The Stuffing
By Adina Steiman

When it comes to the important matter of Thanksgiving stuffing, there are two main factions.The loyalists serve their trademark stuffing year after year, confident in its superiority. The revolutionaries bounce from one stuffing to another, spurred on by magazine spreads and new cookbooks.

I used to be a stuffing revolutionary – not because I am fickle, but because I hadn’t found a stuffing I could call my own. That was before my grandmother made her Ritz cracker stuffing for me.

Ritz are the foie gras of crackers; deeply rich and intensely buttery. First introduced in 1934, the wafers appealed to Americans in the midst of the Depression with their rich taste and low price. Today, as I discovered, they make for surprisingly good fit with Thanksgiving dinner.

Crumbled up, Ritz crackers form the base of this stuffing, which is blended with generous amounts of fried onion and celery.Unlike regular stuffings, the vegetables don’t have to compensate for the blandness of the bread, so the finished dish is especially savory.

The turkey liver is an essential addition. It doesn’t taste livery – when chopped up and sauteed along with the onions, it simply gives the stuffing a meaty quality without your resorting to sausage or bacon. The chopped mushrooms are gilding the lily, but I like them. Sauteed mushrooms are often used to make mock chopped liver, so why not use them alongside the real thing?

I find this recipe fun to play with: You could add a teaspoon of Bell’s poultry seasoning, a handful of walnuts, or even some snipped dried apricots. A little change is good, but I don’t feel the need to hunt around for a brand-new version anymore.Thanks to my grandma,who helped me create this recipe, I have a stuffing I can call home.

Ritz Cracker Stuffing

6-8 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 medium onions, diced (about 6 cups) 10-12 button or crimini mushrooms, finely chopped 2 celery ribs, diced 1 turkey liver (reserved from giblets package) 3 sleeves Ritz crackers 1 /2 cup chicken broth (low-sodium canned is okay) 3 eggs 1 /4 teaspoon salt 1 /4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large skillet or saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until deep golden, about 20 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they’ve released their liquid and become tender. Stir in the celery and liver and saute for 3-4 more minutes, until the liver is no longer pink on the outside.

2. Tip the vegetable mixture into a bowl and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, crush the Ritz crackers in a separate big bowl into large pieces (about 4 per cracker). In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper until blended.

3. Add the egg mixture and the sauteed vegetables to the Ritz crackers, and lightly toss.

4. Stuff the turkey with the stuffing. Alternatively, you can pile the stuffing into a 2-quart casserole dish and bake it at 350F for 1 1 /4 hours, basting it three or four times with turkey drippings or some additional chicken broth. Serves 8-10.

The Cranberries
By Pia Catton

Inever really thought much about cranberry sauce until I wrote about it for “The Comfort Diner Cookbook.” The recipe I was given was so simple, and the effort so minimal, that I thought something must be incorrect. But no, it’s just that easy: heat, stir, and serve.

This recipe will make weep those still wedded to that canned cranberry jelly (or whatever it is). The first time I made it for Thanksgiving, my mother wrinkled her nose and sighed: “Aren’t fresh cranberries going to be a hassle?” But she couldn’t argue with such a quick, refreshing side dish. And now she’s a convert, too.

Comfort Diner Cranberry Sauce

3 cups cranberries 1 1 /2 cups orange juice 1 /4 cup packed brown sugar

1. In a saucepan, combine the cranberries, juice, and brown sugar.

2. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cranberries have softened and the consistency is thick.

The Turkey
By Anthony Giglio

Thanksgiving is the all-American holiday, but cultural ethnicity makes itself present on the table, especially in the seasoning of the turkey. My Cuban-American friend brines her bird in garlicky mojo criollo and serves it with saffronscented rice. Another friend, a Chinese chef, uses five-spice powder for a jolt of flavor, and pairs it with bitter greens sauteed with chilies. In my house, the turkey is prepared according to recipe created by my great aunt Maria, who hailed from Rome.

