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"The Vegetarian Epicure" by Anna Thomas was one of the first cookbooks I bought; followed quickly by "The Vegetarian Epicure: Book Two." After I used both with some regularity for a few years, they slipped to an out-of-the-way spot on my cookbook shelf, barely noticed - except for twice a year. Right before Thanksgiving, and near Christmas or New Year's, I search them out for the Liptauer Cheese recipe. Of course, I often forget which book I use, because between the two books, there are three recipes for Liptauer Cheese. The preferred recipe is in the second book, and Thomas calls…

The first time I ate Shepherd's Pie was after a flight that had been delayed by snow. Gathered around the table at our friends' cozy house in the north of England, nothing could have been more perfect for that cold January night. Since then, our version of Shepherd's Pie that we call Reindeer Pie has become a winter staple. The recipe is a take-off on Rudolph Pie found in the book "Feast: Food to Celebrate Life" by Nigella Lawson. Shepherd's Pie is really supposed to be made with lamb and Cottage Pie with beef, but we won't quibble. Reindeer Pie isn't…

Mincemeat: The very thought of it is enough to make you shudder. What’s in there? And most importantly, does it really contain meat? The answer to the meat question is: It depends. It used to have meat because it was a good way to use up those leftover meat scraps and bits no one knew what to do with. I asked a group of women about mincemeat. One, originally from Wyoming, said her mother used to make it. When asked about the recipe, she said, “Well, first you have to get some venison.” A recipe that begins with the application for…

One of the most important Thanksgiving foods at our house is yeast rolls. I go back and forth between plain rolls and rolls that contain mashed potatoes, but I think that potato rolls are my favorite. Make sure to use a floury, not waxy, potato, cooked and mashed well. Lumps aren’t a plus in rolls. Save the potato water: yeast loves it, beginning to feed and multiply happily almost immediately. Mixing and kneading can be done in a heavy-duty stand mixer. Use the paddle to beat the dough until smooth, then switch to the dough hook. Rising time depends on temperature.…

This quartet of pies features fall produce: apples, cranberries, pears and nuts. As for the Chocolate Coconut Pie, neither chocolate or coconut are particularly fall ingredients, but they are, after all, chocolate and coconut. It is always the right time of the year for chocolate and coconut. Topping sweets with salt is still in fashion, probably because it tastes so good. Adding a top dusting of coarse salt to the following version of the ever-popular pecan pie adds a bit of balance to the tooth-achingly sweet filling. A mixture of nuts adds flavor and texture to the Karo syrup recipe (I…