In most families, the centerpiece of the big holiday meals — Thanksgiving, Christmas, the first night of Hanukkah — is nonnegotiable. It's always been turkey or roast or ham or laulaus, and it always will be.

But when it comes to side dishes, it's a free-for-all. It's where the cook gets to experiment, where new members of the family get to make their mark, where alternatives can be provided for those who have special food needs.

We asked readers to share their family's must-have side dishes and got everything from a spiced-fruit compote to a creamy broccoli casserole. You'll find those recipes inside.

Matching side dishes with entrees is a bit of an art, and not one that most of us worry too much about at the holidays, when tradition tends to rule and a patchwork quilt of dishes appears on the table as various family members and guests contribute their specialties.

But at other times of the year, you might want to consider these ideas from Holly Akers, a Seattle-area cooking teacher who was in the Islands recently to consult for a proposed new restaurant (they're not ready to make an announcement yet).

Akers said that, too often, cooks (in restaurants and at home) don't think too much about the effect that side dishes have on the whole meal experience.

"To me, it's like matching food with wine — the one can enhance the other, or they can have a fight on the palate," she said. Don't serve a highly vinegared salad with a sweet-sour pork dish, for example. Since both dishes rely on acid to pump up flavors, they'll bludgeon the flavor receptors.

Also as in food and wine matching, there are two common approaches to take. For example, you can serve a rib roast with a sharp horseradish sauce that cuts the richness of the well-marbled meat or you can pair it with something sweet and plummy, such as stewed cherries, to emphasize the richness. Match the meat, in other words, or contrast with it. Balance a spicy dish with a mild dish, a sweet dish with a savory dish.

One thing to watch for in designing a menu is sameness. "If everything has garlic and basil in it, you're in trouble," she said. "People will enjoy the first flavors, but soon begin to feel overwhelmed or bored."

But don't try to do too many different types of flavors in a single course. Pick one or two dishes to star, and let everything else serve as supporting cast.

The star doesn't have to be the entree. If the main dish is a simple poached fish or grilled chicken, a side dish with a very pronounced flavor (such as herbed vegetables with the grilled chicken) or one that is rather rich (such as olive oil mashed potatoes with the fish) can be accommodated.

Consider your work load in designing a menu, Akers suggests. If your entree involves a lot of last-minute work, don't pick side dishes that need to be fussed with. At least half the dishes should be made ahead, she said.

Also consider equipment. If you've got to prepare hot rolls at 400 degrees and a last-minute side dish at 350, you need two ovens or a new plan.

With more people concerned about their health, Akers prefers to surround rich meats with more astringent dishes, and those lower in fat.

"Last Thanksgiving, we didn't even do mashed potatoes and gravy," Akers said. "We had a perfectly roasted turkey — which is rich enough as it is, with all those chemicals that make you want to fall asleep right after dinner — and we roasted a lot of vegetables, had a beautiful salad with lots of candied cranberries and toasted nuts in it, the cranberry-orange relish of course, and we saved our richness for dessert, which was pumpkin cheesecake and worth every calorie!"

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.