THANKSGIVING 101; TURKEY MEISTER TEACHES CRASH COURSE ON HOLIDAY FEAST.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Daily News Food Editor

When Rick Rodgers cooks Thanksgiving dinner, he sometimes feels like a juggler at a circus.

``Everything is a balancing act,'' said the self-taught cook and author of the recently released ``Thanksgiving 101,'' cookbook (Broadway Books; $15), who is often referred to as Mr. Thanksgiving. Balance, for instance, in make-ahead vs. last-minute dishes; homemade vs. store-bought; colorful vs. drab-looking food.

Rodgers' balancing act takes place more than once a year. He has prepared more than 30 Thanksgiving dinners at home and for cooking classes during the last eight years.

As owner of a Manhattan catering company in the late 1980s, he had to juggle several different menu items. ``I tried to do one Thanksgiving menu to sell to everybody, but forget it.''

His customers had other ideas, so Rodgers ended up offering five different stuffings and eight different desserts. ``It was trial by fire,'' he said.

His new Thanksgiving book, his 15th cookbook, grew out of that experience and his classes. It includes tips, advice and secrets to take the anxiety - but not the joy - out of the treasured day.

``I have made Thanksgiving so many different ways over the last 20 years since I moved to New York in 1977. I love it,'' he said.

Rodgers quit catering in 1989 (``catering is really, really hard work,'' he said) to write cookbooks and become a food consultant. In 1990 he wrote his first cookbook, ``The Turkey Cookbook (HarperCollins),'' and became a media spokesman for turkey products made by Perdue Farms, one of the East Coast's largest poultry producers.

``I learned everything there is to know about turkey, spending lots of time on turkey farms and in the kitchen,'' he added.

That's where he found out that he prefers fresh turkeys - which, he says, yield the best flavor results - and where he discovered there is no difference in flavor or tenderness between toms (14 to 26 pounds) and hens (8 to 16 pounds).``Buy a fresh turkey no earlier than two days before roasting,'' he advised.

Nowadays, fresh turkeys are available at most markets so you rarely have to special order them, but check ahead to confirm. You'll need about 1 pound per person, which allows for seconds or leftovers.

``Frozen turkeys are the least expensive, but freezing dries out the meat and more moisture is lost down the drain during defrosting,'' Rodgers said. He suggests that consumers avoid birds that have been pumped with artificial flavors and preservatives.

Asked about deep-fried turkey (directions are included on page 8), which seems to have its fans these days, Rodgers said, ``My honest opinion is that even though it is fast (takes only 45 minutes), it is not worth the trouble. I am not saying it is not good, but it is dangerous, especially with kids and dogs running around - and it doesn't give the Norman Rockwell traditional look. The result is a fried chicken look - golden as opposed to a rich golden brown of an oven-roasted turkey.''

Special equipment for frying cost him $200 plus $30 for the oil at a discount store. ``My friends didn't like it because it had no stuffing and no gravy. They said it was definitely not worth the trouble from a taste standpoint.'' Also you can deep-fry only up to a 12-pound bird. ``People refuse to believe roasting a delicious turkey can be easy.''

The biggest problem confronting Thanksgiving cooks is lack of organization and meal planning, noted Rodgers, who has found in his cooking classes that people need the most hand-holding when cooking for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cooks need to make a timetable and plot it out on paper to assist in getting all of the food on the table at once. Consider the logistics - oven and stove-top space, baking and cooking times, refrigerator space, etc. (see page 2 for Rodgers' help in planning a successful dinner).

Rodgers never uses paper plates or paper napkins because this is a special holiday. If necessary, he picks up inexpensive plates at a restaurant supply or dish shop.

In the decorating realm, Rodgers subscribes to the philosophy of ``less is more.'' Some of his ideas: Roll up napkins and tie with a piece of raffia straw and an autumn leaf; use foil-wrapped chocolate turkeys, lighted candles in the shape of pilgrims, turkeys, etc.) or turkey or leaf-shaped cookies iced with guests' names at each place setting; a floating candle in a glass bowl with cranberries in the water or a basket of autumn foods (persimmons, grapes, apples, nuts) entwined with French wired ribbon for a centerpiece.

