When Sean Yontz was growing up, holidays were all about food in his large Hispanic family. "Everybody got together at my grandmother's house for an enormous meal: posole, menudo, tamales," he says. "My mother brought her special green beans; my aunt brought her special salad."

This family focus drew Sean into the professional kitchen. He started in high school as a dishwasher at a hotel and never looked back. Until recently, he headed the kitchen at his acclaimed Denver restaurant, Vega; now he's launching a casual mini chain: Kitchen.

Sean and his wife, Alexa, and son, Luke, still celebrate Thanksgiving with relatives. His cooking has evolved but has maintained a family connection. "The food I'm doing is really what I grew up on, but a little fresher, a little new," he says.

Sean's Thanksgiving feast has the same balance--tradition with a fresh approach. As he puts it, "It's just a traditional Thanksgiving--with a small Latin twist."

Guajillo-Tamarind Turkey

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 4 hours, plus at least 30 minutes to rest

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

NOTES: Long, pointed, deep-red dried guajillo chiles are available in Mexican markets. If you can't find them, substitute dried ancho chiles. Tamarind is a sweet-sour pulp that comes in many forms; the Indian tamarind concentrate used here is a thick, sticky, dark brown, smooth syrup. Look for it in specialty food stores, Indian markets, or Latino markets. If you can't find it, substitute equal parts molasses and lime juice. You can make the glaze up to a week ahead; chill airtight.

1 turkey (12 to 18 lb.)
  Guajillo-tamarind glaze (recipe follows)
1 onion (8 oz.)
2 carrots (6 oz. total), rinsed
4 stalks celery (8 oz. total), rinsed
1 orange (8 oz.)
2 lemons (6 oz. each)
1 lime (3 oz.)
4 dried guajillo chiles (1 oz. total; see notes)
8 cloves garlic, peeled
6 sprigs fresh thyme, rinsed

1. Remove and discard leg truss from turkey. Pull off and discard any lumps of fat. Remove giblets and neck; discard or reserve for other uses. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Rub about a third of the guajillo-tamarind glaze inside the cavity. Place turkey, breast up, on a V-shaped rack in a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan; pour remaining glaze into bottom of pan, then pour in 1 cup of water.

2. Peel onion and carrots; rinse celery, orange, lemons, and lime. Cut carrots and celery into chunks; cut onion, orange, lemons, and lime into quarters. Arrange vegetables, fruit, chiles, garlic, and thyme in roasting pan around and under rack.

3. Roast according to chart (page 122), checking turkey every 30 minutes; if juices in bottom of roasting pan threaten to scorch, add 1/2 cup water at a time to pan. When a thermometer inserted through thickest part of breast to the bone registers 155[degrees], about 15 minutes before chart indicates turkey will be done, remove turkey from oven. Brush all over with juices in pan (if liquid is too thick to coat turkey in a thin, even layer, dilute with 1/2 cup more water). Continue roasting until turkey is well browned and thermometer registers 160[degrees], about 15 minutes longer.

4. Transfer turkey to a platter. Let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes before carving. Pour juices in bottom of pan through a fine strainer into a 2-cup glass measure; discard solids and reserve juices for poblano gravy (recipe on page 132).

Per serving: 697 cal., 37% (261 cal.) from fat; 88 g protein; 29 g fat (8.3 g sat.); 18 g carbo (1 g fiber); 292 mg sodium; 255 mg chol.

Guajillo-tamarind glaze.

Cut top 1/2 inch off 1 head garlic (about 2 oz.); wrap loosely in foil. Bake in a 350[degrees] oven until soft when pressed, about 45 minutes. Let cool, then squeeze garlic from skins into a 3- to 4-quart pan (discard skins). Add 8 stemmed dried guajillo chiles (2 oz. total; see notes), 1/2 cup tamarind concentrate (see notes), 1 cup lightly packed rinsed fresh cilantro, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often; remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Pour into a blender or food processor and whirl until smooth. Makes about 2 cups.

Spicy Pecans

PREP AND COOK TIME: 15 minutes, plus 15 minutes to cool

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

NOTES: These pecans can be made up to a week ahead; store airtight at room temperature.

  1 pound pecan halves
3/4 cup sugar
  2 tablespoons lime juice
  3 tablespoons ground New Mexico chile
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Spread pecans in a single layer in a baking pan. Bake in a 350[degrees] oven until golden under skins, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high heat, combine sugar, lime juice, ground chile, cayenne, and salt. Stir until sugar is melted, 2 to 3 minutes, then stir occasionally until mixture is very bubbly and slightly darker, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

3. Add pecans and stir until well coated with sugar mixture. Spread in baking pan and let stand until cool to touch, 15 minutes.

Per serving: 369 cal., 76% (279 cal.) from fat; 3.8 g protein; 31 g fat (2.5 g sat.); 25 g carbo (3.7 g fiber); 140 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Cornbread-Chorizo Dressing

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

NOTES: For the cornbread, up to 3 days ahead, bake two 8-inch square pans of your favorite recipe or a boxed mix (you will have a little left over); store airtight at room temperature. Look for firm, fresh chorizo in natural casings at well-stocked supermarkets or Mexican markets. Very soft, bright-red chorizo in plastic casings won't work in this dish. You can assemble the dressing (through step 3) up to 2 days ahead; cover and chill. Remove from refrigerator about 3 hours before baking to bring to room temperature.

  8 ounces Mexican-style firm, fresh chorizo sausage (see notes),
    casings removed
1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter
  1 red onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped
1/2 cup each chopped celery and carrot
  6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  1 teaspoon each chopped fresh thyme, oregano, and sage leaves
    About 1/2 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
 12 cups 3/4-inch cubes cornbread (see notes)
    Salt and fresh-ground pepper

1. In a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir chorizo until crumbly and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

2. Return pan to medium-high heat and add butter. When melted, add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Stir until vegetables are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add cilantro, thyme, oregano, and sage; stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add chorizo and 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir just until boiling. Remove from heat.

3. In a large bowl, combine cornbread cubes and vegetable-chorizo mixture. Stir until evenly moistened, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. If mixture is too dry for your liking, moisten with additional chicken broth. Spoon into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.

4. Cover and bake in a 450[degrees] oven for 10 minutes; uncover and continue to bake until top is browned and dressing is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Per serving: 496 cal., 49% (243 cal.) from fat; 13 g protein; 27 g fat (12 g sat.); 49 g carbo (2.9 g fiber); 1,117 mg sodium; 102 mg chol.

Roasted Poblano Gravy

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes

MAKES: About 2 1/2 cups; 8 to 10 servings

    Pan drippings from guajillo-tamarind turkey (recipe on page 130)
    About 1 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth (if needed)
1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter
  3 fresh poblano chiles (8 oz. total), roasted, peeled, seeded, and
    chopped (see "Tip from the Test Kitchen," page 105)
  3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    Salt and fresh-ground pepper

1. Skim fat from pan drippings. Measure drippings and add chicken broth, if needed, to make 2 cups liquid.

2. In a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add chiles and stir for 1 minute. Turn heat to medium-low and whisk in flour until well combined.

3. Whisking chile mixture constantly, slowly pour dripping mixture into pan. Whisk until gravy boils and thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. If gravy is thicker than desired, add a little more broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into a gravy boat; serve hot.

Per 1/4 cup: 218 cal., 66% (144 cal.) from fat; 1.7 g protein, 16 g fat (6.3 g sat.); 18 g carbo (0.8 g fiber); 119 mg sodium; 24 mg chol.