Fall

Ella Brennan, who has been called the "queen of Creole cuisine," tasted her first bread pudding long ago. "It was my mother's," she says. "You never had anything like it." These days, people say the same thing about the bread pudding at Brennan's famous Commander's Palace restaurant in New Orleans. "Our bread pudding soufflé outsells all of our other desserts by ten to one, maybe a hundred to one," she says. "We see people swoon over it." Here's a new take on this hall-of-fame comfort dessert: a pumpkin bread pudding that is served cold, except for the sugar sprinkled on top and browned under the broiler just before the sensational dessert goes to the table.

This recipe is based on a delicious dish made by Laura DaMiano, a Quebecois chef. She loves the flavor of butternut squash paired with Oka cheese, a mild, semisoft cow's-milk cheese. Mild Cheddar can be used as a substitute. If you are making this entire menu in a single oven, and you are not making the scalloped squash ahead, you can bake the squash while the ham is standing after braising.

Serve this with roast turkey, lamb, or pork.

These sandwiches make a savory lunch or, served with a bowl of soup, a perfect Sunday supper. We prefer Madras curry powder for this recipe because its subtle, sweet flavor complements the apple and cheese particularly well.

A beautiful dessert for the December entertaining season.

Crisp rounds of potato are layered with wild mushrooms in this hearty dish. Prepare both galettes in the morning, then reheat them after the turkey comes out of the oven.

Pomegranate seeds add crunch and tang to this fennel salsa, which makes a perfect accompaniment not only to these pork chops but also to lamb.

If you don't happen to have any day-old corn bread on hand, just follow our recipe — fresh regular corn bread may be too moist. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 hr (includes making corn bread)

If you happen to find a brioche loaf, it also would make terrific French toast. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 30 min

When Archibald makes this recipe, she uses a kind of apple called Yellow Transparent, grown in the Pacific Northwest. We substituted Macouns, Fujis, and Jonagolds (which hold their shape during baking), all with great success.

The rich, fruity sweetness of a late-harvest Riesling (added to a syrup that is drizzled over the free-form tart) beautifully complements the natural sugars in roasted pears.

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 40 min

This Swedish stew called Sjömansbiffgryta is one of the most typical family stews, which every Swede knows. This is one of those "lots of bang for the buck" types of stews. It's so simple, yet the taste it delivers is so satisfying. It is best to cook it in an enameled cast-iron casserole because it goes into a very hot oven for quite a while, and all the liquid gets absorbed and the casserole becomes a little crusty. I know it seems like an awfully long time to keep a stew in such a hot oven, but trust me, it works. You can deglaze the casserole with a bit of water if you like and pour it over the stew, which should be transferred to a serving bowl.

With its crisp sugary topping, this creamy dessert combines the best of two worlds: pumpkin pie and crème brûlée.

Hollowed-out orange halves are filled with mashed yams and topped with marshmallow creme and pecans.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 10 min