This recipe calls for not a traditional stuffing, but an amalgam of meat and herbs: pancetta, liver, and fresh sage. The preparation ratchets up the bird’s flavor without too much fuss, and it can be used in almost all birds. It yields a silky, earthy, savory sauce that gives white meat needed depth. It also makes the dark meat taste more like wild pheasant (which was often her bird of choice, pan-roasted on the stove top).

If you’re in charge for the first time, keep in mind that roasting a turkey that will feed six to eight people isn’t much different than roasting a large “oven stuffer roaster” chicken – except that the turkey can dry out faster.That’s why basting is the key to a juicy bird, no matter what its size. The smallest turkeys available in most grocery stores (about six to eight pounds) will feed at least six to eight people. Butchers will tell you that you only need one-half pound per person-especially given all the other food on the table. But only you know your family.

Turkey

1 6- to 8-pound turkey with its liver kosher salt 1 pound slab pancetta, cubed 2 bunches fresh sage (at least 40 leaves) 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil freshly ground pepper 1 1 /2 cups dry white wine

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Wash and dry turkey thoroughly inside and out, then salt the cavity liberally.

3. Place turkey, breast-side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a v-rack or a flat rack.

4. Stuff the liver into the cavity and rub it into the ribs and along the spine (it will disintegrate easily). Then add the pancetta and sage leaves.

5. Drizzle turkey with half the olive oil and, using your hands, rub it into skin on top side of bird. Season with salt and pepper, then flip the bird and repeat.

6. Pour 1 cup white wine into pan and place pan in oven.

7. Roast, basting at least every 30 minutes, adding wine (or water) if needed.

8. After an hour, carefully turn bird breast-side up and continue basting accordingly.

9. If after two hours it’s not sufficiently browned, turn oven up to 425F. When an instant thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thigh read 165F, remove the bird to a platter and let rest for 30 minutes.

10.Tip roasting pan to remove all but about 2 Tbsp. of fat. Set over high flame and add a half-cup more of wine (or water) and scrape up the fond, then strain into gravy bowl. Carve bird when ready, spooning sauce generously over each piece.

The Dessert
By Ruth Graham

In my Dutch family, Christmas dessert means variety: jan hagel cookies, antbykoek honey bread, and almond-filled banket pastry. But Thanksgiving means just one thing: my great-grandmother Sluis’s Icebox Pudding. Even if you’ve insisted that you just don’t have room for pumpkin pie, you’ll make room for this dessert, which consists of soft layers of cakey lady fingers, smothered with chocolate pudding, chilled, and topped with whipped cream. Best made the night before it’s served, it takes just a half-hour of hands-on time. No oven required, just an icebox – or a refrigerator, if you must.

ICEBOX PUDDING

4 eggs 2 bars German Sweet Chocolate 1 /2 cup sugar 1 /2 cup water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 24 “cake-style” lady fingers

1. Separate the eggs and beat the yolks with a fork, setting aside the whites.

2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

3. Stir in the sugar, water, and vanilla.

4. Take a tablespoon of the chocolate mixture and stir it into the cup of beaten egg yolks. (This evens out the temperature of the yolks and the chocolate, so the eggs don’t cook when added to the hot chocolate.)

5. Add the warm eggs and stir the mixture in the double boiler until it thickens. Then set it aside to cool.

6. Arrange the lady fingers in a criss-cross pattern in an 8″-by-8″ pan.

7. Beat the egg whites until they stiffen.

8. Fold the chocolate into the egg whites and then pour the mixture over the lady fingers, gently lifting the edges to make sure the chocolate sinks into all the layers.

9. Chill overnight and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

The Potatoes
By Paul Lukas

When it comes to potatoes, the traditional Thanksgiving options are mashed or sweet. But tradition is where you find it: In my family it is located in a glass baking dish, loaded with layers of thin-sliced potatoes, butter, cream, and garlic. Depending on whom you ask, this is either a gratin, Pommes Anna, or, as our family called it, scalloped potatoes. But by any name, it’s delicious.

