Thanksgiving

The technique: A single-crust pie requires only a bottom crust and is the best choice for a custard filling, like pumpkin pie.
The payoff: You have to make only one pie crust, and if it breaks or cracks it's easy enough to cobble the crust together in the pie dish. Most of the bottom crust will be covered with filling, so it doesn't have to look perfect. The topping mixture is sprinkled just inside the crust, leaving a circle of filling peeking out in the center of the pie.

The technique: High heat equals great flavor—roasting the new potatoes browns and crisps the skin, providing a little bit of crunch.
The payoff: Hearty potato taste and texture with only 25 minutes of prep.

The technique: If you can roast other fruit, why not cranberries? High-heat cooking intensifies flavors, no matter what you put in the oven.
The payoff: Soft and caramelized berries.

The technique: Simmering (to cook at about 185°F) cooks the berries and other ingredients at just the right rate. How to tell if your sauce is simmering? Small bubbles should break the surface around the edges of the pan.
The payoff: Simmering softens the berries and allows enough time for all of the flavors to meld.

The technique: It's ridiculously simple: Cut the potatoes into wedges, toss with olive oil and ground cumin, then roast.
The payoff: The ideal ratio of crisp to creamy, since there's more surface area exposed in the oven when the sweet potatoes are cut into wedges.

The technique: The perfect mashed potatoes aren't actually mashed. The key is using a potato ricer (which looks like a giant garlic press). This gadget gently breaks the potatoes into tiny, flaky pieces (rather than smashing them into a gluey mass), creating just the right texture.
The payoff: Light, fluffy, perfect potatoes. For horseradish mashed potatoes, replace the butter with five tablespoons olive oil (do not use extra-virgin), and mix in two tablespoons cream-style horseradish before seasoning the potatoes with salt and pepper.

The technique: Brining—soaking the bird in salt water—creates juicy turkey. Here, stout beer and barley malt syrup add a richness to the brine, which infuses the meat with flavor.
The payoff: Moist meat that tastes great. The malt glaze gives the bird a crisp, burnished skin. Roasted turkey: Prep 45 minutes Total 20 hours (includes brining and roasting time)
Grilled turkey: Prep 45 minutes Total 21 hours (includes brining and grilling time)

The technique: Pan juices—the flavorful liquid and crispy bits left in the roasting pan— form the base of this gravy. To prevent lumps, thoroughly whisk in the flour, then gradually add the wine and stock, whisking until smooth.
The pay off: Super-roasty flavor.

The technique: When it comes to poultry, butterflying means removing the backbone and flattening the bird like a book. This is easy enough to do with a chicken, but we suggest asking your butcher to butterfly the turkey.
The payoff: A flattened turkey cooks more evenly and quickly than a regular bird. Tucking the stuffing under the skin ensures that the meat will be moist and delicious.
Roasted turkey: Prep 1 hour Total 3 hours 30 minutes (includes roasting time)
Grilled turkey: Prep 1 hour Total 3 hours 30 minutes (includes grilling time) If roasting the turkey, serve it with the Fresh Fennel Pan Gravy . Grilling the bird? Try the Mixed-Mushroom and Tarragon Gravy.

The technique: Rub the bird with an herbal, citrusy salt mixture and let it chill overnight. As the turkey sits, the salt draws moisture to the skin. During roasting, the flavorful liquid seasons the meat and keeps it moist.
The payoff: A superjuicy bird with crisp, browned skin.

The technique: Convenience and concerns about undercooking have made baking the stuffing in a pan the default for many cooks.
The payoff: Crispy topping and more stuffing (you can fit more in a pan than in the bird).

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.

This single recipe is a complete Thanksgiving dinner.

A mixture of maple syrup and brown sugar tames the tang of the cranberries.

A classic Moroccan tagine (or stew) is typically made with meat. This satisfying vegetarian main course features three kinds of root vegetables—and a delicious spicy, crunchy chickpea garnish.

Golden Delicious apples, which aren't too sweet and hold their shape when cooked, are a great choice for this pie.

Shortly after I was given this recipe, I started keeping a list of whom I'd made it for—because I loved it so much, I was sure that if I didn't keep track, I'd end up serving the dish to the same people over and over. The idea for it came from my friend Hélène Samuel's sister, Catherine, whose husband grows pumpkins on his farm just outside Lyon. Catherine sent me a charming outline of the recipe, and as soon as I'd baked my first pumpkin, I realized that an outline is about the best you can do with this dish. It's a hollowed-out pumpkin stuffed with bread, cheese, garlic, and cream, and since pumpkins come in unpredictable sizes, cheeses and breads differ, and baking times depend on how long it takes for the pumpkin to get soft enough to pierce with a knife, being precise is impossible. As Catherine said when she turned this family favorite over to me, "I hope you will put the recipe to good use, knowing that it's destined to evolve . . . and maybe even be improved." Well, I've certainly been putting it to good use, and it has evolved, although I'm not sure that it's been improved, since every time I make it, it's different, but still wonderful. My guess is that you'll have the same feeling once you start playing around with this "outline." See Bonne Idée for some hints on variations. And speaking of playing around, you might consider serving this alongside the Thanksgiving turkey or even instead of it—omit the bacon and you've got a great vegetarian main course.