Top chefs take traditional holiday dishes and give them a modern twist.

On the cover: Host of two Food Network shows, author of three cookbooks and occasional "Today" show co-anchor, cover girl Giada De Laurentiis is always busy. Still, celebrating the holidays is a priority. The thing about my family is that a lot of us are married to Americans, the native Italian says. Although in Italy we don't celebrate Thanksgiving, we mix the American tradition with Italian favorites and make our own Italian-American Thanksgiving.

Top chefs and their fast holiday favorites

Fresh Cranberry-Mango Relish

Photo by Renee Comet

3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large red onion, finely diced
2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 pound cranberries
2 ripe mangoes, halved, pitted and diced
1 Tb. grated orange zest Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add onions and ginger; cook until soft. Add juice and sugar; cook until boiling. Add half the cranberries; cook until they pop. Add remaining cranberries and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add mangoes and zest. Serve at room temperature. Serves 8.

"I grew up eating cranberry sauce out of a can," Bobby Flay says. "Since I've been cooking for a living, I've always used fresh cranberries to make some sort of relish, and this one works really well. I like the texture of the mangoes, as well as the flavor and the sweetness." Flay, who hosts Boy Meets Grill (Sundays, 9 a.m.) and Throwdown with Bobby Flay (Sundays, 10 p.m.) and competes on Iron Chef America, plans to serve this to his family at Thanksgiving. He created this recipe exclusively for us, but you can find more of his dishes in his new "Mesa Grill Cookbook."

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Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Blue Cheese
4 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 Tbs. olive oil
6 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1 cup pecans
1 cup crumbled Roquefort or other blue cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine sweet potatoes and oil in a roasting pan; sprinkle with leaves from 4 thyme sprigs. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes or until tender. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a serving bowl. Gently toss with pecans and cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with remaining thyme sprigs. Serves 6.

Photo by Renee Comet

"This is a fabulous and easy holiday dish. Not only is it an interestingly different side dish to accompany the Thanksgiving turkey, but it also can offer holiday cheer to vegetarians who can find the season unwelcoming," says Nigella Lawson of this twist on traditional yams. Lawson, the host of "Nigella Express" (Sundays, 10:30 a.m.), adapted this recipe for us from her new cookbook of the same name and plans to serve this to guests throughout the holidays.

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Penne with Zucca

Photo by Renee Comet

4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 salt-packed anchovy fillets, soaked in milk for 20 minutes, rinsed, drained
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound penne rigate
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup toasted fresh bread crumbs
4 ounces ricotta salata, smoked ricotta or Asiago cheese, grated In a large saute pan, heat 2 Tbs. oil over medium heat.

Add onion, garlic and anchovies. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften. Turn heat to high and add squash; toss for 5 minutes, or until tender and browned. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Cook penne according to package directions; drain. Return squash to high heat; add penne, parsley and remaining oil, and toss for 1 minute. Divide among four warmed bowls; top with bread crumbs and cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Mario Batali is known for his bright-colored footwear (orange Crocs, anyone?) and his affection for all things Italian, which he showcases on "Molto Mario" (Mondays, 10 a.m.), as a competitor on "Iron Chef America" (Sundays, 9 p.m.) and in cookbooks such as "Italian Grill," due out this spring. He shared this recipe with us because, "for me, pasta is always a holiday thing, and I just love the sweetness of that squash. When you put ricotta salata on top of it, the whole thing becomes a symphony of love and holiday." Batali serves up this dish at home each Christmas Eve.

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Mashed Potato Soup with Wasabi
1 large baking potato (10 to 12 ounces)

Photo by Renee Comet

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup half-and-half
4 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs. sake
3 Tbs. light-colored soy sauce Salt, to taste 1 ounce caviar, optional

Freshly grated wasabi and finely sliced chives, preferably baby chives (menegi), for garnish.

Prick potato and steam over boiling water until tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool, peel. Press through a ricer or a wire sieve into a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, warm butter and half-and-half over medium heat until steaming but not simmering. Place potatoes over low heat. Slowly add hot liquid and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat; cover. Boil chicken broth, sake, soy sauce and salt on high heat.

To serve, spoon potatoes into 4 soup bowls. Gently ladle broth over and around potatoes. Top with optional caviar. Garnish with wasabi and chives. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Masaharu Morimoto likes to take a playful approach to holiday entertaining. That explains why the chef, who competes on "Iron Chef America," decided to transform traditional mashed potatoes into this surprising, fun, yummy soup. This recipe, which he adapted for us from his new cookbook, "Morimoto," brings a bit of Japanese flavor to an old-school American dish. Unlike the rest of our chefs, Morimoto won't be making this for his family. "I don't cook at home," he admits. "If I ask my wife to make it, it will be possible."

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Churrisimos

Photo by Renee Comet

1/4 cup sugar
1 Tb. ground cinnamon
1 sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
Dulce de leche (caramel sauce), for dipping
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle a work surface with a spoonful of cinnamon sugar. Lay puff pastry on top. Brush lightly with water and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Flip pastry over; repeat water and cinnamon sugar step. Cut pastry into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-wide strips. Place on a non-stick baking sheet, then twist strips like corkscrews. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 13 to 15 minutes. Cool completely. Serve with dulce de leche. Serves 6.