``One thing I have learned about Thanksgiving it that the dinner guests are the most polite audience in the world. We have all had some pretty bad Thanksgiving dinners, but people never admit Thanksgiving is bad. They just hope they don't get invited next year.''

Familiar dishes

Rodgers likes traditional as well as more sophisticated menus. ``If I am cooking Thanksgiving for my family, I make a traditional dinner with a capital T.'' That means the menu he grew up with, including green bean bake, canned yams with marshmallows, canned cranberry sauce, herb and celery stuffing, roast turkey and three pies - pumpkin, lemon meringue and chocolate banana cream.

``Opening up this book is like seeing old friends,'' he said, adding that among his favorite recipes are Scalloped Yams With Praline Topping, and Spinach and Persimmon Salad. Rodgers is not embarrassed to use Jell-O, and cream of mushroom or chicken soup in his recipes.

``I am not going to fight city hall,'' he said, adding these ingredients are an important part of our Thanksgiving heritage. ``In my family, if we don't have grandma's layered Jell-O salad with lemon and orange layers, there's a revolution - I love it. I live to eat this salad on Thanksgiving at my mom's house in California.''

This year, Rodgers will be eating Jell-O salad at his home in New York, where he'll be cooking dinnerfor friends from recipes in the book. He plans to make Glittering Spiced Walnuts; Hot Crab Salsa Dip; Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup; Roast Turkey with Cider Gravy; Sausage and Apple Stuffing; Cranberry, Ginger and Lemon Chutney; or a cranberry orange Jell-O mold as a nod to tradition. He'll also serve Maque-Choux and Green Beans With Portobello Mushrooms and Bacon to brighten up the side-dish choices.

Desserts will include Berkshire Pumpkin Pie, Caramel Cashew Tart dizzled with melted chocolate and his grandmother's Steamed Persimmon Pudding. He'll be making his own pie crust - ``the sign of a good cook is a good pie crust'' - which includes Crisco to keep the pastry flaky and butter to give it color and flavor.

``I always serve appetizers because many of my friends skip breakfast and lunch that day as they know we're going to have a big meal that will be served around 4:30 or 5 p.m.'' He also serves ramos fizzes and virgin Mary's with vodka on the side to friends who come at noon to help. With dinner he serves hard cider or wine.

Rodgers tested the book's recipes himself (``I want to be responsible because my name is on the book,'' he said) but admits to having help in shopping, prepping and cleanup. Students of all skill levels want doable recipes, and Rodgers appeals to the basics and more in ``Thanksgiving 101.'' Several recipes were inspired by friends and students while Rodgers had collected some of the others over the last decade.

Now Rodgers shares the following creations from his book to help you plan and serve a winning menu this year.

GLITTERING SPICED WALNUTS

ASIAN SPICE MIXTURE:

1 whole star anise (OR use 6 OR 7 ``points'' if pods are broken)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon Szechwan peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

4 whole cloves

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

NUT MIXTURE:

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Water

1 pound walnut halves

1/2 cup sugar

Salt for sprinkling (fine sea OR iodized)

For Asian Mixture, finely grind all spices in a spice or electric grinder. Set aside.

Place one baking sheet next to stove. Line a second baking sheet with paper towels.

For Nut Mixture, in a deep Dutch oven over high heat, heat enough vegetable oil to come 3 inches up sides to 365 degrees F.

Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add walnuts and cook 1 minute; water does not have to return to a boil. (This warms walnuts and removes excess bitterness.) Drain in a large colander. Do not rinse. Immediately toss walnuts in colander with sugar until hot water, clinging to walnuts, melts sugar to form a thin glaze.

In two batches, deep-fry walnuts until golden, about 3 minutes. Using a large skimmer, transfer walnuts to unlined baking sheet (hot walnuts would stick to paper towels) and cool completely. When cooked, transfer walnuts to paper towel-lined sheet to drain excess oil.

Place walnuts in a bowl. While tossing nuts, sift spice mixture through a fine-meshed wire sieve over them. Discard hulls in sieve. Season with salt. Walnuts can be prepared up to 1 week ahead and stored in an airtight food container at room temperature. Makes 4 cups, 6 to 8 servings.

NOTE: If you want to make more than one batch, have extra oil on hand. The sugar on nuts ``caramelizes'' oil after deep-frying a pound or two and makes it necessary to use fresh oil.

