Alexander Smalls

A vanilla wafer crumb crust gives signature banana pudding flavor to this meringue topped holiday pie.

This Caesar salad works in flavors from the African American kitchens in the Lowcountry. That means fresh tomatoes, fried okra, cornbread croutons, and a zesty red bell pepper dressing that ties it all together.

Mark our words: This is the easiest pie you’ll make all summer. The graham cracker crust gets filled with a simple mixture of sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice, and it gets topped with a golden-brown crown of meringue.

This dish is the embodiment of a chowder-style Southern fish stew, packed with shrimp, scallops, potatoes, corn, and more.

The secret to this version of potato salad is sweet pickle relish—not diced cucumbers, dill pickles, or cornichons.

Nothing says “Southern” like the smell of okra frying in a cast-iron skillet atop an angry flame.