This is a crisp, crunchy and sweet-tart palate cleanser of a salad. It’s a perfect complement to a rich pork roast or baked chicken and gravy. It’s best to use a mandoline set to slice the fennel and apples very thin.

Don’t consider cranberry sauce the be all and end all to Thanksgiving dinner. There are a host of condiments from around the world that would be the perfect piquant foil to turkey and all the trimmings. Lady apples should be pretty easy to find at gourmet market during the holiday season.

This is a quick and delicious dessert – especially if you’re not having a crowd, but the recipe can easy multiply. Use your favorite flavor of ice cream – or try something new. Kids will love to help make this one!

Wild rice is really a grass. It’s native to North America and grows predominantly in the Great Lakes region. Native Americans, particularly the Ojibway, Menomini and Cree tribes, used the grain as a staple. These pancakes are a novel alternative to rice and are great for soaking up gravy.

Who knew? Govind Armstrong’s take on bread pudding – which uses doughnuts -- is simply delicious. Find more of his sophisticated, but easy-to-make, recipes in his cookbook, Small Bites, Big Nights.