HOT CRAB SALSA DIP

Here's an update of an old favorite that my guests can't get enough of. For the best flavor, use fresh crab meat instead of pasteurized or canned.

1 cup chunky tomato salsa

2 packages (8 ounces EACH) cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pound fresh lump crab meat, picked over to remove shells and cartilage and flaked

Hot red pepper sauce

1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs, preferably from day-old French OR Italian bread

Tortilla chips and assorted fresh vegetables for serving

Lightly butter a round 1-quart baking dish.

Drain salsa in a sieve to remove excess liquid. Place drained salsa in a medium bowl and add cream cheese, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce. Using a rubber spatula, work ingredients until combined. Stir in crab meat. Season with hot pepper sauce to taste.

Spread evenly in baking dish. Dip can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead, covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated.

Sprinkle bread crumbs over dip.

Bake on center rack in preheated 350-degree oven about 30 minutes, or until dip is bubbling. Serve hot, with tortilla chips and vegetables. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

MAQUE-CHOUX

This Cajun side dish adds a welcome splash of color to the Thanksgiving menu.

6 strips thick-sliced bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

2 medium celery ribs, chopped

4 cups thawed frozen corn kernels (don't use fresh)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Salt

Cook bacon in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels to drain.

Pour out all except 3 tablespoons bacon fat from skillet. Add onion, bell pepper and celery to skillet and cook until onion is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add corn, garlic and Cajun seasoning and cook, stirring frequently, until corn is heated through, about 5 minutes. (Maque-choux can be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated. Reheat gently in a large skillet over low heat, stirring often.)

Stir in tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Chop bacon and stir into maque-choux. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

SPICED CRANBERRY-ORANGE JELL-O MOLD

One of Jell-O's most requested recipes, this graces countless Thanksgiving tables every year.

Water

2 packages (3 ounces EACH) cherry flavor gelatin dessert

1 can (16 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 seedless navel orange, peeled, sectioned and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium bowl, stir 1 1/2 cups boiling water into gelatin and continue to stir until gelatin is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in cranberry sauce, 1 cup cold water, lemon juice, cinnamon and cloves.

Refrigerate until thickened and almost set (a spoon drawn through mixture will leave a definite impression), about 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in orange cubes and walnuts. Spoon into a 5-cup mold. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. (Mold can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.)

To unmold, dip mold into a large bowl of hot water and hold 5 seconds. Dry outside of mold and invert onto a serving dish. Makes 10 servings.

SCALLOPED YAMS WITH PRALINE TOPPING

Whenever I make this dish, it never fails that someone remarks ``I don't even like yams, but I could eat a whole dish of these!''

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Salted water

6 medium yams (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

1 1/2 cups whipping cream, heated

In a small bowl, using your fingers, work brown sugar, butter and flour together until well combined, then work in pecans. Set aside. Praline topping can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead and stored at room temperature.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add yams and cook just until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook - they should be able to hold their shape when drained. Drain and rinse under cold running water.

Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange yams, overlapping in vertical rows, in prepared dish. (Yams can be arranged in baking dish up to 8 hours before baking, covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated.)

Pour cream over yams. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 20 minutes. Crumble pecan mixture over yams and continue baking until yams are tender and topping is browned, 20 to 30 more minutes. Serve hot. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

MAKE AHEAD: Yams can be parboiled up to 8 hours before baking, praline topping can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead.

MAKE-AHEAD MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE

I was a mashed potato snob who held tight to the belief that mashed potatoes are only worth eating when they were freshly made, until caterer Katy Keck gave me this recipe.

Water

5 pounds baking potatoes (such as russet, Idaho, Burbank OR Eastern)

Salt

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cut into chunks, at room temperature

1 cup dairy sour cream

1/2 cup milk, heated

1/2 teaspoon freshly milled white pepper

Chopped fresh chives OR parsley (optional)

Fill a large pot (at least 5 quarts) halfway with cold water. Peel potatoes, cut into chunks about 1 1/2 inches square and drop into pot. Add more cold water to cover potatoes by 1 to 2 inches. Potatoes can be prepared to this point up to 4 hours ahead and stored at cool room temperature.

