Buttermilk

Chili powder and chopped jalapeño add a touch of heat to this smooth appetizer. Try sprinkling it with chopped red onion for some crunch and color.

Bisquick got its start in the early thirties when Carl Smith, a salesman for General Mills, took a late-night train ride. He went to the dining car in hopes of finding something to eat, and was pleasantly surprised to be served freshly made biscuits. When he asked about them, the chef confessed that he kept a pre-mixed batch of ingredients for the dough in the freezer for late orders. Smith reported back to General Mills, suggesting that they market such a mix, and they did. But it’s not just for biscuits; Bisquick can be used to make pancakes and waffles, and this luscious coffee cake, too.

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.

"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.

Use this dressing on crisp lettuce or omit the buttermilk and serve it as a dip with crudités.

If preparing this corn bread for the New England Sausage Stuffing , make it one day ahead.

Make this showstopping dessert even more stunning by garnishing it with fresh raspberries and mint sprigs.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Rhubarb Crisp with Buttermilk Ice Cream.

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.

The unusual combination of mushrooms and dried apricots makes for a delicious and earthy soda bread.

Almond paste in the shortcake biscuits and fresh berries glazed with red currant preserves give this dessert a Swedish accent.

For more information about melting chocolate, see Meltdown.

"One Saturday morning I came up with this bread recipe, and now my family asks for it all the time," writes Priscilla Unger of Alberta, Canada. "My husband insists on having his first slice while the loaf is still warm from the oven, but I prefer mine toasted and topped with marmalade." The slightly sweet bread is great with butter and preserves.