Quick

This is the “house” burger at Bobby’s Burger Palace. It’s a basic burger (I like it garnished with red onion, tomato, romaine lettuce, and horseradish mustard) with CRUNCH. The crunch factor comes from a big handful of potato chips layered between the burger and the bun. Some of you may have added chips to your sandwiches as kids, and if people ever told you that you were nuts, I’m here to say that you’re not! Oozing melted cheese becomes a part of the chips and those crunchy chips become a part of the burger—delicious. I love getting a mouthful of juicy burger and salty, crispy potato chips in one bite; it’s a way to get a true contrast of textures into your cheeseburger. In fact, I make it an option to have all of the burgers at Bobby’s Burger Palace “crunchified.”

Jamie’s favorite meal in the world is his wife Brooke’s meat loaf. Making meat loaf in muffin pans means everyone gets his or her own, which kids always love. Of course, if you’re a fan of meat loaf like Jamie is, it means you have to admit to eating two—or more—at a time. We glaze the tops with a mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard for extra flavor, but for kids, you can also serve ketchup alongside or as “frosting” on top after it comes out of the oven.

A few years ago I created a menu of regional American dishes (both traditional and invented) for a special Fourth of July wine dinner. I wanted something particularly clever to represent Manhattan. I kept thinking of sophisticated New Yorkers drinking martinis and decided to try my hand at making a sauce with similar ingredients. I like the double dose of juniper with the deep, rich taste of wild salmon, and the olives add a distinctive briny note.

We love the sweet-sour taste of classic veal scaloppini, but we have started using turkey cutlets in our peppery version. Turkey has such a rich taste, plus it’s leaner and less expensive than veal. This recipe is simple enough for everyday dinners, but it tastes special enough that you can eat it by candlelight, especially when it’s served with our almond rice pilaf.

Prepared mustard is about as underappreciated as a staple could be. After all, it’s fat-free, low in calories, and high in flavor. Despite these assets, its main role in most households is as a condiment for meat and, perhaps, as an occasional ingredient in vinaigrette. In this chicken dish, however—essentially broiled chicken smeared with a spicy mustard paste—it plays a leading role. You can make this dish with chicken breasts if you prefer, but I recommend starting with bone-in breasts and following the same procedure. If you want to use skinless, boneless breasts (forget about crispness), smear the meat all over with the mustard mixture, then broil for just about six minutes, turning two or three times to prevent burning.

This dish is a true Southern delight, our riff on Louisiana-style spicy shrimp combined with cheesy grits just the way we make ’em at The Lady & Sons. It’s amazing how easy this is to whip up. Make it for your family, and they’ll swear you spent all day tied to the stove.

Guess whose is whose. Yogurt and sorbet with fresh fruit is a luscious and healthful way to get your sundae fix. Or you can go whole hog and pile on the ice cream, peanut butter, fudge, and cookies! As kids growing up, we always got single scoops at the Dairy Queen; we couldn’t ask for the banana split—it was the most expensive thing on the menu. It’s safe to say we’ve made up for lost time on that one, though!

If you’ve been to Savannah, or if you live here (hey, neighbor!), then you know that we’re one shrimp-crazy city. We like shrimp so well we are happy just boiling them up and eating them out of their shells. But every once in a while, we do something a little more substantial for dinner, like this Cajun-flavored dish, which goes great with our colorful Broccoli and Red Pepper Salad (page 109).

Ratatouille is a vegetable stew from the south of France, traditionally made by slow cooking. By roasting the vegetables in a hot convection oven, the juices, flavors, and colors are quickly sealed in and the vegetables are succulent and remain distinguishable.

Be sure to make the dough in a stand mixer (not a processor), which will prevent you from overworking it.

A complete, one-pot meal.

To prepare the brussels sprouts before cutting them, be sure to pull off the tough outer leaves. Thin slicing and simple seasonings will convert those who aren't fans of brussels sprouts. Petrale sole, a Pacific Coast fish, is prized for its delicate flavor and thick fillets.

Peppercorn mélange is a mix of whole black, white, pink, and green peppercorns; it's often sold in a grinder in the spice section of the supermarket. The peppery blend and sweet glaze in this recipe make the most of an inexpensive cut of meat.

Skip the wine—this salad is perfect with a Belgian ale. Saint Andréis a soft, ripened cheese much like Brie or Camembert. Either cheese would make a good substitute.

White wine vinegar and dried cranberries give this relish its tang.

The bright flavors are a nice counterpoint to rich foods.

The garnet yam, named for its dark reddish-brown skin, is the variety you're most likely to find in the produce section of the supermarket. It's actually a sweet potato, and it's so flavorful that it requires only a little cream and butter, and some tart lime juice.

Your whole meal—both meat and side—is cooked in just one pan. Us e the food processor grating disk to make quick work of shredding the beets.

Cinnamon, cayenne, and mint give this healthful main course some exotic North African flavor.

Thanks to paprika, this meatless main has a spicy, smoky flavor. Domestic smoked paprika can be found at some supermarkets. For a spicier kick, use hot smoked Spanish paprika (Pimentón Picante or Pimentón de La Vera Picante), which is sold at specialty foods stores and at tienda.com.