5 Ingredients or Fewer

Whipped cream becomes light—yet richer—with the addition of Calvados. It echoes the apples in the torte but also goes beautifully with the pumpkin plum tart.

A delicate, sparkling sugar shell transforms fresh cranberries and sage leaves into jewellike candies that beautifully adorn the cranberry grappa jelly and that also taste entirely appropriate with the main course.

Cider plus cider vinegar brings a sophisticated layered sweetness and a slight edge to perennial candied carrots.

Ruby Port makes for a cranberry sauce that's all grown-up—and its robust flavors, paired with a bit of tangy citrus, complement all the other foods on the plate.

Italians are crazy for dark leafy greens of all kinds, and Swiss chard is a particular favorite in the fall. Here, with stems and ribs included, you get the full earthy spectrum of the vegetable.

Kumquats and cranberries turn out to be a perfect match, since their flavors are similar in intensity: The former contributes a pleasant citrusy bitterness to the latter's signature tartness.

If you've never had pale-fleshed Japanese sweet potatoes before, you'll be surprised by their subtler, drier flesh, which tastes unmistakably of chestnut. A bit of miso mixed into the scallion butter stealthily rounds out the interplay of sweet and umami that will have you eating all the way through to the last flaky remnants of skin.

Quick-pickled cabbage has a refreshing crunch, with a light saltiness enhanced by umeboshi (Japanese salted plums with purple shiso).

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.

A touch of fragrant honey in this dish complements the potatoes' inherent sweetness. Don't be afraid to roast them to a dark golden brown—the chewy caramelized edges will add flavor.

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.

Here's a sweet potato casserole that will please everyone in the family, but isn't sticky or cloying. If your guests insist on a traditional marshmallow topping (let's admit that kids love it, and for some adults, it just isn't Thanksgiving without it), see the variation below.

Japanese horseradish gives these a bit of heat. Great with steak or prime rib, too.

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

Toss these bread crumbs with green vegetables, root vegetables, or pasta.