The Day After : In the hands of three innovative experts, yesterday’s turkey retains its holiday appeal.

Instead of eating turkey sandwiches for a week, transform the remnants of yesterday’s bird into dishes with fresh appeal.

Serving as guides in this project are culinary experts in three fields--a chef, a caterer and a cookbook author.

Alexander Gordon, executive chef of the Regent Beverly Wilshire, acknowledges that leftover turkey “can be a bit blah” and needs dressing up. He suggests two dishes that not only have lots of flavor but are easy to prepare. Too complicated a recipe would simply discourage cooks after the heavy work of Thanksgiving, he pointed out.

For practicality, it would be hard to surpass Gordon’s turkey pancakes and turkey and wild rice soup. The soup is based on turkey broth that can be made from the carcass, and the apple-cranberry relish that goes with the pancakes is a handy way to use up leftover cranberry relish. Buckwheat pancake mix makes quick work of the pancakes.

Gordon points out that a roast turkey should be wrapped well and refrigerated as soon as it has cooled after serving. Placing it in the refrigerator unwrapped will result in dry meat. When used again, the meat should be cut up and thoroughly heated, he said.

Faye Levy, a Santa Monica-based cookbook author, has dealt with poultry frequently during the production of 10 cookbooks. “The main thing is to have the turkey in small pieces for reheating,” she said. Putting a large chunk of the bird in the oven to heat it the second time around is “the best way for it to get really dry,” she observed.

Levy’s two most recent books are “Sensational Pasta” (HP Books), published earlier this year, and “Fresh from France: Dinner Inspirations,” which is scheduled to be released this month by Dutton.

In a recipe from “Fresh From France,” Levy revives turkey by sauteing it lightly, then serving it with a creamy mustard sauce and Chinese pea pods (snow peas). The plate can be rounded out with steamed new potatoes, she said, and Brussels sprouts can be substituted for the pea pods.

In the past, turkey Tetrazzini (creamed turkey and noodles) was almost everyone’s post Thanksgiving standby. Levy’s contemporary approach is to toss the turkey with spicy chili pasta, adding lima beans, green onions, red pepper strips and cilantro for color. Her recipe for chili pasta is included here, but ready-made spicy pastas, available in specialty shops and some upscale supermarkets, can be substituted, she said.

Robert Ehrman, president and owner of Rococo Custom Catering in Van Nuys, insists that “leftovers don’t have to be like leftovers.” What makes the difference is the application of imagination, he said.

One of Ehrman’s ideas is turkey hash served with mustard sauce, a recipe he acquired years ago in New York. Adding a fried egg turns the hash into a breakfast dish. Or it could be served for lunch or supper accompanied by toasted French bread spread with dill butter and a salad of contemporary greens such as mache and arugula. “It’s a nice, light item,” Ehrman said.

Another Rococo concept is to combine turkey with walnuts and water chestnuts in a Sherry-flavored sauce. The sauce is based on stock, and here again, the turkey carcass comes in handy as the stock foundation. This dish is a natural to go with rice. Add a salad and stir-fried broccoli or a reheated Thanksgiving vegetable for an appetizing post-holiday dinner.

From Alexander Gordon, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel TURKEY AND WILD RICE SOUP

1/4 cup butter

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 leek, white part only, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

7 tablespoons flour

1 quart turkey stock

1 cup wild rice

Dash thyme

Dash sage

Salt, pepper

2 cups diced turkey

Heat butter in large saucepan. Add celery, leek, onion and carrot and saute lightly. Do not allow to brown. Stir in just enough of flour to absorb butter. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually stir turkey stock into mixture.

Add wild rice and bring to simmer, stirring frequently. Add thyme and sage and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer, covered, over low heat until rice is cooked, 40 to 50 minutes. Add more stock if mixture becomes too thick.

Add turkey 20 minutes before soup is done. Taste to adjust seasonings. Ladle into warm soup bowls and serve with corn-bread muffins. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

TURKEY PANCAKES WITH APPLE AND CRANBERRY RELISH

2 cups buckwheat pancake mix

2 cups flaked cooked turkey

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Worcestershire Sauce

Apple and Cranberry Relish

Prepare pancake mix according to package directions. Combine pancake mix, turkey, pecans and few drops Worcestershire. Spoon 2 tablespoons mixture for each pancake onto hot, lightly greased griddle and flatten into 3- to 4-inch rounds. Cook until browned on bottom, then turn and brown other side, cooking until turkey is heated through.

Serve on heated plates with Apple and Cranberry Relish on side. Makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen pancakes.

Apple and Cranberry Relish

1 cup prepared cranberry sauce

1/2 cup water

6 cloves

Dash cinnamon

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

Place cranberry sauce and water in saucepan and heat until blended. Add cloves and cinnamon and cook over low heat 5 minutes. Add apple and simmer 8 to 10 minutes.

For best flavor, make relish day before serving. Serve hot or cold. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

From Faye Levy, Cookbook author TURKEY WITH MUSTARD SAUCE AND SNOW PEAS

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 cup dry white wine

Dash dried thyme

1 small bay leaf

Salt

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon tomato paste

1/4 pound Chinese pea pods (snow peas)

Freshly ground black pepper

4 large or 8 small slices cooked turkey

2 tablespoons oil

2 to 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium saucepan. Add onion and cook over low heat, stirring often, about 10 minutes, or until tender but not brown. Add vinegar, wine, thyme, bay leaf and dash salt and simmer until nearly all liquid evaporates. Stir in cream and bring to boil, stirring.

Simmer over low heat 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in tomato paste. Continue simmering, stirring often, 5 minutes, or until thickened. Strain into another saucepan, pressing hard on onion.

