Fall

Cranberries are a rarity, even to this day, in Italy, so this crostata represents an achievement that's uniquely Italian-American. Though many crostatas employ jam, this one gets its zest from fresh cranberries cooked down and paired with an almond-scented crust—and the proportion of filling to crust is our idea of perfection.

Use any seasonal squash you like in this comforting and creamy soup.

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.

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.

This recipe was created by chef Traci Des Jardins of San Francisco's Jardinière.

A moist, deeply flavored confection studded with rum-soaked raisins and crunchy pecans, this streamlined one-bowl cake will get compliments even for novice bakers. Plus, it keeps for days. To dress up each serving, why not use store-bought eggnog, which has the consistency of custard sauce.

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.

Although this soup is full of earthy flavor, it's also relatively light, which makes it a perfect first course for the big holiday meal. As a bonus, it can be prepared several days ahead and quickly reheated at the last minute.

This is a dessert to remember: chocolaty cookie crust, creamy mascarpone filling, and a glistening cranberry topping.

If you've never cooked with quince before, here's a great intro. It tastes like a cross between an apple and a pear.

Mascarpone lightens up the filling of this classic pumpkin pie.

In this refined version, pecan pie is all grown up.

Flavored with traditional stuffing herbs, these are great for mopping up gravy. They also make a tasty snack sandwich with leftover turkey.

To add richness, sauté three ounces sliced pancetta until crisp; crumble over before serving. Varietal honeys are available at specialty foods stores and online at chefshop.com.

If you've never had rutabagas, here's a great way to try them. Ginger-roasted pears add sweetness and a touch of spice—the perfect balance for this earthy root vegetable. Slice one extra pear and roast it (with the cubes) to use as garnish.

Chestnuts play deliciously against roasted grapes. Roasted chestnuts in jars can be found at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and online at markys.com or mastercaviar.com.

Squash is often sold already peeled and seeded, making this recipe even easier.

Thinly sliced brussels sprouts are sautéed with shallots in this comforting hash.