TasteFood

A tarte Tatin is an upside-down caramelized fruit tart, traditionally made with apples, yet also a lovely way to showcase other seasonal fruit, such as pears in the fall and stone fruit in the summer. It's a rustic and unfussy dessert, notably shellacked in caramel -- and in my case, it is irregular, uneven and all the more charming for that.

Named for the Tatin sisters -- who "invented" the upside-down tart purportedly by accident in Lamotte-Beuvron, France, in 1898 -- the tarte Tatin is all about embracing your kitchen mistakes. Legend has it that one of the sisters, due to fatigue or distraction, somehow omitted the pastry in an apple tart, thereby adding it on top of the fruit in an attempt to salvage the dessert. Wouldn't it be nice if all of our kitchen disasters yielded such successful results?

I make a simple sour cream pastry, which creates a crumbly, cookielike crust. As the tart bakes in the oven, the caramel from the fruit filling will bubble up in spots through the crust. Fear not: The crust will continue to bake, and when the tart is finished and cooling, the wayward caramel will harden and coat the crust like a candied apple. How can anyone resist this?

Apple Tarte Tatin

Active time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes; chilling time: 2 hours (for the dough)

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Sour cream dough:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/3 cup full-fat sour cream

Apple Filling:

1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature, cut in 4 pieces

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and halved

1 egg, beaten to blend, for glaze

Prepare the dough: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is pea-sized. Add the sour cream and pulse until moist clumps form.

Gather the dough into a ball, and then flatten and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Prepare the tart: Place the butter (for the filling) in the bottom of a large ovenproof skillet with sloping sides. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup sugar evenly over the butter and pan. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts, the sugar is partially dissolved, and the mixture is bubbling, about 2 minutes.

Arrange the apples closely together, cut-side up, in a circular pattern in the skillet. Cut the remaining apples into quarters to fill in the spaces. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar evenly over the fruit. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until a thick amber-colored syrup forms, turning the skillet to ensure even cooking, about 25 minutes.

While the fruit is cooking, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pastry on parchment paper to a round shape slightly larger than the skillet. Slide the paper onto a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator until the syrup is ready.

When the syrup is ready, remove the skillet from the heat and lay the pastry over the fruit (work quickly because it will begin to melt from the heat of the pan). Cut 3 to 4 slits in the pastry and brush the pastry with some of the egg glaze.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the tart is deep golden brown and firm when tapped, about 25 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and cool on a rack 1 minute.

Cut around the edge of skillet with a metal spatula to loosen the pastry. Place a large plate over the skillet and, using oven mitts, invert the tart onto the plate. Don't worry if any of the apples are dislodged or stuck in the pan. Simply remove with the spatula and spread on top of tart. Scrape any remaining caramel from the pan and spread over the tart as needed. Cool the tart before serving. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

I won't beat around the bush: I am not a fan of turkey stuffing (or dressing), and neither is my family. Whenever I make stuffing, it sits uneaten at the Thanksgiving table before it's banished to the refrigerator and labeled "leftovers." There, it sits for days -- forlorn, neglected and, frankly, wasteful.

So, now I no longer make bread stuffing for our turkey. Instead, I jam bunches of fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme and sage, as well as wedges of lemon or orange in the turkey cavity to provide aroma and helpful moisture while the turkey roasts. For serving, I provide potatoes and a grain dish to balance and fill out the feast.

This rice salad is always a hit. It's a great gluten-free starch substitute for bread stuffing, and the dried fruit and nuts stud the rice like festive jewelry, providing a pretty addition to the holiday table. Feel free to mix up the fruit and nuts, substituting raisins, chopped prunes, dried figs, walnuts or hazelnuts. For a vegetarian option, substitute vegetable stock or water for the chicken stock.

Wild Rice With Dried Fruit and Pecans

Active time: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Yield: 6 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cups wild rice or wild rice blend

3 1/4 cups chicken stock

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and carrot and saute until they begin to soften without coloring, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and then add the rice and stir to coat.

Pour in the chicken stock and add the thyme, salt and black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes (or according to the rice package instructions).

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the apricots, cranberries and pecans and fluff the rice with a fork. Let stand, partially covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Chicken skewers are fun to eat and perfect finger food for a party. These skewers pack extra flavor with a marinade enriched with pomegranate molasses, a viscous syrup made from the juice of the fruit. Sweet, tart and sticky, the molasses gives a welcome flavor boost to the easygoing white meat, while the sugars in the molasses help to caramelize and crisp the chicken while cooking.

If you have the time, marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for up to six hours. If not, then simply let the chicken marinate at room temperature while you soak the skewers.

Pomegranate molasses is a popular Middle Eastern condiment and can be purchased in the international section of your supermarket or at specialty stores.

Pomegranate Chicken Skewers With Pistachios and Mint

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes, plus soaking and marinating time

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Special equipment needed: Bamboo skewers, pre-soaked for 30 minutes

Marinade:

1/4 cup pomegranate molasses

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Sauce:

1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon Sriracha

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted pistachios

2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves

Whisk the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and set aside about 1/4 cup for basting. Place the chicken in a large bowl, pour in the marinade, and stir to thoroughly coat. Cover and refrigerate the chicken for up to 6 hours. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling.

Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until use.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (or preheat the oven broiler). Thread the chicken on pre-soaked bamboo skewers.

If using a grill, grill the skewers over direct heat, basting with the marinade once, then turn and continue to cook until the chicken is lightly charred and thoroughly cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning again as needed. If broiling in the oven, arrange the skewers on a broiler pan and place on the top oven rack. Broil until the chicken is charred and thoroughly cooked, basting and turning once, about 10 minutes.

Arrange the skewers on a serving platter. Lightly drizzle with the olive oil and garnish with the pistachios and mint. Serve with the dipping sauce.

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS