Southern

"On a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I was greatly taken with the grits served at the restaurant Slightly North of Broad, on East Bay Street," says Charles C. Gordon of Ontario, Canada. "Is it possible to get the recipe?"

Boxed spice cake never tasted so good: Fresh pears, crystallized ginger and a sweet nut topping really perk it up. Serve this warm or at room temperature. The topping will be soft when warm; it will be firmer, like southern praline, when cool.

Every trick in the barbecue kit is used to create this incredible dish: a spice rub for deep-down flavor, a mop to keep the chicken moist during cooking, wood chips for old-fashioned smoke taste, and, of course, a delicious sauce that features root beer. Using root beer is a great idea since it is sweet and aromatic—qualities you expect in barbecue sauce. Ask your butcher to halve the chickens and remove the backbones.

Boiling crawfish is an art — something that quickly becomes apparent to anyone who's watched a cook prepare the cooking liquid. This recipe has been modified for ease of preparation at home. Most Cajuns have a strong opinion about what should or should not go into the pot. Use this recipe as a guide and modify it to your own tastes — more vegetables or less, spicier or not. And remember, when live crawfish in the shell are not in season, you may simply substitute shrimp.

Coconut, lemon rind, and raisins are a bright surprise. "A lot of people buy my cookbook just to get this recipe," says Mrs. Wilkes.

Beef rib meat becomes tender and succulent with slow cooking over low, indirect heat. Marinate the ribs overnight and allow for three hours of cooking time on the grill.

Bruce Aidells, founder of Aidells Sausage Company, says, "Stuffing was the most important part of my family’s holiday menu. The turkey was always overcooked, but the stuffing was moist and delicious. We usually had two, sometimes three stuffings, but I leaned toward the kind with sausage. It was meaty and spicy, just like this one."

Sometimes seen with a lemon filling, this is one of the oldest "fancy" layer cakes and a great southern tradition. The fresh coconut makes you realize why this cake has always been special.

Although these are called fritters, they more closely resemble pancakes. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"On my last birthday, I enjoyed a special dinner at Brasserie Le Coze in Atlanta," says Diane Sullivan of Alpharetta, Georgia. "The entire meal was fabulous, but the white bean soup with truffle oil was absolutely divine." White truffle oil, should you happen to have a bottle of it, is a delicious "garnish" for this rich and hearty soup.

Some people claim that you must be Louisiana-born to master the art of making pralines—those special brown sugar and pecan patties. This cake takes an easier route: The pecans are simply coated in egg white and brown sugar, then roasted.

For accompaniments, toss watercress and thin slices of red onion with Dijon vinaigrette, and add chopped fresh basil to stewed tomatoes. Pecan pie can top it off.

Thin slices of sweet potato can be grilled alongside the ribs, then drizzled with maple syrup. Have coleslaw and corn bread on the side, too. End with lemon meringue pie.

Add corn bread, a crunchy chicory salad, and peach pie for summer supper at its best.

One of my favorite meals was made by finding some leftover meat or fish and some cooked rice, and tossing them in a skillet with whatever caught our fancy. When you're good and hungry, a mixed-up quick meal tastes every bit as good as any long pot [long-cooked dish]. And you don't have to wait.

Deviled is a southern term for a dish that is highly seasoned. To make life easier, have the butcher cut up the chicken, and use a small chicken — around three pounds — so that it will cook through quickly. If you're cutting it yourself, start by going along both sides of the backbone with kitchen shears or a large knife. Once the backbone has been removed, cut the chicken into eight pieces (two breasts, wings, legs and thighs); include the top third of each breast with the wings for a more generous serving. The chicken needs to marinate for at least a day, so plan accordingly. See how to joint a chicken.