What to Cook

Lemon Pepper Pasta with Browned Butter

While “lemon” and “pepper” are the two primary flavors here, this pasta really does taste enough like cacio e pepe to hit many of the same pleasure receptors as excellent boxed macaroni and cheese.

Squash Soup with Lentils and Herbs

More squash than lentil, this soup has a lovely little sweetness and just enough cumin to remind me of eating soup from a co-op– a very specific, niche yet evocative reference.

Pork and Red Chili Pozole with Cabbage

While this may not be a true pozole—it’s thicker and more stew-like, I’ve added tomatillos for body and acidity, and there’s cabbage braised alongside the pork.

Brothy Chickpeas with Calabrian Chili

To me, these chickpeas are a perfect simple side dish to any large format protein you’re serving, but they can also be used as a blank canvas for whatever other chickpea journey you’re on. Use them for a frizzled chickpea salad, crush them with some raw garlic and serve with fried eggs.

Slow Cooked Lamb with White Wine and Potatoes

The most important part of this recipe is that it takes a long (slow) time, and I prefer to do it overnight, so plan ahead. Secondly, don’t overthink it. It’s a beyond simple dish with exquisite results!

Slow Roasted Turkey with Garlic and Herbs

When talking about poultry, the leg I am referring to is the drumstick and the thigh connected– the whole leg. That said, some butchers or turkey farmers refer to this cut as a “turkey quarter,” which also makes sense. Either way, it’s all dark meat, and it’s fabulous.

Simply Roasted Turkey Wings

YIELD — 6–8 servings Wings, on any bird, are important. They are especially important to me on the bird that I’m eating, be it chicken or turkey. Since I’m already buying some wings to roast for stock, I get extra for serving at the table because a turkey

Brown Butter Gravy

YIELD — 4 cups, about 8–10 servings If I were roasting a whole turkey, I’d use those drippings instead of browned butter, but I’m not. The browned butter and dark roux contribute to the flavor, so both steps are important in building what could be described as “complex”

Very Crunchy Salad feat. Fennel, Apples, and Pecans

A salad is a non-negotiable for me, especially with all the rich, buttery dishes on the table. This bitter, crunchy, bright one with honeyed pecans and fennel seed will get eaten suspiciously fast for a salad at Thanksgiving.

Buttered Stuffing with Celery and Leeks

There’s a reason my stuffing recipe hasn’t really changed in years—this crispy, buttery, leek, garlic and celery-laden version is my platonic ideal.

Cranberries and Honey

I’m not here to convince you that fresh cranberry sauce is better than canned, because I believe in both. But this version of fresh, which is barely sweetened only with honey, is a nice way to celebrate the simplicity of cranberries.

Smooth, Creamy, Mashed Potatoes Because I Guess We Must

Ask me for “the best mashed potato recipe,” and well, it might be this one. “To me, you are perfect.” There is a tight, concise ingredient list, all of which pull their weight.

Anchovy Apple Apricot Artichoke Arugula Asparagus

Bacon Banana Beans & Legumes Beef Blue Cheese Blueberry Bread Brisket Broccoli Broccoli Rabe Buttermilk

Cabbage Capers Carrot Cauliflower Celery Chicken Chickpeas Chiles Chocolate Cinnamon Citrus Clams Coconut Corn Cornmeal Cranberries Cucumber

Dates Dill

Egg Eggplant Escarole

Farro Fennel Feta

Grapefruit Green Beans

Harissa Hazelnut Hominy Horseradish

Kale

Labne Lamb Leek Lemon Lentils Lettuce Lime

Maple Syrup Matzo Mushrooms Mustard

Olive Onion Orange

Panko Parmesan Parsley Peach Peas Pecan Pecorino Pepperoncini Pickles Pistachio Plum Pork Potato Puff Pastry

Radicchio Radish Red Onion Ricotta Rutabaga

Sage Salmon Sardines Sausage Scallions Sesame Shallot Shrimp Squash Steak Strawberry

Tahini Tarragon Tofu Tomatillo Tomato Tortilla Trout Tuna Turkey

Walnuts

Zucchini