Thanksgiving

Steaming might seem a surprising way to start cooking a turkey, but the payoff is real: The extra step makes the bird extra-juicy, and cuts down on the overall cooking time.

Toast the cornbread for a nice crisp texture.

If using large mustard greens, remove the tough stems and tear leaves into bite-size pieces. Smaller leaves can be left whole.

Everyone loves a Bundt, and a sweet-potato version drizzled with coffee-chocolate sauce is hard to beat.

This zesty combination makes a lively snack or tasty addition to salads and grain dishes any time of year.

Using miso on the turkey is a great way to get wonderfully moist meat — always a challenge at Thanksgiving. The skin doesn't get as crisp as it would without, but we think the succulent results are well worth the trade-off. The miso won't give the turkey an Asian flavor, but it will add a rich meatiness to the gravy. Don't use a brined or kosher turkey for this recipe or the bird will be too salty (miso has a high sodium content).

Swap in veggie stock and make all your vegetarian relations happy.

Prettiest when not piled too high; divide the salad over two platters and put one at each end of the table.

Choose a country-style sourdough, preferably not too tangy, and if you prefer hot Italian links, go for it.

If you like stuffing with smoked oysters, you'll like it even more with tart lemons on top.

Tart, sour, and just as refreshing as ye olde cranberry sauce.

Vibrant greens, handfuls of fresh herbs, nuts for crunch, and horseradish for bite. Ingredients are suggestions; feel free to mix it up.

Warm spices and sweet dried fruit are a perfect pair for rich turkey meat.

Silky, with a texture somewhere between pudding and panna cotta—and no water bath required.

Most butchers will remove the backbone for you; see left to learn how. Lots of guests? Roast two 12–14-pounders; spatchcocking anything larger will be harder and takes longer.

A colorful and spicy (but not fiery!) side breaks up all the heavy, rich dishes on the table.

This dark-red mixture will bubble and spit like a vat of lava as it cooks. Okay, slight exaggeration, but really: Cook this in a deep pot, and use a long whisk.