Cook pea pods in boiling salted water, uncovered, over high heat 1 minute or until crisp tender. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium heat. Add pea pods, salt and pepper and saute until heated. Cover and keep warm.

Sprinkle turkey slices with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat oil and remaining tablespoon butter in large skillet. Add enough turkey slices to make 1 layer. Saute over medium heat about 2 minutes or until heated through. Do not overcook or meat will be dry. Transfer to plates, cover and keep warm. Saute remaining slices and transfer to plates.

Meanwhile, reheat sauce over low heat, stirring often. Whisk in 2 teaspoons mustard, taste and adjust seasonings. Add more mustard, if desired. Spoon sauce over turkey. Serve with pea pods. Makes 4 servings.

CHILI PASTA WITH ROASTED OR SMOKED TURKEY

4 to 6 ounces roasted or smoked turkey

3/4 cup frozen lima beans

1 red or yellow sweet pepper

1/4 cup butter

6 tablespoons whipping cream

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

9 to 10 ounces fresh or 8 ounces dried Chili Pasta

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

Cut turkey in thin slices, then in 2x3/8-inch strips. Cook lima beans, uncovered, in boiling salted water to cover generously over medium high heat about 8 minutes, or until just tender. Drain thoroughly.

Broil pepper until peel is blistered all over, turning often. Place in plastic bag, close bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel pepper, remove seeds and ribs and drain in colander 10 minutes. Cut in 1/4-inch strips. Heat butter and cream in small saucepan until barely simmering. Add turkey, lima beans, dash salt and dash pepper. Heat thoroughly over low heat.

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add salt to taste, then pasta. Cook, uncovered, over high heat, separating strands occasionally with fork, 1/2 to 2 minutes for fresh pasta or 2 to 5 minutes for dried, or until tender but firm to bite. Drain well and transfer to large heated bowl.

Add turkey mixture and green onions and toss with pasta. Reserve 2 teaspoons cilantro and few pepper strips for garnish. Add remaining peppers and cilantro to pasta and toss. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle reserved cilantro on top and garnish with pepper strips. Makes 2 to 3 light main course or 4 first course servings.

Chili Pasta

4 medium cloves garlic

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, preferably unbleached

2 teaspoons vegetable oil or olive oil

1 to 5 teaspoons water, if needed

Additional flour, if needed

Mince garlic in food processor. Add cumin, cayenne, paprika, oregano, eggs and salt and process until blended and garlic is minced finely. Add flour and oil and process until dough just holds together in sticky crumbs that can be easily pressed together, about 10 seconds. If dough is dry, sprinkle in water 1 teaspoon at a time, processing about 5 seconds after each addition, until moist. Press dough together as ball.

Transfer to work surface and knead for few seconds, until fairly smooth, flouring lightly if dough sticks to surface. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or set on plate and cover with inverted bowl. Let stand 30 minutes.

Prepare pasta rack or generously flour 2 or 3 trays or baking sheets. Cut pasta dough in 4 pieces. Work with 1 piece at time, leaving remaining 3 pieces wrapped or covered. Flatten dough to 4-inch square and lightly flour. Run through rollers of machine at widest setting.

Fold from each end so ends just meet in center. Press seams together and flatten again slightly. Run through rollers again. Repeat folding and rolling, lightly flouring only when necessary to prevent sticking, until dough is smooth and velvety, about 7 more times.

Turn dial of pasta machine 1 notch to next narrower setting. Without folding dough, run through machine. Continue to feed dough through rollers without folding, turning dial 1 notch lower each time. Dust with flour as necessary and cut dough in half crosswise if it gets too long to handle. Stop when dough is 1/16 inch thick.

Hang dough sheet to dry on pasta rack or back of towel-lined chair. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Dry 10 minutes to firm slightly, then cut using wider noodle setting of pasta machine.

Place on pasta rack or floured tray or baking sheet and dry 10 minutes if using immediately or up to several hours. Gently toss noodles on tray or baking sheet occasionally to prevent sticking. Store in refrigerator. Makes 9 to 10 ounces fresh pasta.

From Robert Ehrman, president, Rococo Custom Catering

ROCOCO’S TURKEY WITH WALNUTS

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 small red sweet pepper, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups cooked turkey, cut in strips

1 1/2 cups turkey stock

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Sherry

1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, sliced

1/2 cup coarsely broken walnuts

Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and red pepper and cook until tender. Add turkey and 1 1/4 cups stock. Mix cornstarch and sugar. Stir in soy sauce and remaining 1/4 cup stock until smooth.

Add to skillet and simmer 3 minutes. Add Sherry and water chestnuts. Add walnuts and cook just until heated. Serve at once accompanied by steamed rice. Makes 4 servings.

TURKEY HASH WITH MUSTARD SAUCE

2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter

1 tablespoon flour

3/4 cup turkey or chicken stock or canned broth

2 tablespoons beef broth

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 1/2 cups diced cooked turkey dark meat

1 1/2 cups diced cooked turkey white meat

1 cup small cubes cooked potato

Salt, pepper

3 tablespoons clarified butter

Paprika

Knead together 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and flour and set aside.

In small saucepan, combine stock, beef broth and mustards and bring to boil. Add butter mixture and cook until slightly thickened. Uncover and keep warm.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in large skillet. Add onion and cook until tender.

Combine turkey, potato and onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat clarified butter in large skillet. Add turkey mixture in even layer and dust lightly with paprika. Cook until browned on bottom, then turn ingredients and brown other side.

Place on serving platter and accompany with warmed sauce. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Los Angeles Times Food Styling by Minnie Bernardino and Donna Deane