Celery

Add chopped jalapeños for some extra zip.

To accompany the pork, toss egg noodles with butter and chives, and sprinkle lemon juice over sautéed vegetables. Finish with vanilla ice cream and butterscotch sauce.

Buttery, slightly sweet pumpkin is the perfect mate for the briny flavor of oysters, scallops, or other crustaceans. This soup is made with shrimp, whose shells are turned into an aromatic stock that serves as the soup's liquid. Classic shellfish bisques are thickened with rice, but here pumpkin provides body for the soup. Sage's earthy flavor complements both pumpkin and shrimp and steers the focus of flavor from sweet to savory. This is a satisfying soup to prepare throughout the fall. If you serve it as a first course for Thanksgiving dinner, you might start a tradition in your family.

This light and lovely main course comes from executive chef Jeff Tunks at the acclaimed DC Coast in Washington, D.C.

In this dish, Elena Rovera prefers the clean, fruity flavor of Roero Arneis, a dry white wine from the Piedmont region of Italy. She typically serves the chicken with rosemary potatoes. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Chef Boulud says that the success of this dish rests on browning the short ribs well at the beginning of cooking the dish to get the best flavors into the sauce. The Celery Duo starts with a celery root puree and ends with the braised ribs that top the beef. This recipe also can be found in the Café Boulud Cookbook, by Daniel Boulud and Dorie Greenspan.

Save time by using vacuum-sealed pouches of tuna, which don't need to be drained.

When a dark chilly afternoon in October portends a killing frost, gather the last of the garden's bounty and make a steaming pot of soup for dinner. This recipe makes a generous amount that will feed a family for more than one satisfying meal.

"Years ago, when we were dating, my husband took me to Park Bistro in Manhattan," writes Therese Tetzel of Dallas, Texas. "To this day, we return to the restaurant every time we go to New York. Its version of coq au vin is the best I've had in the United States—similar to one we tried in Burgundy."

Wheat berries, minimally processed grains of whole wheat, are sometimes marketed as hard wheat.

Consommé avec Petites Profiteroles Active time: 2 1/4 hr Start to finish: 20 hr (includes making stock)

"When I fled Greece during World War II and eventually relocated to Los Angeles, I brought with me the traditions of my home," writes Rebecca Levy. "A lot of these traditions have to do with food, and since sharing my heritage has always been important to me, I often make favorites from my homeland for friends and family. In addition, cooking for community events and teaching classes on Sephardic cuisine keep my schedule full." Pair this dish with rice pilaf or noodles.