Six More Thanksgiving Menus

Susan Spungen, author Recipes: A Collection for the Modern Cook, is a master at creating the small, simple details that can transform a recipe—like using a single, beautiful herb sprig to adorn a sweet potato biscuit. Here, her inviting holiday menu.

Wine Note On Thanksgiving it's tempting to pick a middle-of-the-road wine or two—an easygoing Chardonnay, a light red. But a vivid menu like this one calls for equally unabashed wines. For a white, try a heady, aromatic Gewürztraminer from California. Handley's 2004 suggests spiced pears; the 2004 Chateau St. Jean is more floral and zesty. For a red, go all out with a big, single-vineyard Zinfandel, rich enough for stuffing and gravy, and as fruity as fresh cranberry sauce. Try the briary, blackberry-rich 2002 Quivira Anderson Ranch or the 2002 St. Francis Pagani Vineyard Reserve; made from grapes from a vineyard planted over 100 years ago, it's full of voluptuous black raspberry and chocolate flavors.—Ray Isle

Spago Beverly Hills is the quintessential West Coast restaurant. But when chef Lee Hefter invites his colleagues to Thanksgiving, the menu celebrates his East Coast roots—from the squash soup to the maple-syrup gravy.

Plan ahead with chef Heftner's Thanksgiving Day Game Plan.

From: A Spago Family Thanksgiving

Robert Stehling of Charleston's Hominy Grill is dedicated to low-country cuisine, but he's no purist. At a sprawling Thanksgiving, he updates the classics—from pickling shrimp with orange juice to spiking pumpkin pie with bourbon.

• Pickled Shrimp
• Hot Pepper Jelly with Sesame-Cornmeal Crackers
• Gumbo-Style Crab Soup With Okra And Tomatoes

From: Low-Country Thanksgiving

Valenti's Thanksgiving dinner reflects a mix of nostalgic flavors and exquisite technique. The recipe for oyster-and-sausage stuffing goes back to the 18th century, when the oysters in New York Harbor were so huge, Valenti claims, that you needed only one to stuff a turkey. His updated version blends the meaty (sausage) and the briny (oysters) with an Italian influence (pine nuts). It's rich but, as he says, "it doesn't leave you feeling as if you've eaten a bowling ball."

The array of dishes in Valenti's menu might seem intimidating, but really are no cause for panic. Many of the dishes can be prepared almost entirely in advance and reheated if necessary. For more guidance, follow chef Valenti's Make-Ahead Strategies Guide.

How to sleep late and still have time to make a marvelous Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings

Get Started: 12-Step Dinner Plan

From: The Four Hour Thanksgiving Feast

These healthy (and delicious) holiday dishes include nutrition information at the end of each recipe.

From: The Thanksgiving Guide

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