Stir in enough salt until water tastes mildly salted. Cover tightly and bring to a full boil over high heat, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and set lid askew. Cook at a moderate boil until potatoes are tender when pierced with tip of a small sharp knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Add more boiling water, if needed, to keep potatoes covered. Do not overcook potatoes.

Drain potatoes well and return to warm pot. Add cream cheese. Using a hand-held electric mixer, mash potatoes until cream cheese melts. Beat in sour cream and milk. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Transfer to a buttered 9x13-inch baking dish. Cool completely. Potatoes can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead, covered loosely with plastic wrap and stored at cool room temperature; or, cool, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 1 day.

Bake in preheated 375-degree oven 30 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are heated through. Serve hot, sprinkled with chives. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

MAKE AHEAD: Casserole can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.

CRANBERRY-PINEAPPLE SALSA

1 bag (12 ounces) fresh cranberries

1/2 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped (about 2 packed cups)

1/4 cup sugar

1 green onion (white and green parts), coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint OR cilantro

1 to 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until cranberries are coarsely chopped.

Transfer to a serving dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes but no longer than 2 hours. Serve chilled. Makes about 3 1/2 cups, 12 servings.

MAKE AHEAD: Salsa is best prepared no longer than 2 hours before serving.

ITALIAN STUFFING WITH SAUSAGE AND PARMESAN CHEESE

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium celery ribs with leaves, chopped

2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound sweet OR hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

12 ounces day-old crusty Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 7 cups)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups OR as needed Homemade Turkey Stock (recipe follows) OR canned reduced-sodium chicken broth

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until it loses its pink color, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano, salt and crushed red pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add bread and cheese and mix well. Stir in butter, wine and enough of stock to moisten dressing, about 1 cup. Use to stuff a turkey or place in a buttered baking dish, drizzle with an additional 1/2 cup stock, cover and bake as a side dish (350-degree oven about 30 to 40 minutes or until hot throughout). Makes 10 cups.

NOTE: Stuffing should be made just before using.

HOMEMADE TURKEY STOCK 101

Every Thanksgiving eve, I put on a big pot of stock to simmer overnight. Then I use it all Thanksgiving Day long. Any leftovers can be frozen or used the next day to make a terrific soup.

Turkey parts with lots of bone, like wings and backs, make the best stock. Use the turkey neck, heart and gizzard in the stock, but not the liver. (Liver makes the stock bitter.)

Never let stock come to a rolling boil or it will become cloudy and have a less refined flavor. Cook the stock uncovered.

Add the herbs to the stock after you've skimmed it.

3 pounds turkey wings

Turkey neck and giblets 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 medium celery rib with leaves, chopped

Water

6 parsley sprigs

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Using a heavy cleaver, chop wings and neck into 2-inch pieces. (If necessary, ask butcher to do this for you.) Using a sharp knife, trim away any membranes from giblets.

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add turkey wings, neck and giblets and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add onion, carrot and celery to pot and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes.

Return turkey to pot. Add enough cold water to cover turkey by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skimming off foam that rises to surface. Add parsley, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low. Cook at a bare simmer at least 2 and up to 12 hours. As needed, add more water to pot to keep bones covered.

Strain stock through a colander into a large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes, then skim off clear yellow fat that rises to surface. If desired, remove giblets, cook, finely chop and refrigerate for use in gravy. Neck meat can be removed in strips, chopped and reserved as well. Cool stock completely before refrigerating or freezing.

Turkey stock can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated. It can also be frozen in airtight food containers up to 3 months. Makes about 2 1/2 quarts.

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY WITH BEST-EVER GRAVY

After trying every turkey roasting method under the sun, this is the one I come back to and the one I always teach at my cooking classes. Instructions here are for an average-sized 18-pound turkey, but this recipe can be adapted to the size of your bird.

1 (18-pound) fresh turkey

Water

About 12 cups of your favorite stuffing

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted buttered, at room temperature, plus additional melted unsalted butter, if needed

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

2 1/2 quarts Homemade Turkey Stock (recipe above)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup bourbon, port OR dry sherry (optional)

Reserve turkey neck and giblets to use in gravy or stock. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat turkey skin dry. Turn turkey on its breast.

