American

"My husband and I have a favorite local restaurant, Paci," says Michelle Jaffee of Fairchild, Connecticut. "Its menu changes seasonally and is always exciting. However, it just may be Paci's phenomenal coconut cake that has made us regulars. The pastry chef tells us that the recipe is a closely guarded secret. If you could persuade the restaurant to part with the recipe, I'm sure my family — and your readers — would be most grateful." At Paci, the chef serves this dessert with a chocolate espresso sauce. But we loved the buttery cake topped with fresh fruit — try nectarines or mangoes. It's perfect for summertime. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr (includes cooling)

The sweet-tart filling and the flaky crust add up to one terrific pie.

In this pie, one cup of berries is cooked to form a syrup. The remaining three cups of berries are heated in this syrup just enough to turn the blueberries a midnight blue with overtones of purple. The filling is then spooned into a prebaked crust. If you've made the crust ahead, this pie comes together in minutes. By dessert time, the filling is set.

This dough produces a crisp cookie with oats for added texture.

Sprinkle a ring of chopped toasted walnuts around the edge of the pie before serving.

We used an empty 1/2-gallon cardboard milk carton as a mold for this cake to keep the checkerboard pattern even.

When Wonder Bread hit the market in Indianapolis in 1921, it truly was a wonder: The loaves were larger than the ones Americans were accustomed to, and the revolutionary plastic packaging and addition of preservatives prolonged the bread’s shelf life. In 1930, pre-sliced loaves became available, changing the world of sandwiches forever. Sliced Wonder Bread is also great in this strata; its spongy texture is perfect for soaking up the eggs and milk.

Plank cooking is a Native American technique that imparts a subtle smoky flavor to fish, meat, poultry, and vegetables. It is recommended to use a plank of untreated Western red cedar made specifically for cooking purposes.

Store-bought rotisserie chicken and frozen potatoes make quick and easy work of this dinner, which tastes like Thanksgiving leftovers in the best way possible.

These delicious breakfast treats from Circa 1886 are best served slightly warm.

The chutney also works well as an accompaniment to chicken, duck or lamb.

Pumpkin pie was introduced to the holiday table at the Pilgrim's second Thanksgiving in 1623. Decorate this American classic with some whipped cream, or serve the cream alongside.

In the South, this dish is called Limping Susan. To make the version known as Hoppin' John, add cooked black-eyed peas.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. From Maryland to Georgia, crabs are a prized part of the African-American diet. If the crabs need to be boiled before other steps in preparation (as are the pickled shrimp above), a commercial crab boil such as Old Bay seasoning is often used. For the lucky few, though, there's homemade crab boil, an all-purpose seasoning that, besides for shrimp and crab, can also be used for crawfish.