Apple

More pastry chefs are using spices typically associated with savories in their sweets. Here, Chinese five-spice powder, a blend of warm spices and aromatic flavorings, adds allure to a fruit filling.

Filled with raisins and brown sugar and baked in Marsala and cider, these apples make a warming ending to the meal. Accompany them with vanilla ice cream and some purchased almond biscotti.

Great with the blintzes or ice cream. This recipe originally accompanied Cheese Blintzes with Carmelized Apples.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Adapted from Dead Horse Ranch This unusual pâté is made with calves' testicles, also called calf fries. Despite the unique ingredient, bull butter has a milder flavor and more mousselike texture than traditional chicken liver pâté.

Diced apple, dried apricots and golden raisins accent this 30-minute entrée.

Apple orchards of all kinds can be found throughout the middle of the United States. Interestingly, Red Delicious apples are a heartland original, first discovered in 1872 in Peru, Iowa. They are celebrated here (with their sweeter yellow cousin, the Golden Delicious) in a double-crust pie that's truly a "Delicious" closing to the Thanksgiving feast.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Using orange juice instead of water in the crust enhances the fruit flavors in the filling. To prevent the dough from sticking, lightly flour the work surface and the dough, sprinkling with more flour as needed; also, roll just to the edges of the dough, not over them, rotating the dough often.

Replacing the cinnamon with cardamom in this easy applesauce is a great way to appreciate the taste of the bracing spice.

A sophisticated presentation that is ideal for a holiday feast.

Broccoli tossed with buttered breadcrumbs makes a nice addition to the menu. Pour a Sauvignon Blanc and a French sparkling cider.