Loosely fill neck cavity with stuffing. Using a thin wooden or metal skewer, pin neck skin to back. Fold turkey's wings akimbo behind back or tie to body with kitchen string. Loosely fill large body cavity with stuffing. Place any remaining stuffing in a lightly buttered casserole, cover and refrigerate to bake as a side dish. Place drumsticks in hock lock or tie together with kitchen string.

Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a good-quality, heavy roasting pan. Rub all over with softened butter. Season with salt and pepper. Tightly cover breast area with foil. Pour 2 cups Homemade Turkey Stock into bottom of pan.

Roast turkey on lowest oven rack in preheated 325-degree oven, basting all over every 30 minutes with juices on bottom of pan (lift up foil to reach breast area), until a meat thermometer inserted in meaty part of thigh (but not touching a bone) reads 180 degrees F and stuffing is at least 160 degrees F, about 4 1/2 hours.

Whenever drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten, about 1 1/2 cups at a time. Remove foil during last hour to allow breast skin to brown.

Transfer turkey to a large serving platter and let stand at least 20 minutes before carving.

Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Drizzle 1/2 cup turkey stock over stuffing in casserole, cover and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour drippings from roasting pan into a heat-proof glass bowl or large measuring cup. Let stand 5 minutes, then skim off and reserve clear yellow fat that has risen to top. Measure 3/4 cup fat, adding melted butter, if needed. Add enough turkey stock to skimmed drippings to make 8 cups total.

Place roasting pan on 2 stove burners over low heat and add turkey fat. Whisk in flour, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in turkey stock and bourbon. Cook, whisking often, until gravy has thickened and no trace of raw flour taste remains, about 5 minutes.

Transfer gravy to a warmed gravy boat. Carve turkey and serve gravy and stuffing alongside. Makes about 18 servings, with about 7 cups gravy.

GRANDMA'S STEAMED PERSIMMON PUDDING

Of all my holiday dessert recipes, this is the one my friends always ask me to be sure and include on the menu. Pudding molds are available at kitchenware stores and by mail order from Sur la Table [phone].

2 very ripe, medium Hachiya persimmons

2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Sweetened whipped cream

Generously butter inside of a 1 1/2- to 2-quart fluted tube pudding mold. Dust inside of mold lightly with flour and tap out excess.

Cut stems from persimmons. Cut up persimmons and remove any large seeds in pulp. In a food processor or blender, puree unpeeled persimmons. You should have 1 cup puree. Place in a medium bowl and whisk in baking soda. (For some reason, mixing persimmon with baking soda improves texture of pudding and keeps it from getting gummy - a common problem with persimmon desserts.) Whisk in sugar, milk, melted butter and egg.

Sift together flour, cinnamon and salt. Add to persimmon mixture and whisk until smooth. Scrape mixture into prepared pudding mold and smooth top. Cover mold with its lid or a double thickness of foil.

Place a collapsible vegetable steamer in a pot large enough to hold mold and put mold on steamer. Pour enough boiling water into pot to almost, but not quite, touch bottom of steamer.

Bring to a boil over high heat, cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Steam pudding, adding more boiling water as needed, until pudding is dark brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 2 hours.

Let pudding stand 10 minutes. (Pudding can stay in its mold up to 45 minutes.) Run a sharp knife around inside of mold and invert pudding onto a platter. Slice and serve warm with sweetened whipped cream. Makes 8 servings.

NOTE: Recipe can be doubled and steamed in a 10- to 12-cup fluted tube pan. Cover pan tightly with foil. To lift pan in and out of kettle, tie pan with kitchen string, like a package. Double-batch recipe can also be cooked in oven. Place pan in a roasting pan, add enough hot water to come 1 inch up sides of pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in pudding comes out clean, about 2 1/2 hours.

CARAMEL CASHEW TART

Sweet Tart Dough (recipe follows)

3/4 cup whipping cream

1 cup sugar

Water

8 ounces unsalted butter, melted

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sweetened whipped cream

Position a rack in center of oven and place a baking sheet on rack. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 9-inch round tart pan.

Press Sweet Tart Dough evenly into bottom and up sides of prepared tart pan. Using a fork, prick dough a few times. Line dough with foil and weight with pie weights, dried beans or raw rice.

