of the first Thanksgiving , as well as to the foods that have become associated with this holiday. I believe that holidays by their own nature demand that traditional foods be served. In America, there is no stronger correlation between the food and the day than that of the venerable Thanksgiving Day turkey.

Great for breakfast with eggs and grits.

This pretty slaw with a celery seed and cider vinegar dressing is perfect for a Fourth of July picnic.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Toss chopped endive, radicchio, fennel and roasted bell peppers with oil and vinegar for a pretty salad course. For the finale, offer poached pears drizzled with chocolate sauce and sprinkled with crushed toffee. Learn how to make your own ravioli with our hands-on streaming video demonstration.

The veal shanks are extremely tender and have lots of great-tasting sauce. Serve them with the butternut polenta and steamed rapini (also called broccoli rabe), and offer Pinot Noir with dinner.

Union Square Cafe guests are constantly challenging us to serve salmon in new and different guises, and here's one of the most popular ones we've done to date. Salmon is rich and meaty enough to stand up to the assertive chili rub; the trick to this dish is to cook the salmon gently enough to prevent the spices from burning. At the restaurant, we use New Mexico chili powder, which we prize for its fruity, smoky aroma and mild heat level. Buy it if you see it.

"My husband and I just returned from a trip to Italy," writes Kim Riemann of North Brunswick, New Jersey. "Of all the great meals we had there, a few stand out in my memory. One was at Buca Mario in Florence. The rosemary-scented bean soup was unforgettable." Serve this with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.