Sage

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min The flavor of fresh sage can be intense. You may want to start by adding 3 tablespoons of sage to the pesto, then taste after processing and add another tablespoon if you'd like a stronger flavor.

Maple syrup brings sweetness and warm color to the pork. Wild rice pilaf, brussels sprouts and a Gewürztraminer would be nice accompaniments.

Pumpkins may be all the rage just now, but we've noticed another squash that's garnering a lot of attention lately. The inconspicuous kabocha squash—too bumpy, squat, and unseasonably green to be taken seriously as porch décor—is finally being hailed for its inner beauty. With deeply flavored meat more fiery orange than that of its famous cousin, the kabocha caught the attention of several readers, all of whom wrote to request recipes from various restaurants for kabocha soup. Such an incipient following may portend great things. Is there a Great Kabocha? Not yet, Charlie Brown, but here's a great kabocha soup. Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

This recipe is intended as a baked dressing to accompany the Thanksgiving turkey . It can be used as stuffing (a practice I do not recommend for turkey), if you desire. It also makes a good stuffing for capon or pork.

Purchased puff pastry simplifies this flavorful starter. What to drink: Open a bottle of Champagne or Sancerre to pour with the cheese twists and the Corn and Lobster Chowder.

Using pre-tenderized steak (labeled "cube steak" at the meat counter) makes this bistro-style dish extra succulent. Serve with: Hash browns and steamed broccoli. Dessert: Warm apple pie.

Tender Iowa corn was the inspiration for these terrific biscuits. They are best eaten the day they are baked; extras can be warmed up the next morning for breakfast or brunch. Be sure to serve them with plenty of butter.

Pine nuts provide a buttery contrast to the tart capers in this sophisticated veal dish.

Lady apples—a small, hard winter apple that's yellow with a reddish cheek—are often used decoratively but we love them for their flavor. They're widely available in markets this time of year. Said to be one of the oldest known apple varieties, they originated in the Forest of Api, France, during medieval times.

A salad, some crusty bread and wine are all that's needed with this hearty pasta dish. For the wine, consider serving a bottle of Chianti or Sangiovese.

Jim Fobel, cookbook author, says, "My mother always added lots of sage and nutmeg to her stuffing. I loved those flavors when I was a kid, and I still put them in the stuffings that I make today."

Ever since R.C Van Dyne from Wilmington, NC tasted farinata in Alessandria, Italy, he has been wanting to make it. We obtained this recipe from Rose Pistola restaurant in San Francisco, where they serve their own farinata. Farinata is a thin, crisp, pizzalike pancake made from chick-pea flour. When we called Rose Pistola, we were thrilled to learn that the recipe had already been reworked for the home cook by Peggy Knickerbocker, coauthor with chef Reed Hearon of The Rose Pistola Cookbook: 140 Recipes from San Francisco's Favorite North Beach Restaurant (out October, 1999 from Broadway Books). The following recipe makes three farinata, but they must be baked one at a time. We suggest opening a bottle of wine, hanging out in the kitchen with friends, and eating the farinata as they come out of the oven. For best results, use a 10-inch seasoned cast-iron round griddle, about 3/8-inch deep, that can hold about 1 cup batter. Farinata can be made in a regular cast-iron skillet, but it won't be quite as crisp or easy to remove.

Fresh herbs and pancetta (Italian cured bacon) blanket the pork before it goes into the oven. Ask the butcher to tie the two loins to hold their shape. Begin marinating the meat one day before serving. What to drink: Open a few bottles of spicy Zinfandel or hearty Bordeaux to place on the buffet table.

Reduce oven gridlock with this fantastic stove-top side. (The garlic can be roasted in the oven a day in advance.)

Mashed potatoes and buttered baby carrots are naturals with the veal. Sprinkle grated chocolate over coffee frozen yogurt for a quick but sophisticated ending.

If this stuffing is to be baked inside the holiday turkey, reduce the amount of chicken broth to 2 1/4 cups.