The good news is that the dish is comparatively light for Turkey Day, and the spuds themselves cook beautifully. Essentially braised in vegetable broth and milk, they hold their shapes well and come out in creamy, tender little disk. The texture is a nice alternative to standard mashed potatoes, especially if you're serving multiple mushy sides. More

Khanom Chan lie totally outside the Western dessert canon, and can be a refreshing change-up from more typical desserts. To the uninitiated, the texture's a surprise, like the chewy tapioca pearls in bubble tea or elastic balls of mochi. Its... More

Everything came together quickly with the use of a food processor for shredding the beets and apples, and the vinaigrette whips up in a snap. The resulting fall salad is tangy, crunchy, and sweet but not cloying. The texture alone makes it a winner. More

Recipes like Top Crust Peach and Cardamom Pie from Bon Appetit via Epicurious have helped me get over my cooked fruit issues. This recipe flips the classic peach pie upside-down and gives it a (gentle, loving) kick in the seat. Tart and sweet, the warm, fragrant cardamom complements the sassy, tangy peaches. Together, they perfectly evoke the change of season. It's a terrific entry-level recipe for anyone hesitant about giving pie a go. More

This recipe for Green Tomato Curry with Potatoes and Garlic from Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries is incredibly simple and perfect for any unwanted green tomatoes. The browning of the garlic at the beginning may sound a little extreme, but as long as it doesn't burn, you'll be left with this gorgeous aroma that will deepen the flavor of each bite. It's all balanced by the green tomatoes, which help lend the dish some much needed acidity. More

Whole bamboo stalks. [Photograph: Chichi Wang] You can cook bamboo stalks in any of the ways suitable for bamboo shoots, but I like to have my bamboo stalks dressed simply, in salad form. Western style vinaigrettes taste just as fine... More

[Photograph: Max Falkowitz] Mahlab is primarily used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern breads and pastries, but there's no reason to limit it to those applications. It works surprisingly well with baking spices common in most pantries, like nutmeg and cinnamon.... More

A simple, seasonal, vegan-friendly treat devised by the good people at Whole Foods, No-Cook Berry Crisp is suitable for either breakfast or dessert. A dollop of yogurt will orient it more towards the morning, while a scoop of vanilla would make it nighttime-appropriate. More

Rice is so easy to treat as an afterthought that it's nice when it can play a starring role. I pulled this recipe from Lucid Food, a cookbook full of recipes focused on healthfulness and sustainability. This vegan dish is inspired by the many variations of rice used in Persian cooking, with dried fruits, nuts, herbs, and legumes commonly added to bring flavor and character. More

I made these Moroccan-Style Braised Vegetables from In The Green Kitchen by Alice Waters as something of a detox dinner after an intense week of restaurant meals. I was looking for a dish that wouldn't leave me with the food hangover I had been suffering from after all those great albeit meat-heavy meals. The stew is flavored with Moroccan spices that are warming, spicy, and deeply-flavored—and you won't even miss the meat or dairy. More