Buttermilk

"The crisp little pieces of turkey skin called 'cracklings' were another annual Thanksgiving treat of mine. They reminded me of bacon, and I could never get enough. My buttermilk corn bread—which is sweet and savory, moist inside and crunchy outside—puts some real bacon into the feast." Start preparing this one day ahead.

Even the ranch dressing gets a Cajun kick in this lively main-course salad.

The salty anchovies complement the briny sweetness of the crabmeat. Buttermilk lightens the dressing and makes this version of the classic Caesar especially delicious.

Traditional biscuits are so intimidating to novices in part because most recipes require you to make them at the last minute. I wanted to come up with something anyone can do, and this is it. The yeast makes the day! The dough is easy to work with, and both dough and baked biscuit can be made ahead.

Chlodnik Polish cooks serve this soup (pronounced "hu-WOHD-neek") as a cooling first course for summer meals. It's a delicious alternative to gazpacho.

Great with eggs, chili, soup or stew.

Don't be intimidated by the amount of hot pepper sauce in the marinade; the chicken will pick up only some of the heat.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 35 min

When our executive food editor, Zanne Stewart, was growing up, her family spent summers in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This recipe was inspired by a dish of chicken and dumplings she remembers well from those vacations.

There is hardly a wedding or garden party in the Lowcountry without these yeast biscuits. They are small, only about an inch in diameter, and they are split to hold slivers of salty country ham tempered with dollops of chutney or mustard. One ham provides enough meat for 200 to 250 biscuits. These doubly lightened breads — really yeast rolls — are also called "angel biscuits" and "bride's biscuits." Bill Neal has suggested that the "bride" is the inexperienced cook who needs the insurance policy of the double leavening.

Serve this dense, moist cake with a big bowl of lightly sweetened strawberries.

We recommend serving these griddle cakes with orange slices on the side. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

Vanilla and Almond Frosting is an accompaniment for this recipe.