Fennel

These make-ahead savory pies are wonderful centerpiece dishes for a casual dinner.

Team this outstanding entrée with some steamed broccoli and a fruity Zinfandel.

Complement this thick soup with plenty of crusty French bread.

Bruce Aidells, founder of Aidell's Sausage Company, says, "I first discovered that fennel was a delicious vegetable while enjoying Christmas Eve dinner at the home of a dear friend of mine, the late cooking teacher Loni Kuhn. At her own family's holiday meals, a gratin of fennel, potatoes and cheese was a much appreciated standard. The mild anise flavor of cooked fennel goes particularly well with roast turkey or roast pork, and it has been a regular at my family's holiday table for more than twenty years."

Not your typical corn bread dressing, this one from Michael McLaughlin features smoky ham and sautéed fennel.

No carving required: Have the butcher bone the turkey breast, leaving the breast halves attached; then just slice at the table before serving. In addition to the sweet potatoes and cranberries, serve buttered green beans and bread alongside the turkey. Pour Chardonnay or Zinfandel, and finish off with the classic pumpkin pie, dolled up with one of the recommendations on the next page.

"I run a salon, and I’m an instructor at a cooking school," writes Sandy Ercolano of Ridgewood, New Jersey. "It seems that I’m always in the kitchen. At home I cook meals and come up with recipes for my classes. Of course, my family eagerly tries anything I make." To turn this main-course salad into a side dish or vegetarian entrée, omit the shrimp.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

Rockfish is used in this dish at Cashion's Eat Place in Washington, D.C. If you can't find rockfish fillets, substitute sea bass.

Uncork your best Merlot with the veal.

Team the fish with steamed rice and sautéed spinach, and pour a Sauvignon Blanc.

The inclusion of fennel and a dash of Pernod puts a sophisticated spin on the classic chilled potato soup. Offer your guests iced tea with the meal.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

An elegant but easy first course. Frozen artichoke hearts are used for the filling, and purchased gyoza or wonton wrappers replace homemade pasta.