Place pan on hot baking sheet. Bake until pastry seems set, about 10 minutes. Lift up and remove foil and weights. Continue baking until tart shell is lightly browned, about 8 more minutes. Cool tart shell on a wire cake rack while you make filling. Remove baking sheet from oven and keep oven at 400 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium heat until small bubbles appear around edges. (Or, heat cream in a microwave oven, being careful that it doesn't boil over.) Set hot cream aside.

In a tall medium saucepan over high heat, bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. As soon as sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. (Don't stir a boiling sugar syrup or it will crystallize into a thick glop.) Boil syrup until it turns deep amber, 3 to 5 minutes. While syrup is boiling, occasionally swirl pan by handle to mix and wash down any sugar crystals that form on sides of pan by dipping a large pastry brush in cold water and rubbing wet brush against crystals. When syrup is dark amber, reduce heat to low.

Being very careful, slowly stir in hot cream. Mixture will bubble dramatically but eventually subside. Simmer, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl and place on another cake rack or a trivet. Caramel will cool more quickly if air can circulate under bowl. Cool, stirring often, until tepid, about 1 hour.

Using side of a large knife, coarsely crush about 1 cup cashews and spread in tart shell. Top with remaining whole cashews. Whisk melted butter, egg and vanilla into tepid caramel. Pour caramel mixture over cashews.

Place tart on a cool baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until filling is bubbling in center, about 15 more minutes. Cool tart completely on a wire cake rack. Tart can be baked 1 day ahead. Cover cooled tart with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Serve with sweetened whipped cream. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

SWEET TART DOUGH: In a food processor, pulse 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt to combine. Add 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, and pulse 10 to 15 seconds until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 large egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water through feed tube with machine running; process just until dough is moistened. It will look crumbly but should hold together when pressed. Do not over process.

SPOTLIGHT ON ... RICK RODGERS

Age: 45.

Profession: Cookbook author.

Hometown: Born in Oakland; raised in San Lorenzo, Calif.

Food background: Mostly self-taught. He has a theater degree from San Francisco State and has taken hotel and restaurant courses at New York City Tech. He worked as a chef for four years at the French embassy in New York and owned his own catering company in New York for four years.

Most popular Thanksgiving dish he makes: Grandma's Steamed Persimmon Pudding.

Pet peeve: People who cook too many dishes at Thanksgiving.

Favorite cookbook: ``Thanksgiving 101,'' because it solves a lot of problems for people; also he can't live without ``Mastering the Art of French Cooking,'' by Julia Child and Simone Beck (he has cooked every recipe in the book) and ``Classic Italian Cooking'' and ``More Classic Italian Cooking,'' both by Marcella Hazan.

Ideal vacation: Hawaii, but in a flattering bathing suit after the diet.

Three favorite foods: Chocolate, pasta and popcorn.

Favorite junk food: Nacho-flavored Doritos.

Foods he hates: Liver in any way, shape or form except foie gras in a terrine.

Secret food passion: Dipping pretzels into peanut butter.

Favorite restaurant: His neighborhood restaurant - Indigo in Greenwich Village in New York.

Favorite thing to cook and eat: Pasta.

Favorite kitchen gadget: A blender (for soups and margaritas).

What does he do when not cooking?: Reads and goes to the theater.

If he couldn't be a food writer, what would he be?: An aerobics instructor.

Dream job: ``I love what I do.''

Worst kitchen disaster: ``The time I dropped the entire pan of turkey gravy and had to run to the corner deli and buy four coffee cups full of gravy to go.''

If he could dine with anyone (current or historical) who would it be?: Cole Porter and Ethel Merman.

Most memorable meal: L'Oustau de Baumaniere in Provence, France.

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--2--Color) In his recently released cookbook, ``Thanksgiving 101,'' Rick Rodgers shares tips and secrets for making the best holiday feast ever. Accompany Perfect Roast Turkey with Maque-Choux, Scalloped Yams With Praline Topping, Italian Stuffing With Sausage and Parmesan Cheese, and Cranberry-Pineapple Salsa.

(3--Color) no caption (Rick Rodgers)

(4) Rick Rodgers, author of ``Thanksgiving 101,'' shows how to prepare a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.

Phil McCarten/Daily News

Box: SPOTLIGHT ON ... RICK RODGERS (See Text)