Buttermilk

While this little square cake may appear modest, its caramel flavor drew everyone in our test kitchens back for seconds and even thirds. Buttermilk lends a subtle tang and tenderizes the yellow cake, but it's the sweet glaze that really makes this dessert special.

Miss Lewis mentions buttermilk cookies, which she pairs with ice-cold lemonade, but as far as we know, she never committed a recipe to paper. When we developed one, the big debate was about texture: Soft or crisp? What you see here is the cookie of your dreams, with a tender interior and the slightest bit of crispness around the edge.

These muffins truly give the flavor of corn its due. They're not sweetened like corn bread (meaning like "Yankee" corn bread, says Peacock), and they have a very fine, almost custardy texture, from the extra-fine grind of the cornmeal (which makes them reminiscent of spoon bread). "Honey and soft butter play to the creamy, tangy flavor of the muffins particularly well," says Peacock.

The cliché, in this case, turns out to be true: Biscuits benefit from TLC. Peacock recommends White Lily flour, one of the lightest available, along with lard for a flaky texture so fluffy and airy that the biscuits almost float off the plate. One bite may well move you to tears—either with memories of your southern grandmother, or with regret for not having had a southern grandmother.

In Martha's family, cornbread is made without eggs or sugar. If you prefer sweet cornbread, mix 6 tablespoons sugar in with the dry ingredients. Either version is delicious served with butter and honey.

My friends Renée and Carl Behnke are consummate hosts and gourmands, and fried chicken is one of their favorite dishes to offer a hungry crowd. Renée's secret for an amazingly crispy and crunchy crust, which is now mine (and yours), is to let the chicken rest in flour as the oil heats. I have adapted her recipe, giving it an Indian twist. Indians (like many southern Americans) love buttermilk, so it's natural to use it as a liquid for the overnight brine. I add spices to the brine and flour coating to give the chicken an extra hit of flavor.

The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Ananda spa in India. While the recipe is not low in calories or fat, almost anyone can fit this dessert into a healthy diet by taking small servings of the panna cotta and sabayon and upping the portion of the antioxidant-rich berries. If you are following an Ayurvedic diet, the experts at Ananda recommend this for the vata dosha, and in moderation for the pitta dosha. Be sure to start this recipe one day ahead.

This twist on the Caesar salad is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Ananda spa in India. Iceberg lettuce is topped with a crispy buttermilk, cornmeal, and chickpea flour pancake, low-fat cheese made from yogurt and spices, and an anchovy-free dressing. Note that the raw garlic is rubbed on the croutons after rather than before toasting to preserve its volatile oils. Garlic—particularly when it's uncooked—has been attributed with numerous health benefits, including fighting cancer and killing harmful bacteria. If you are following an Ayurvedic diet, the experts at Ananda recommend this for vata and kapha doshas. Be sure to start this recipe at least one day ahead.

This recipe could easily become a year-round favorite—simply substitute supermarket rotisserie chicken for the turkey. And as a special treat for the kids (or the kid in you), make individual-size pies, using eight 10- to 12-ounce gratin dishes.

Flavored with traditional stuffing herbs, these are great for mopping up gravy. They also make a tasty snack sandwich with leftover turkey.

With its pure flavor, this firm and simply seasoned flourless cornbread is perfect for use in stuffings. It's also delicious toasted, spread with butter, and drizzled with honey.

The buttermilk in this soup gives it a light, tangy richness that harmonizes with the sweetness of the peas and the gentle bite of the curry. Though it looks lovely in a bowl, serve this soup in drinking glasses, to be sipped rather than spooned, for a nice change of pace.

This no-cook soup defeats the summer heat — cucumber provides crunch alongside a hint of minutest, and avocado adds mouthwatering creaminutesess.

For easy eating on a picnic, chicken thighs and drumsticks are great because they can be firmly grasped without the use of utensils. This moist and flavorful recipe is delicious either warm or cold. Be sure to start the chicken marinating at least 30 minutes ahead.

Elizabeth likes to serve these with bacon. For the ultimate breakfast, she cooks the bacon first, pours off a bit of the grease, and cooks the pancakes in the same skillet.

Corn bread gets fancy in dainty individual portions — and the flecks of red add more than just cosmetic flair. These tiny bits of pimento provide bursts of flavor that marry the corn bread beautifully with the rest of the main course.