Most of us own a copy of Joy of Cooking. It’s likely many a college student tucked the enduring classic into their box of belongings when they headed off to school. Or perhaps it was a wedding gift, or as in my case, the well-worn copy on my kitchen shelf was their mother’s.

Irma Starkloff Rombauer wrote Joy of Cooking, first published in 1931, along with her daughter, Marion Rombauer Becker, who recipe-tested and illustrated. They kept the All Purpose Cookbook updated for the last 88 years, and this month a ninth revised edition with over 600 new recipes hit bookstore shelves across the country.

They kept it all in the family—Irma Rombauer’s great-grandson John Becker and his wife Megan Scott spent almost 10 years mindfully revising the book to reflect and include “changing cooking methods, the availability of new ingredients and to be more globally inclusive.”

To learn more about the book, its history and the process of revising and updating this iconic compendium of recipes, Becker and Scott will discuss the process over lunch at Left Bank in conjunction with Book Passage.

In the meantime, here are two classic recipes for the season—that will remain as timeless as the beloved cookbook.

Cooks with Books: John Becker & Megan Scott present ‘The Joy of Cooking’ as part of the Book Passage Book & Author lunch at 12:30 pm, Saturday, Dec. 7 at in Larkspur at Left Bank, 507 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. Tickets: $125 per person; $200 per couple (includes meal & book).

Classic Roast Turkey

10 to 25 servings

This is the ideal method to use for birds over 15 pounds in weight, though it works well for smaller birds, too. The lower heat ensures that the bird cooks to doneness relatively evenly. While we give the option to stuff the bird, please be aware that you will have to remove the stuffing and finish cooking it in a baking dish, as it will not cook through at the same rate as the turkey. Please read About Turkey, 426, and About Roasting Turkey, 427.

A day or more before roasting the turkey, you may brine or dry-brine it, 405 (we recommend dry-brining), if desired. If you have wet-brined the bird, pat it dry and allow it to air-dry overnight, uncovered and refrigerated, on a rack set over a baking sheet. It is imperative to dry out the skin to encourage browning.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 500°F.

If you wish to stuff the bird, have hot or at room temperature:

(Basic Bread Stuffing or Dressing, 532, or Basic Cornbread Stuffing or Dressing, 532, with any desired additions)

If you have not done so already, remove the giblets and neck from:

One 10- to 25-pound turkey

If the bird is not kosher, self-basting, or brined, rub all over with:

Salt

Loosely pack the body and neck cavities with the stuffing, if using. Bring the legs together and tie them to hold the stuffing in. Set the turkey breast side up on a V rack in a roasting pan or on a large rimmed baking sheet. Any leftover stuffing can be placed in a buttered baking dish. Brush the turkey’s skin all over with:

3 to 6 tablespoons melted butter, depending on the size of the turkey, or as needed

Transfer the turkey to the oven and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Roast until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 155°F, and the thickest part of the thigh reaches at least 170°F. (Stuffing must reach 165°F.) This may take as little as 2 hours for a 10-pound turkey and up to 6 hours for a very large turkey. Transfer the turkey to a platter and let rest for at least 20 and up to 40 minutes before carving.

If the breast is done but the thighs are not, take the turkey out of the oven and carve the legs off at the hip joint. Place the legs on a rimmed baking sheet and return to the oven to finish cooking through while the breast and carcass rests.

Excerpted from Joy of Cooking by John Becker and Megan Scott. Copyright © 2019. Reprinted by permission of Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

When I say Burgundy, you say Pinot Noir—the red wine grape of Burgundy that’s also made the Russian River Valley a famous wine region. And when I say Bordeaux, you say Cabernet. Got the pattern? So when I say Rioja, you say—huh?

The answer is Tempranillo, the major red-wine grape of Rioja, the best-known wine region of Spain. But Tempranillo is not at all a key grape in the wine history of Alta California, the northernmost territory settled by the decidedly wine-positive, military-ecclesiastical complex of the Spanish Empire in the 18th century. Instead, they brought Mission, a productive but now largely-forgotten grape. Did we miss out?

Last April, I received an out-of-the-blue shipment of Rioja wines from a press agency. Luckily, Rioja wines cellar well, and I recently put them up against the few local versions that I could find from intrepid Tempranillo-positive wineries.

Faustino VII 2017 Rioja Tempranillo ($10.99)

The least-costly wine of the bunch is handily opened with a screw-cap enclosure and conveys a lot of basic information about Rioja style for the price: the aroma is more reminiscent of old casks of wine than anything else, and it’s nothing if not serviceable. While I could find nothing that connects the Dutch gentleman pictured on the label to this winery, founded in the 1860s, it does suggest that the Puritans picked up some fashion tips from their sojourn in 17th-century Holland.

Finca Las Cabras 2013 Rioja Crianza ($19)

My favorite of the Rioja bunch, this spices up that singular, old (and traditionally, American oak) cask aroma with French-roast coffee, chocolate cake and cooked strawberry. Roasted pecan and dried-berry trail mix? A Portolá trek dream mix.

Muriel 2014 Fincas de la Villa Rioja Reserva ($19.99)

Here’s a more serious Rioja, showing aromas of dried black olives, blackberry fruit leather and finishing on an all-too-serious display of grippy tannins.

Marimar Estate 2015 Don Miguel Vineyard Russian River Valley Tempranillo ($53)

Better known as a Pinot Noir plot in cool Green Valley, this vineyard derives its name from the late Miguel Torres—Marimar’s father, and a big name in Spanish wine. Deep color, sticky tannin and charred flavor from this cool-climate site.

Enriquez 2013 Sonoma Coast Tempranillo ($44)

This is a Right Bank Bordeaux–lover’s special, sporting tea-leaf aromas and a super-easy, aged Bordeaux feel that dances across the tongue.

Mi Sueño 2016 Napa Valley Tempranillo ($60)

From California-dreamer Rolando Herrera, this is the sweetest-smelling of these wines, with blueberry and vanilla aromas that tease like from a tiny tin of fruit-scented candies. A nice alternative to Merlot or some of your more easygoing Zins.