Serves 4

Potatoes

2 pounds small roasting potatoes
6 small shallots, peeled
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
salt
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the potatoes and shallots in the olive oil, thyme sprigs, and salt. Put in a roasting pan and roast until crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle parsley over potatoes and shallots. Season to taste. While potatoes are cooking, make the chicken.

Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/3 cup coarse-grained mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken breasts flat in an ovenproof pan. Season with salt and pepper. Mix together shallots, mustard, vinegar, and tarragon. Spread the mixture over the top of the chicken. In a food processor, blend together the bread crumbs, olive oil, garlic, parsley and cheese. Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the chicken. Bake for 25 minutes.

Pear Ginger Crisp

Serves 4

Filling:

4 pears peeled and cut in large dice
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup sugar
Combine pears, sugar, and ginger and place in a buttered ovenproof casserole.

Topping:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
10 ounces butter, cut into one-inch cubes
3/4 cup pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, sugars, salt, and zest. Add the butter and pulse in a food processor until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. Add nuts just to combine. Sprinkle topping over pears. Bake on a sheet pan (to catch the juices that may bubble over) until top is browned and filling is bubbly, 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Chocolate Decadence Cake

Makes one 10-inch cake.

1 pound bittersweet chocolate
4 ounces butter
2 egg yolks
2 ounces sugar
10 egg whites

Prepare a 10 -inch cake pan with butter and flour. Melt chocolate with butter over a bain-marie. Cool. Combine egg yolks and sugar and whip to a ribbon. Mix together the chocolate mixture and the yolk mixture. Whip egg whites to a soft peak. Fold into chocolate mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Carol Cotner Thompson is a chef at the New School of Cooking. She knows that people are fed up with leftovers, so she brought some of her best non-turkey ideas into the studio to share with Barbara and Bill.

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