Equinox, Washington, DC

Start-to-finish time: 1½ hours
Serves: 8
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For the ravioli

• 1 Kabocha squash
• 3 Yukon gold potatoes
• 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 48 pasta rounds (2½-inch diameter) or wonton wrappers
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Split squash in half and season with salt and pepper.

Roast, flesh-side down, on sheet tray in oven until tender and skin is blistered (approximately 45 minutes).

While the squash is roasting, place potatoes in boiling, salted water and boil until tender (approximately 30 minutes). Drain, peel, and mash with a fork. Set aside.

Remove squash from oven and scoop out the roasted flesh. Mix with potatoes, add cheeses, and adjust seasoning as needed. Cool the filling before preparing the ravioli.

To make the ravioli, place pasta rounds on a lightly floured surface. Mix eggs and water for an egg wash.

Brush pasta with egg wash on one side, spoon a small amount of squash filling in the center, and fold over the bottom edge to the top edge, pressing well to seal any openings.

Place sealed ravioli on lightly floured tray. Keep covered in refrigerator until ready to use.

For the sauce

• 2 cups white wine
• 3 shallots, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 thyme sprig, leaves stripped from stem
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 black truffle, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Place wine, shallots, garlic, and thyme in a small sauce pot and reduce over high heat until nearly dry.

Add cream and reduce by one third. Remove from heat and strain.

Put into a clean pot and stir in parmesan and black truffle. Season with salt and pepper. Keep sauce warm.

To finish

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop pasta into water and cook for 3 minutes. Drain quickly, and toss into warm sauce. Spoon pasta into dishes. Serve immediately.

Thornton River Grille, Sperryville, VA
The Thornton River Grille makes its own seasoning for the shrimp, but chef Tom Nash recommends Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish Magic seasoning blend in its place. He also suggests serving this dish with Gadino Cellars Reserve Viognier: “It has overtones of fruit—in particular, apricot—which works very well with the slight saltiness of the red eye gravy.”

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2
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For the grits

• ½ cup stone ground, unbleached grits
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pint half-and-half
• ½ pound smoked Gouda cheese, diced

Combine grits, water, and salt in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer the grits, stirring frequently, until they begin to thicken.

Stir in half-and-half and Gouda. Continue to simmer until thick (30 minutes or so), stirring frequently. When finished, remove from heat, salt and pepper to taste. Let rest for at least an hour before serving.

For the gravy

• ¼ pound diced country ham, with fat
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed but left whole
• ½ cup cream sherry
• 2 cups brewed coffee

Sauté country ham and garlic in a very hot sauce pan.

When garlic begins to brown, add sherry and coffee. Simmer over low to medium heat for about an hour.

Salt and pepper to taste.

For the shrimp

• 4–6 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Olive oil
• Blackening seasoning

Baste the shrimp with olive oil and season with your favorite blackening seasoning.

Grill the shrimp until done—just until there is no translucence in the center.

If overcooked, the shrimp will become rubbery.

Assembling and serving

Place the shrimp on top of the grits and ladle the red eye gravy over the top. A nice sprig of rosemary or chive makes a perfect garnish.

Derek M. Brown
Bartender, The Passenger and Columbia Room
Washington, DC

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• ½ ounce Sencha Premier green tea, cold brewed 
 (instructions below)
• ¼ ounce honey syrup (instructions below)
• 1 ounce Westford Hill Distillers New World Aged 
 Apple Brandy
• 4 ounces Thibaut-Janisson Virginia Sparkling Wine
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 freshly cut lemon twist

Using the ratio of tea to water given on the package, brew tea in cold purified or distilled water for 6 hours. Do not heat.

Make honey syrup: Add 2 parts honey to 1 part boiled water. Make sure pan is removed from burner, and stir until honey and water are fully blended. Cool.

Pour brandy, brewed tea, and honey syrup in a tin with ice and shake. Strain into chilled flute. Add sparkling wine. Garnish with cinnamon stick and lemon twist in flute.

Pumpkin Ginger Martini

Carrie Throckmorton
General Manager, Blue Light Grill and Raw Bar
Charlottesville, VA

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• 1 cup water, divided
• ½ cup sugar, divided
• 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ cup pumpkin purée
• Ginger root, peeled but whole (golf-ball sized)
• Ice
• 3 ounces vanilla vodka

Make pumpkin purée simple syrup: In a small saucepan, mix ½ cup water, ¼ cup sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin purée and bring to a boil. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and cool.

Make ginger simple syrup: In a small saucepan, mix ½ cup water, ¼ cup sugar, and ginger root and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool. Remove ginger.

Pour 2 tablespoons pumpkin purée simple syrup over ice. Add 1 teaspoon ginger simple syrup and vanilla vodka.

Shake vigorously. Strain and serve up with miniature marshmallows and a cinnamon stick.

