Chef Joanne Chang also seasons her sweet-and-savory Thanksgiving turkey with sesame, ginger, and Chinese five-spice powder.

"I wasn't always a briner," says Shawn McClain, "but when enough people tell you it's the thing to do, you try it." He's glad he did: The brine here, which is a simple combination of salt, sugar, spices and water, keeps the turkey moist in the oven and seasons the meat perfectly.

“I’ve always been confident that simple, delicious food is good on its own terms. You just have to not mess it up.” — Judy Rodgers

"Brining introduces flavor that penetrates to the bone," says chef Ken Oringer. "And, because brining adds moisture, the turkey can handle high heat."

For this easy one-pan dish, Grace Parisi roasts chicken legs on a bed of potatoes and kale so the meaty juices keep the vegetables moist. Prep takes just 10 minutes and the resulting meal serves eight or makes for excellent leftovers. There's very little clean-up as everything bakes up together and can be served straight from the pan. It's super healthy from the kale and lemon, but also hearty because of the roasted potatoes.

The shallot-miso butter can be refrigerated overnight. Let soften before using.

When F&W’s Kay Chun roasts chicken, she adds brussels sprouts to the roasting pan so they absorb the fantastic flavor of the caraway-infused chicken juices.

Even though he's lived in Los Angeles for 11 years, chef Lee Hefter gravitates to people from the East Coast, who, like him, might have seen the fall foliage every year and watched maple syrup being tapped. "When you grow up with these memories," he says, "you want to share them." He thinks adding maple syrup to gravy makes it go better with all the traditional Thanksgiving side dishes.

A center-cut salmon fillet is best for roasting because it is uniform in shape and thickness and cooks more evenly than an end piece. Served on a bed of lentils that have been simmered with vegetables and bits of bacon, it's to die for.

Smoking with a fruit wood like cherry gives this bird a depth of flavor with a light hint of sweetness.

Like rice paper rolls and banh mi sandwiches, rice-noodle salad bowls—often categorized at restaurants as rice vermicelli bowls or bun (“boon”, the name of the noodles in Vietnamese)—can feature many wonderful things, like grilled lemongrass chicken skewers. To make Vietnamese rice-noodle salad bowls, simply layer the ingredients in a bowl and let diners dress and mix up their own at the table. The vegetables provide refreshing crunch and herbal pungency, the noodles carry flavor, and the main feature and toppings are up to you. Grilled chicken skewers are the highlight here.

This quick and easy technique for the perfect bird results in deeply flavorful meat and crackling, crispy skin.

This is a marvelous turkey — simple, satisfying, and completely delicious. Sweet Italian sausage gives the dressing an extra-special touch.

This creamy chicken and wild rice soup makes use of leftover chicken and comes together in just 20 minutes of active cooking time. It's a great one-bowl meal for busy nights.

Giant lima beans cooked to al dente complement tender braised leftover turkey thighs and drumsticks in this cozy stew. A rind of Parmesan cheese enriches the broth.

The potatoes in this soup are cooked until they start to fall apart, thickening the broth.