Celebrity Chefs Share Their Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

Every festive meal needs something equally as joyful to drink, right? Well, Judy Joo has the perfect beverage for everyone.

According to Joo, this digestif is served during the Lunar New Year and Moon Festival celebrations. The fragrant, sweet and spicy punch is quite delightful. It can even be made in a big batch and drunk over several day. Or, consider transforming it into a Cinnamon and Persimmon Punch Sorbet.

Cinnamon and Persimmon Punch

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 10 cups water
• 12 cinnamon sticks, rinsed
• ½ cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger (from an 8-inch knob; about 3 ounces)
• 2h cup tightly packed brown sugar
• 4 dried persimmons (gotgam), stems removed
• Ice, for serving
• Pine nuts, for garnish

Instructions

Add the Water, cinnamon, and ginger, to a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved, then remove from the heat. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl or pitcher and add the persimmons. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours.

To serve, pour the punch over ice in bowls or cups and garnish with pine nuts. The soaked persim­mons can also be sliced or left whole as a garnish, if you like.

If you make this punch over the holidays, look for soft, plump, dried persimmons in the produce section of Korean markets. They can often be found pre-packaged.

Stuffing, dressing, sausage, chestnuts, etc., the debate springs eternal. While many people have traditional stuffing recipes, flavor always reigns supreme.

Donatella Arpaia sticks to her Italian roots with a version that is sure to please. If you aren’t a fan of bread stuffing, this rice forward dish is a great idea. It might start a new holiday food tradition at your family’s table.

Here’s how to make Arpaia’s stuffing.

Donatella Arpaia’s Italian Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1½ cup wild rice
• 1 ½ cup Arborio rice
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Container of mixed gourmet mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 ½ pound sweet Italian sausage casing removed
• 2 eggs
• 4-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Bay leaf

Directions

1.      In a large saucepan, heat chicken stock with a small onion, bay leaf and 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt, add wild rice. Cover and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, about 1 hour; add a little water during cooking if necessary.

2.      Cook Arborio rice in chicken stock according to instruction on box, set aside.

3.      In a large nonstick skillet, brown the sausage meat over moderate heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.

4.      Heat 2 tablespoon of the olive oil in the skillet. Add the onions, celery and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat stirring often, until translucent.

5.      Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet. Add the chopped mixed mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened and browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add mushrooms to the onion mixture. Stir in the wild rice, Arborio rice and sausage and season again with salt and pepper.  Combine all together, add parsley, crack a raw egg and stir to bind together.

6.      Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover the dish with foil and bake the stuffing for about 20 minutes, until heated through or if you wish to make ahead:

7.      The recipe can be prepared to Step 4 up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate. Let return to room temperature before baking.