Buttermilk

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.

"While in San Diego recently, we stumbled upon Cafe 222, a great place for breakfast that serves the most incredible pumpkin waffles," writes Debbie Weber of Loveland, Colorado. "We would love your help in getting this recipe." We found that these waffles work best when made in a Belgian waffle iron.

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.

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

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Low-fat buttermilk and nonfat yogurt provide the base in a refreshing, tangy soup.

The Masa Harina adds a pleasant flavor to the light and fluffy pancakes.

Aunt Jemima’s Pancake Flour, first marketed in 1899, was America’s original ready-mix food. Until the mix became nationally available in 1910, Americans thought of pancakes only as a hearty wintertime breakfast. But with the convenience offered by a mix, flapjacks were established as a quick anytime meal. Here, we’ve taken a few modern liberties with the favorite breakfast standby, with great results.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The fennel seeds add a nice dimension to these tender scones.

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