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Whose Thanksgiving side dishes are better: author Ann Hodgman's or your mother's? Take on our ramped-up "Beat This" challenge and let us know.

Get the Recipe for Ann's Cranberry Velvet Pie

I only start to love the turkey when it's time to put it into a sandwich. At Thanksgiving dinner itself, it's a backdrop. A gorgeous backdrop, true, but never the first thing I eat. What I really pile my plate with is side dishes. And dessert, of course, but that comes later. I start with the best Brussels sprouts in the world. They're beautiful mahogany jewels — well, not jewels exactly, but not at all like the typical Brussels sprouts. They've been roasted until they're crisp and brown and deep-tasting. Then there's stuffing. People have strong opinions about stuffing, so I'm glad to settle all disputes: Mine is the best. Sausage, fresh thyme, apples and dried cranberries, and Pepperidge Farm stuffing — the only "mix" I allow in my kitchen. The battle over whether to use mini marshmallows in the sweet potatoes has destroyed many a family. I have the answer: my sweet potato biscuits. They're delicious. When my kids were little, it was the only part of the dinner they really looked forward to. And let me just say that I've perfected the recipe for mashed potatoes. But before I touch the sprouts, stuffing, biscuits, or potatoes, I have to remember to save room for the cranberry velvet pie . . .

I seriously doubt your recipes are better than mine. But I hereby throw down the official "Beat This" Thanksgiving gauntlet.

How To Enter: If you think you have an unbeatable recipe for sweet potato biscuits, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, stuffing, or a really great pie, send them to wondertime.editors@disney.com with "Beat This" in the subject line. All entries must be received by 11:59:59 p.m., October 31, 2008.

The Wondertime judges will test my recipes against yours and decide on one winner in each category. If I win, I'll be as braggy as ever. If you win, you'll get $100.

Of course there are a couple of rules. No previously published recipes or prepared mixes allowed. We're really looking for the best recipes. Not the most healthful, not the quickest, not the cheapest, but the best. There are plenty of other contests for cheap, quick, or healthful imitations of good recipes. We want the kind of food that people will force you to give up the recipe for, the recipes that make your family and friends thankful for what a great cook you are. To read the complete rules, click here.

Next: Get The Recipe for Ann's Cranberry Velvet Pie

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Cranberry Velvet Pie

Let someone else make the apple and pumpkin pies. (And mincemeat, if that someone is my sister.) You bring along this little gem and watch the other pie-bakers shrivel up with jealousy. You can prepare all the components a couple of days ahead of time and make the pie (or tart) itself 24 hours in advance. I'm not saying it's the easiest pie you'll ever make — but it's the best, and most beautiful, Thanksgiving pie there is.

Makes one 9 1/2-inch pie or 11-inch tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon fresh-grated orange rind
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the filling:
4 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/4 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
6 large egg yolks
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon fresh-grated orange rind
Whipped cream for topping (optional)

Divide dough into 8 to 10 pieces. Scatter the pieces evenly in a well-greased 11-inch tart pan or a 9 1/2-inch pie plate. Gently pat the dough into place to make a 1/4-inch-thick crust, coming as far up the edges of the pan as you can. Chill pan for 20 minutes while you heat the oven to 375.

Grease a 14-inch square piece of heavy aluminum foil. Gently fit the foil, greased side down, over the crust. Cover foil with pie weights, uncooked rice, or uncooked beans. Place crust on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully lift out the foil and pie weights and set aside. Return crust to the oven and bake until golden and baked through, about 15 to 20 minutes longer. Take the crust out of the oven and reset the oven to 275.

Put cranberries, juices, sugar, and salt into a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Lower heat to a simmer, partially cover, and cook, stirring frequently, until berries are soft, about 25 to 30 minutes. Force cooked berries and any cooking liquid through a fine sieve or food mill to remove all the skins and seeds. (This is a boring job if you use a sieve, so have a book or willing assistant handy.)

Put the cranberry purée into a clean saucepan. Over low heat, stirring constantly, whisk in egg yolks. Continuing to stir constantly over low heat, cook the mixture until it is very thick, about 15 minutes. Then take it off the heat and whisk in the butter slices one at a time. Whisk in orange rind.

Pour the cranberry mixture into prepared crust. Bake until set, about 20 to 30 minutes. Cool completely; then chill for at least 6 hours or up to one day. Serve with whipped cream if I'm eating at your house.