Our food columnists are a culinary dream team -- a group of women with diverse backgrounds and tastes who share a passion for good food and a talent for translating it into recipes that readers look forward to every week.

I was pleased when all eight agreed to contribute their Thanksgiving favorites for this year's holiday section and delighted when their recipes began rolling in.

Carole Kotkin, whose Sunday Supper column focuses on dishes for relaxed weekend cooking, helps you relax a bit on the big day with a make-ahead first course, Ginger, Lime and Squash Soup With Ginger Cream. ``My family loves the color and silkiness of this soup so much that it has become a tradition at our home for Thanksgiving,'' she says.

Linda Cicero, whose Cook's Corner column fields reader requests, reached into her personal file for a lovely vegetarian stuffing she created for her daughter. She also sent along ``the most unusual stuffing I've ever made,'' with mashed potatoes, challah and bacon, which hails from Eastern Europe by way of the Midwest. ``It tastes something like a twice-baked stuffed potato.''

Nancy Ancrum, whose Cultural Kitchen column explores foods of the African diaspora, shared Pan-Braised Carrots With Orange and Rosemary, her adaptation of a Sara Foster original. ``This recipe is so simple, and the carrots turn out sweet, moist and flavorful,'' she says. ``They're a perfect complement to rich meats such as roast turkey and pork, and make an impressive presentation on a long platter.''

Linda Bladholm's Fork on the Road column spotlights off-the-beaten-path eateries of all kinds, but her first love is Indian cuisine. Her Spiced Honey Sweet Potatoes were part of ``a Kerala-themed feast based on one of my favorite regions in India on the Malabar coast,'' she says, that included duck quarters braised in spiced coconut milk, roasted beets in a honey-tamarind glaze and green beans stir-fried with black mustard seeds and shredded coconut. ``It was a memorable meal, but I've never made it again except for the sweet potatoes, which I make every year for the holidays.''

Ellen Kanner, our Edgy Veggie columnist, ``kind of went into kale rapture'' with her Kale With Fennel, Cranberries and Walnuts. ``Sherry tempers the kale's bitterness, the walnuts bump up sherry's nutty flavor (and add crunch and Omega-3s), fennel adds silkiness and jewel-bright cranberries add a little glam and sweetness. The dish happens to be crazy with vitamin C and calcium, too, but you don't have to tell anyone.''

Beverly Mills, who, with Alicia Ross, writes the syndicated Desperation Dinners column, is ``a cranberry sauce nut,'' she says. ``I always make at least one new-fangled version from the latest Thanksgiving food magazines. And while I like many of them, I truly love Cranberry Sauce with Port and Dried Figs. To me, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it.''

Linda Gassenheimer's Dinner in Minutes column focuses on quick weeknight meals, but she's happy to invest time in a special dessert. ``There are certain dishes I have to make every year or my family thinks they've missed Thanksgiving,'' she says. ``One of them is my Pumpkin Chiffon Pie.''

Maricel Presilla, whose Cocina column is devoted to Latin cooking, graces us with her Creamy Chocolate Cheese Flan With Hibiscus Sauce, an elegant riff on the classic combination that gives us guava paste and cream cheese. It's from The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cultural & Natural History of Cacao with Recipes, an extensively revised and beautifully photographed new edition of her 2000 book that will be released next week by Ten Speed Press.

As for me, I`m a recipe scout, not a developer. Of all the holiday possibilities I've seen this year, the one I'm most eager to try is Green Beans With Hazelnuts and Gorgonzola, a sophisticated yet simple-to-make take on a holiday standard created by cookbook author Jim Romanoff. You'll find it here with our columnists' favorites -- and our best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Kathy Martin is The Miami Herald's food editor.