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In theory, Thanksgiving is a holiday built around family togetherness. But that wholesome branding belies yet another point of bitter division in American life: the split between those who want only the classics on their plates, unedited and unadorned, and those—often the cooks—who wouldn’t mind changing things up. It’s on behalf of the latter group that recipe developers toil each year, doing their best to reinvent, or at least refresh, old standards like sweet potato casserole, cornbread stuffing, and, of course, the bird. Thankfully for these underappreciated artisans, the dessert buffet can offer a little more leeway for creativity and innovation … just as long

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