Poultry

Western ingredients are particularly well suited to the Thanksgiving feast, as evidenced by this robust, satisfying gravy. It comes from Montana-based Greg Patent, the author of New Cooking from the Old West (Ten Speed Press, 1996), and it has an appealing home-on-the-range quality, thanks to plenty of fresh sage and the smoky taste of bacon. It's rich, delicious and perfect for smothering turkey and potatoes. Follow these directions to make a foolproof gravy no matter what recipe you use for roasting the turkey. Since the broth and giblets can be prepared one day ahead, the last-minute steps are kept to a minimum.

Serve the waffles with sautéed green beans and mushrooms, and end the meal with fresh pineapple and giant gingersnaps.

Two mustards mellowed with honey and yogurt make a terrific sauce for chicken — or even fish or pork. This is an ideal warm-weather dish because the sauce does't require cooking. Try boiled new potatoes on the side. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 25 min

By cooking the rice and toasting the walnuts ahead, you can take this dish from skillet to table in a very short time.

Poulet aux Quarante Gousses d'Ail Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 50 min Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic was a recipe that allowed us to be provocative without being downright offensive. It presents the softer side of garlic — the "stinking rose" — mellowed by long, slow cooking.

When the weather turns chilly, a dinner of perfectly cooked duck, with crispy skin, rosy succulent meat, and a balanced fruity sauce, is something to dream about. This duck dish delivers all these things. It calls for whole ducks which can be found fresh or frozen in most supermarkets for a price per pound not much more than chicken. The breast and leg meat are removed from the carcass and marinated. The carcass is made into stock, strained, and boiled down into a rich sauce. When it's time to cook the duck, the legs are baked in the oven until fully cooked, tender, and crispy, and the breasts are sautéed on top of the stove until the skin crisps but the meat is still rosy. If you are not confident cutting up the duck yourself, buy a fresh duck from a butcher, who will cut it for you. Don't let the many steps scare you off. The result is well worth it, and you can do much of the work the day ahead. The day before, or the morning of serving day: Cut up the duck and marinate it; make the duck stock (3 hours); and strain the stock and boil it down to make the sauce (1 hour). **20 minutes before serving:**Begin cooking the duck breasts. 45 minutes before serving: Begin cooking the duck legs; reheat the sauce. 5 minutes before serving: Allow the duck to rest, then slice and serve.

A true coq au vin is made with the master of the farmyard, a rooster. If you can't find such a beast, use a good-size roasting chicken, and reduce the cooking time (cook it for about one hour, or until the meat is tender and cooked but not falling from the bone).

Round out this French-style meal with rice and steamed asparagus; polish things off with raspberry tarts from the bakery.

Here's a great main course from the Post Hotel at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. If you can't find boneless duck breasts, buy two whole ducks, and ask the butcher to remove the breasts for you. Freeze the leg and thigh meat to use at another time. Partner this with green beans for a colorful presentation.

These make-ahead savory pies are wonderful centerpiece dishes for a casual dinner.

This rich curried soup has been served at '21' for years. Our restaurant is one of the few places in this country where you can still find it. At '21' the classic garnish is diced poached chicken; this version substitutes chutney.