Buttermilk

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Frozen blueberries make these muffins a year-round treat. You can use blue cornmeal for this recipe, but of course, the yellow works just as well.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

A light texture and a sweet honey flavor make these bran muffins irresistible.

A dessert worthy of the finest steak houses in Chicago, Denver or New York. White chocolate and milk chocolate filling and a bittersweet chocolate frosting give a sophisticated spin to an American favorite.

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

This bread is adapted from Jean Lemlin's recipe, from our March 1994 issue.

This cake is a southern tradition for festive occasions. It can be completely assembled and chilled one day before serving.

Many southerners object to the practice of adding sugar to corn bread, but associate food editor Alexis Touchet, who grew up in Louisiana, is all for it. Sugar, in fact, is listed as an optional ingredient in the recipe for "pain de maïs nonpareil" in The Picayune's Creole Cook Book, first published in 1901. It's important here that your cast-iron skillet is well seasoned and thoroughly preheated—you want the batter to sizzle when you pour it in.

Jennifer Martin of Portland, Oregon, writes: "I am not formally trained in cooking but grew up working in food service, from chopping vegetables at food festivals to catering parties for a little extra income. Today I own Epicure Custom Cooking, a gourmet takeout shop and catering company with a few tables for dining. Our specials change weekly and are geared toward what I like to cook and eat. I simply love the business, even with my 12-hour days." Use bananas with some black spots on the skin, a sign that they are really ripe.

Large Scone Prince Edward Island traditionalists still enjoy four meals a day — breakfast, dinner (at noon), supper, and "lunch," commencing at 10 p.m. Typical fare includes bannock or biscuits, homemade jam, cheese, and strong tea.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Mocha Custards with Buttermilk Doughnuts .

These dramatic cakelike cookies are a New York City favorite — and we think they deserve a wider audience.

"The Harmony House Inn in New Bern, North Carolina, is a beautiful old place with a comfortable, homey atmosphere," says Mary Ann Callahan, Binghamton, NY. "The Kirkpatricks, who run the inn, serve consistently delicious breakfasts. I've tried several of the breads and rolls, and they're all great. But the best thing going is the Heath Bar coffee cake." This cake has a sweet, crunchy topping, and it's easy to prepare. Serve as a breakfast treat or snack.

"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.