Apple

At the restaurant, this dish is served with cilantro mashed potatoes. The pork has to marinate overnight, so begin preparing the recipe a day ahead.

The following soup can be made with any variety of pumpkin except the traditional jack-o-lantern variety, which is too watery and lacks flavor. Apple Schnitz, time-honored Pennsylvania Dutch preserved apples, make a healthy snack as well as a novel garnish.

A fall favorite that's topped with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Apple ice wine gets its particular sweetness and deep golden color from frozen apples: The presence of water crystals during pressing increases the sugar content of the resulting wine. Canada produces more ice wine per year than any other country. Sophisticated-looking and intensely apple-flavored, this seasonal dessert is delicious on its own or as a complement to the maple walnut bûche de Noël. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 4 1/4 hr (includes chilling)

Pork, always a favorite in the Midwest and the South, gained popularity early in the century. Immigrants from pork-loving countries such as Germany and Poland were crowding the cities and finding that fresh pork, a luxury back home, was abundant and affordable. Recipes of the time called for pan-frying chops, covering them with apples and baking them for an hour or so. But that would leave today’s pork, which is less fatty, very dry. Here, brining is the trick for making pork chops flavorful and juicy.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If you can't find the Gala variety, use Rome Beauty or Granny Smith apples.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

An inspired combination of flavors—the caraway is an unexpected addition to the crust.

Try this with grilled lamb chops, pork, or chicken.

These simple tartes aux pommes are great with vanilla ice cream. What to drink: Barton & Guestier 1999 Sauternes "Tradition."