Poultry

Shredded iceberg lettuce topped with ranch dressing is the perfect side dish. End with scoops of lime sorbet drizzled with tequila and sprinkled with lime peel. Canned chipotle chilies are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores, and some supermarkets.

"While traveling in the Northern California wine country with friends," writes Stephen Carkeet of Merced, California, "we ate dinner at Zin Restaurant & Wine Bar in Healdsburg and had one of the best meals I can remember. Chef Jeff Mall prepared a wonderful chicken dish he called 'coq au Zin.' It was a winner." A taste — and word — play on the classic French dish coq au vin, this time made with red Zinfandel. At the restaurant, this is served with creamy mashed potatoes.

Serve with: Black bean salad from the deli and salad toppings like sour cream, shredded lettuce, grated Monterey Jack cheese, and salsa. Dessert: Double-dip dulce de leche and chocolate ice cream cones.

This recipe makes great use of rotisserie chicken, available at most supermarkets.

The chilies add lots of flavor and a little heat.

(Tony Tan's Laksa Lemak)

The colorful kebabs feature the popular Greek flavors of mint and oregano. Serve them over rice or with pita bread.

Broil slices of packaged polenta to go with the chicken. Round out the main course with an arugula salad and chunks of crusty whole wheat Italian bread. For dessert? Brownies topped with vanilla gelato drizzled with sambuca.

An adaptation of a classic Northern Italian dish, spezzatini di pollo al pomodoro e vino bianco (chicken sautéed with tomato and white wine). Serve sautéed broccoli rabe and a crusty ciabatta alongside. What to drink: Barbera or Italian Chardonnay.

Traditional flavors (honey and orange) and contemporary ones (cumin and chilies) come together in the glaze, which also gives the gravy some heat and zip. See how to carve a turkey.

Bangkok-style noodles with shrimp, chicken and Thai chilies from Arun's in Chicago.

In this Basque-inspired dish, a bell pepper mixture is slow-cooked to produce an unusual — and flavorful — confit.

For a variation, you could throw in a cup of cooked vegetables left over from Thanksgiving to add texture to this creamy chowder. Serve the soup with chowder crackers, along with a spinach and pear salad. Purchased apple turnovers would make an ideal dessert.

This chicken is incredibly crispy and intensely flavorful, making it an exciting alternative to milder roast chicken recipes. Weighting the chicken ensures that each piece is of the same thickness, so they cook quickly and evenly. The weight also causes the fat under the skin to render, melting out and leaving the skin deliciously crisp. When you buy the chicken for this recipe, ask your butcher to remove the back and breast bones and halve the bird so that there is a drumstick and wing on each side.

Yogurt, curry, and cumin flavors combine in this delicious Indian-inspired appetizer. It makes terrific cocktail party fare.

If you are not able to find Pont l'Evêque cheese, either Taleggio or Brie would also work well in this lovely starter from Charlie Trotter's in Chicago.