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Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 30 min

Franklin serves this dish like a green salad, but it's also

Make this at least one day and up to two days ahead for best flavor. This is a much simplified version of the classic smoked meat and bean cassoulet.

Brining ensures moist, succulent meat, and this recipe from Bruce Aidells, chef and founder of Aidells Sausage Company, could not be easier or more low-tech. The special equipment required? Two 30-gallon plastic bags and one very large (16-quart) bowl that will fit in the fridge. You'll want to get started a day ahead, because the turkey is brined for 18 to 20 hours. Stuffing this turkey is not recommended; the brine remaining in the meat may soak into the stuffing during roasting.

Accompany this colorful dish with rice pilaf and baby peas with pearl onions. The kicker: spice bars and orange slices.

Pomegranate molasses is sold at Middle Eastern markets and some supermarkets; panko is in many supermarkets' Asian foods aisle.

One of two stuffings (see also the Apple and Sausage Stuffing) developed by Barbara Shinn and David Page of Home restaurant in New York. This dish features large cubes of French bread and a custardy texture. To ensure a crisply browned top, the stuffing should be baked separately from the turkey.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 1 3/4 hr

Dja'jeh Burd'aan b'Teen Dja'jeh Burd'aan b'Teen is particularly liked by children because of the sweet, familiar flavor of orange juice. Serve over white rice. The dish tastes even better reheated the next day, once the chicken has marinated in the juice and spices.

White and red wines go equally well with pork. A lightly oaked Chardonnay and a fruity Merlot would be nice.

For years I carted cases of this citrus-flavored Cuban marinade back from Miami, til we started making it in the restaurant. The real thing is all tarted up with the juice of bitter oranges — nearly impossible to find. So we add a touch of lime juice to freshly squeezed orange juice to give it the right kick. It's one of the most versatile pantry ingredients you can make. Use it as a marinade for pork and chicken, pour it over cooked veggies or potatoes, or toss it with salad greens.

"I grew up in the middle of Croatia, near Zagreb, where the cuisine is very heavy — lots of meat and potatoes," writes Snjezana Hercigonja of Raleigh, North Carolina. "But when I was young, it was customary to vacation on the Mediterranean coast in the summer, where you go to the market every day to see what's good, and everything is really fresh and light. Even the fat is good, since it's usually olive oil. This recipe is based on dishes from that region. Select peppers that are flat on the bottom — they stand up better while cooking. Mashed potatoes would be a perfect side dish.

Sourdough bread complements the Italian flavors in this stuffing from Bruce Aidells.