Buttermilk

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Try this with sausages or roast chicken.

A mild buttermilk tang offsets the sweetness of this caramel-colored custard pie.

A perennial favorite on both sides of the Atlantic, this raisiny bread makes fine, fragrant toast.

This recipe originally accompanied Smoked Chicken Salad on Toasted Corn Bread Triangles . The corn bread is great on its own, too.

Jalapeño chilies give this a nice spicy kick. An accompaniment to Chicken Chili Verde .

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

It's so easy to make these processor-quick biscuits ahead if you like. Then reheat, split and fill them with ice cream and berries just before serving.

This recipe, given to me by my aunt, was given to her by her mother. Everyone agrees that it is absolutely delicious. The contrast between a sweet cake and a slightly spicy apple filling is piquant and delightful. The cake layers resemble large sugar cookies.

Also try this with scrambled eggs, omelets or a big bowl of chili.

The heartland is known for its grains and its pork; this first course features two of the region's best products—corn and bacon.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 1/4 hr

We adapted this from the recipe for Supper Onion Pie, in the "Savoury Pies" section of Nigella Lawson's _How to Be a Domestic Goddess._We played with the crust to make it lighter and substituted a yellow onion for the red ones (they turned an unappetizing mauve). We love the way Lawson's books are written—and agree she's got some great ideas—but we think you should know you may need to tinker with the recipes before they yield dishes that appeal to an American palate.