Buttermilk

Crema Espesa It isn't uncommon to see three of four buckets of cream in Central, West-Central and Tabascan markets: from thin, sweet and fresh to well ripened, thick and tangy. It's all heavy cream — not the light, low-butterfat "cream" that is cultured for sour cream here — so it has a richer, glossier texture. And you can bet it's not pasteurized, because the process would have killed the natural bacteria that perserves and thickens the riper cream. To me, this thick, ripe cream (similar to French crème fraîche) is one of the great pleasures of Mexican cooking. Mixing a little milk or cream into our commercial sour cream is a passable substitute here, but nothing like the smoother, less acidic taste of this recipe

This corn bread is less moist than others, but it's perfectly delicious for eating, especially when spread with butter. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 hr (includes cooling)

Adding Beaumes-de-Venise — a delicate, fruity dessert wine — keeps this cake moist and adds a whole new dimension to its flavor. Combining blackberries with blackberry preserves for the topping brings out the best in the berries, whether they’re tart or sweet. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min

Make this bread, which is used in the Southwest Corn Bread Stuffing with Corn and Green Chilies and Southern Corn Bread Stuffing with Smoked Ham and Yams recipes, at least one day and up to two days ahead of time.

This is my favorite mashed potato recipe. These mashed potatoes taste as if they contain a great deal more fat than they do. I use buttermilk to mash the potatoes because it has a natural creaminess yet is far lower in fat than milk or cream, and I add a small amount of butter at the end, only after the potatoes have absorbed the liquid. The butter stays on the surface of the potatoes, its flavor readily discernible, imparting a truly rich finish. Be sure to use fine-textured, thin-skinned potatoes like Yellow Finns or Yukon Golds, which become extremely creamy when mashed. If made with baking potatoes, the result will be grainy and watery.

A favorite recipe of Duncan Hines from Still Cookin' After All These Years.

Great served warm or at room temperature, this moist, delicious steamed bread can be made in a single loaf pan or in two empty, clean 28-ounce food cans. Offer softened butter or cream cheese alongside.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

You'll need six baby loaf pans for this recipe. Look for disposable ones at the market.

What to drink: Fess Parker 2000 Late Harvest Muscat Canelli, Santa Barbara County, or another sweet dessert wine with orange and honey flavors.

Lavender flowers are decidedly old-fashioned, as is this not-too-rich tea loaf. You can usually find the flowers in a health food store that sells herbs and spices in bulk. Wrap the cakes in cellophane, tie them with purple ribbon, and attach a yellow lemon-shaped tag to the package. Grinding the almonds in a food processor with a little of the sugar will keep them from turning into nut butter. Used blanched whole almonds or whole almonds with their natural brown skins, depending on the effect you want. Ground unblanched almonds give the cake a homey look, while blanched almonds are less noticeable, emphasizing the flecks of lavender.

This recipe comes from the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Fresh mint makes this starter all the more cooling. Use Haas avocados for the creamiest texture. What to drink: Throughout the meal, go with the classics — beer and Margaritas.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 25 min