Cook the stuffing separately in this fast method. Child notes that a turkey cooked this way may not be as tender as the slow-cooked version, but it will be a brown and juicy bird. Although not included in Child’s original recipe, brining helps keep the turkey tender.

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• 1 14-pound turkey
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped carrots
• 2 cups water

Preheat oven to 500 F.

Rinse out the turkey cavity and sprinkle inside with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Place the turkey in a roasting pan and start the roasting at 500 F. In 15 to 20 minutes, when the juices begin to burn, reduce the heat to 450 F.

Add chopped vegetables and water to the pan, pouring in a little more water now and then as needed to prevent burning and smoking. A 14-pounder will roast in about 2 hours.

Zynodoa, Staunton, VA
Oyster stuffing is an early American colonial classic, hence a Virginia classic. Though there’s no mention in our history books, oysters probably graced the first Thanksgiving table. Mike Lund, Zynodoa’s executive chef, tries to feature the best of Virginia at all times, so what better for the holidays then this Chesapeake treat? Except for the oysters, you probably have all the ingredients already. You could even prepare it a day in advance. If you do, just be sure to “soak” the dressing in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.

Preparation time: 90 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yields: 1 quart
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• 1 stick butter, 1 tablespoon reserved
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 bunch of celery, peeled and finely diced
 (reserve the yellow “heart” leaves)
• 20 medium oysters, sliced in half and shucked, liquor reserved (or 16 ounces
 shucked oysters, drained, and liquor reserved)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stem
• 1½ pounds day-old bread, preferably French or Italian, cubed and laid out on sheet pan to dry for 24 hours
• 2 cups homemade or good-quality chicken or turkey stock, ½ cup reserved
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground fresh black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and celery. Sauté until translucent.

Add oysters, lemon juice, and Old Bay and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Stir in herbs, cook for 1 minute, and remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the reserved oyster liquor, 1½ cups stock, eggs, salt, pepper, and sugar until thoroughly combined.

Slowly fold in the cooked oyster mix. Then fold in the bread cubes, being careful not to break them up.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

With the reserved tablespoon butter, grease a 2-inch deep baking pan, ovenproof dish, or ovenproof bowl. Gently fill with the stuffing mix, careful not to press or force too much as to enhance the fluffiness of the end product. Allow to “soak” for at least 1 hour at room temperature.

Just prior to baking, glaze the top of the stuffing with the reserved ½ cup of stock. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, spin, and bake for 15 minutes. Garnish with reserved celery heart leaves.

Claire’s at the Depot 
Warrenton, VA
Executive chef David Scales suggests that to prepare this in advance, roast the vegetables ahead of time until al dente and then reheat them with the bacon fat, onions, and spices just before serving. Use a zester for the garlic if you have one. If you don’t have a zester, crush or purée the garlic so it will dissolve.

Preparation time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serves: 6
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• 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut in ¼-inch dice
• 2 cups pumpkin, peeled and cut in
 ¼-inch dice
• 2 cups parsnips, peeled and cut in ¼-inch dice
• 1 sweet onion, peeled and finely diced
• 6 teaspoons strained bacon fat
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and zested
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons finely minced chives
• Pinch nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Roast squash, pumpkin, and parsnip pieces on lightly oiled sheet tray for 45 minutes to an hour.

Sauté onion in bacon fat until translucent. Add roasted vegetables and garlic. Toss until evenly coated with bacon fat and onions. Add thyme, chives, and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss and serve.

Mom’s Apple Pie Company 
Leesburg, Occoquan, and Sterling, VA
Co-owner Steven Cox uses sweet potatoes from the family farm for this flavorful pie. Ask your vendor whether your sweet potatoes have been “cured”—allowed to rest in a warm, dry place for 10 days or so after digging. This adds to their sweet, mellow flavor and improves storage ability. Co-owner Avis Renshaw, Cox’s wife and the “mom” of Mom’s Apple Pie Company, suggests topping the pie with whipped cream flavored with a little maple syrup. Their daughter Petra Cox demonstrates how to make the pie crust (and other recipes) at monkeysee.com.

Preparation time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Makes two regular 9-inch pies or one deep-dish 9-inch pie
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For the pie crust

• 2½ cups unbleached pastry flour
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces and frozen for an hour before mixing
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Up to 5 tablespoons ice water

1. Add the flour, butter, sugar, and salt to a food processor. Using pulse option, mix ingredients together.
2. Add ice water to the dough one tablespoon at a time, until the dough barely comes together. When finished, transfer the dough to a bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
3. Flour the working surface well. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before you start working with it. Cut the dough roughly into two pieces and roll into balls.
4. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Three quick, firm passes with the pin should give you the size you need for the 9-inch pie pan. Repeat for second pie crust.
5. Lay the dough in the bottom of the pie pan. Roll the top edge and pinch with fingers or press with a fork to desired height and thickness.