To find out why we didn’t have the regular mashed potatoes, I recently asked my mother: “Why did we always have scalloped potatoes?”

“Because of you,” she said. “You were a very finicky little boy – you thought mashed potatoes were too mushy, and sweet potatoes were too weird. So I had to come up with something else that you’d be willing to eat. Everyone else thought I was crazy for accommodating you like that.”

Okay, so that’s sort of embarrassing, but it’s hard to feel bad about something that resulted in such a wonderful dish. When cooked just right, the top layer comes out browned and crispy, while the interior is rich and creamy – an irresistible combination.

My mother cooks more by feel than by measurement, so it took some trial and error for me to duplicate her recipe. One thing I discovered is that the dish turns out much better with boiling or “waxy” potatoes (the Nicola is an ideal variety, if you can find it) than with baking potatoes. I also found that a cast iron skillet works at least as well as a glass baking dish.

This basic version will serve three to four people. Since most Thanksgiving dinners have more guests than that, just use an additional baking dish and double the recipe, if needed.

Scalloped Potatoes

3 medium to large boiling or “waxy” potatoes 2 /3 cup heavy cream 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon butter cut into small pieces

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Peel the potatoes and then, using a food processor or a mandoline, slice them as thin as possible (the slices should be almost paper-thin). Working in layers, arrange the slices in a spiral pattern in a 9 1 /2-inch ovenproof glass baking dish or cast iron skillet, adding a bit of salt, pepper, and garlic every layer or two. 2. Pour about half the cream over the layered potato slices and wait a few seconds for it to settle. Slowly add the rest of the cream, making sure that the level of the liquid doesn’t rise above the top of the potatoes. Dot with butter. Bake until cream has been absorbed and top layer is browned, about 90 minutes.

The Salad

The rich, classic dishes of Thanksgiving work together like a carb-loaded lullaby. But for the feast to be truly satisfying, you need a culinary wakeup call on the table, too. The solution? Go straight to the root of the problem. Celery root, that is.

Also known as celeriac, celery root is a hard, knobby vegetable with an earthy, aromatic celery flavor that’s pure autumn. It can be boiled with potatoes for a puree or roasted with parsnips. But celery root’s most refreshing and satisfying incarnation is certainly celeri remoulade, where it is shredded and briefly boiled, then tossed with a mayonnaise-based sauce.With celeri remoulade as my starting point, I played with the dish and created something I can’t wait to serve with Thanksgiving dinner. I substituted sour cream and yogurt for the mayo, then added shredded Granny Smith apples for tartness and walnuts for crunch. Scarlet pomegranate seeds added tartness, crunch, and color – making the salad pretty enough for the Thanksgiving table and refreshing enough to perk up the entire meal.

Tart & Crunchy Celeriac Salad

2 medium celeriac 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts 1 large pomegranate For the dressing: 1 /2 cup sour cream 1 /2 cup full-fat plain yogurt 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then lower the heat so that it stays at a steady simmer.

2. With a sharp knife, cut off the tops and bottoms of the celeriacs to reveal the white part beneath. Set each celeriac on its bottom and slice off the peel. Cut the celeriac into large chunks that will still fit through the feeder tube of the food processor. A food processor with a grater disc makes this salad easy, but a mandoline will also work.

3. Grate the celeriac using the grater disk on the food processor, pressing firmly on the celeriac chunks as they progress through the feeder tube.

4. Transfer the celeriac from the food processor to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and run cold water over the celeriac to stop the cooking. Squeeze dry and transfer to a large bowl.

5. Cut the cored apples into large chunks and grate through the food processor as well. Transfer to the bowl with the celeriac, and add the walnuts. Toss to combine.

6. Combine all the dressing ingredients together, pour over the celeriac mixture, and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to a serving dish.

7. Remove the seeds from the pomegranate and sprinkle over the salad. Chill for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight, before serving. Serves 8-10.