Thanksgiving

Pushing a buttery spice paste underneath the turkey's skin allows the flavor to perfume the meat—and gives it extra juiciness. Here, we use the favorite Indian combination of garlic and ginger paste, along with the technique of toasting spices and then grinding them, for the freshest, most powerful result. Though the paste may smell pungent, its flavor, once the turkey has been cooked, is quite gentle.

This recipe was created by chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco's Jardinière. It's part of a special menu she created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

This recipe was created by chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco's Jardinière. It's part of a special menu she created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. There are two types of persimmons widely available during the Thanksgiving holiday—fuyu and hachiya. Chef Des Jardins prefers the fuyu in savory preparations because its texture is much firmer and the flavor less sweet. When picking fuyu persimmons, look for firm, brightly colored fruit. Start making relish at least 24 hours and up to 3 days in advance to allow the flavors to fully develop.

This recipe was created by chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco's Jardinière. It's part of a special menu she created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.

This recipe was created by chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco's Jardinière.

This gorgeous bird emerges from the oven nearly black and very deeply flavored. However, don't look for crisp skin; the mole keeps both the flesh and skin tender and moist. Be sure to start the turkey at least one hour and up to eight hours ahead to allow for marinating time. The easiest way to do this is to spread on the mole before you go to bed and let the turkey marinate in the fridge overnight.

A moist, deeply flavored confection studded with rum-soaked raisins and crunchy pecans, this streamlined one-bowl cake will get compliments even for novice bakers. Plus, it keeps for days. To dress up each serving, why not use store-bought eggnog, which has the consistency of custard sauce.

This vibrant condiment takes its inspiration from the popular Cosmopolitan drink. The alcohol heightens the sauce's flavor, but for kids and nondrinkers, the recipe can easily be made nonalcoholic by substituting orange juice for the water and deleting the vodka and liqueur.

This is a dessert to remember: chocolaty cookie crust, creamy mascarpone filling, and a glistening cranberry topping.

If you've never cooked with quince before, here's a great intro. It tastes like a cross between an apple and a pear.

Mascarpone lightens up the filling of this classic pumpkin pie.

In this refined version, pecan pie is all grown up.

Flavored with traditional stuffing herbs, these are great for mopping up gravy. They also make a tasty snack sandwich with leftover turkey.

To add richness, sauté three ounces sliced pancetta until crisp; crumble over before serving. Varietal honeys are available at specialty foods stores and online at chefshop.com.

Squash is often sold already peeled and seeded, making this recipe even easier.

Thinly sliced brussels sprouts are sautéed with shallots in this comforting hash.

Over-the-top delicious.

Just three ingredients make a fresh and bright uncooked relish—and the colors are beautiful, too.