For the filling

• 2 cups cooked, peeled, and mashed sweet potato
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 or 4 tablespoons molasses
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3–4 eggs

1. Mix first eight ingredients gently. Mix in eggs until filling is smooth.
2. Baking and serving
3. Preheat oven to 375 F.
4. Pour into prepared pie shells and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
5. Cool on wire rack. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Market Salamander 
Middleburg, VA
Chef de cuisine Vaughn Skaggs uses leftover bread and biscuits, but you can save time by buying good-quality biscuits and cornbread. Drying the bread enables it to absorb the aromatic vegetables and turkey stock. He advises home cooks to make the dressing on the side, since thoroughly cooking the dressing results in a dry turkey.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Serves: 6
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• 1 pound biscuits (12–15 normal-sized biscuits)
• 1 pound cornbread (9-by-12-inch pan)
• Thick-cut bacon slices, chopped into 
    ¼-inch pieces, enough for ½ cup 
    (about 4 slices)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, diced small
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced small
• 1 leek, diced small
• ¼ cup chestnuts, diced small
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, 
    stripped from stem
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup turkey giblets, chopped
• 2 quarts turkey stock

Pull the biscuits apart in big pieces. Dice the cornbread into 1-inch cubes. Let dry, uncovered, for several hours or toast in the oven until dry.

In skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve, leaving half the fat in the pan.

Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the pan with the bacon fat and sauté the onion, garlic, and leek until tender. Add the chestnuts in the last couple of minutes. Add the herbs, bacon, and giblets. Remove from heat.

Put dried cornbread and biscuit pieces in a large bowl and add the contents of the pan. Toss quickly to mix, without breaking up the bread pieces.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Slowly drizzle in turkey stock and mix carefully. After the bread has soaked up the stock, place the dressing in a casserole dish. Chop the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle on top. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

According to chef Sina Molavi, the key to this delicious dessert is the peaches. This recipe can be made with any type of peach, but make sure they are from a reputable source and are very fresh. Occasions Caterers uses sweet white peaches from Toigo Orchards in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

Start to finish time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Serves: 6
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For the peach compote

• 10 peaches peeled, pitted and cut into cubes
• 1 vanilla bean
• 11/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons peach juice

1. Peel, pit, and cut the peaches over a bowl to collect the juice.
2. Place the cut peaches in a medium saucepan.
3. Split vanilla bean in half, scrape out all the seeds, and add this to the saucepan.
4. Add sugar and cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
5. Mix in cornstarch and peach juice and continue to cook, stirring until it has a thick consistency.

For the biscuit

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter or shortening
• 1/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift again.
3. Cut in shortening or butter. (You can use your hands by rubbing it into the flour.)
4. Add milk gradually, stirring until soft dough is formed. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board and gently knead for 30 seconds, enough to shape.
5. Roll out1/2 inch thick and cut with 2-inch floured biscuit cutter.
6. Bake biscuits on ungreased sheet for 12–15 minutes. Use any leftover biscuit for the topping.

For the blueberry puree

• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Puree blueberries and then pour through a strainer into a small bowl and mix into
the tuile as follows.

For the blueberry tuile

• 11/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 5 tablespoons blueberry puree
• 5 ounces unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place a sheet pan in the oven to warm.
2. Combine the sugar and flour in a medium bowl.
3. Add the orange juice and blueberry puree. Mix in the melted butter. Drop the batter onto a silicone baking mat using a 11/2-ounce scoop as a measure.
4. Spread the batter into a thin strip with a spatula.
5. Transfer the baking mat to the warm sheet pan and return it to the oven.
6. Bake 8–10 minutes or just until the edges turn golden. Immediately flip each tuile over and shape it around a straight-sided glass and let cool.

Assembling and serving

1. Vanilla ice-cream. Split the biscuits. Put half a biscuit in a martini or wine glass and spoon the peach compote on top. Repeat the layering process.
2. Use any leftover biscuits or crumbs to garnish the top and then add a small scoop of ice cream to top it off. The blueberry tuile can be laid across the top or placed in the center.

Veteran pastry Chef Heidi Morf says to use ripe, fragrant peaches for this refreshing cold soup. You’ll need about nine medium peaches to equal three pounds, and one juicy lime for the two tablespoons of lime juice.

Start-to-finish time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6
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Soup

• 3 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 4 teaspoons chili paste with sweet basil (available in Asian markets)
• 1 tablespoon nam pla (fish sauce)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil
• 1 tablespoon palm or brown sugar (more or less, depending on the sweetness of your peaches)

1. Prepare a bowl of ice and water. Dip peaches in boiling water for one minute, and then plunge into the ice water bath. The peel comes right off and its rosy color transfers to the fruit.
2. Remove the pits, and puree the peaches with the other ingredients with an immersion blender or food processor.
3. Chill until very cold. Garnish with a sprig of Thai basil or a grilled shrimp.