Chefs offer holiday recipes and preparation tips

For those schooled in the fine art of the holiday table, whipping up a stunning roast, savory sides, artful appetizers and sensational sweets is part of the fun of the food-focused festivities. But trust us: it's even more fun when you've got help.

This year The Seattle Times partnered with the pros at Seattle Culinary Academy at Seattle Central Community College, called upon Dish D'Lish diva Kathy Casey and delved into our treasure trove of Times-tested recipes to offer ideas for your holiday gatherings.

We've provided a range of recipes taking advantage of what's colorful (roasted beets), local (chanterelles) and seasonal (cranberries, of course), accounting for cooks looking for ease of navigation and others hoping for a taste of inspiration. There are dishes meant to feed a crowd, including our classic Herb-Roasted Turkey with Cider Baste, and others perfect for a more intimate gathering, like chef-instructor Gregg Shiosaki's Turkey Cutlets with Spinach, Crab and Asiago Cheese Sauce.

Kären Jurgensen's students were excited to learn such tricks as carefully trimming their beets, leaving a bit of the stem intact to keep the scarlet root vegetables from "running" into their golden-hued counterparts, and seeding juicy pomegranates in a bowl of cold water to save the stain-inducing juice from spraying an apron — or your holiday clothes.

Whether you're a culinary scholar learning something new or an accomplished home cook taking to the kitchen with little trepidation, it's easy to slip up when reading a recipe, says cookbook author and longtime Seattle Times contributor Greg Atkinson. Standing tall in his toque among his fellow culinary-school instructors — whose students lent a hand with these recipes — he underscores the importance of reading through instructions twice, or better yet, thrice, before gathering ingredients and giving new recipes the old college try.

Nancy Leson: 206-464-8838 or nleson@seattletimes.com