Celery

Mama’s chicken and dumplings are sooo good. She simmers her chicken for ages until she has the richest stock—that’s how we do it at The Lady & Sons. All that effort certainly pays off, but we just never have time to cook like that. That’s where the slow cooker comes in. Along with easy-to-make drop dumplings (Mama would roll hers out), you’ll get that hearty chicken flavor and the light, fluffy, comforting dumplings without having to stay by the stove all day.

I may be from a small town in south Georgia, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy some fancy food, too. And just as I don’t expect people to turn their noses up at cheap pork shoulders that are delicious smoked, I don’t turn mine up at lobster tails. They’re expensive, but, man, are they good—especially if you cook the tails in the smoker. Try it.

It’s hard to beat a good chicken salad, and it is open to variations, so you need not get tired of it. I prefer a chicken salad that isn’t smothered in so much mayonnaise that you can’t taste much else, so I tend to go easy on the mayo and temper it with a little yogurt. But play with the dressing to suit your own taste.

Don’t throw away your chicken carcass or the package of giblets. Here’s a way of making a simple chicken stock (or broth—I use the terms interchangeably) that you’ll be using in all kinds of soups. This will produce only about 4 cups, so you may want to freeze the chicken elements until you have enough to make at least twice that amount.

This is a very flexible stir-fry, so have fun with what you want to mix and match. The important thing is to get everything prepped ahead of time and lined up on a tray near the stove. Have your sauce ingredients mixed in a little bowl, and be sure to have your cooked rice ready.

From cooking a corned beef hash lunch with Julia Child, I learned a few tips about what makes a really delicious hash, whether it be made with cooked lamb, beef, poultry, or, in this case, pork. I discovered the importance of adding some stock and cooking the hash slowly at first, to form a glaze, and of always cutting the meat in small pieces, never grinding. You use approximately the same amount of meat as potatoes, and it’s essential to include some aromatic vegetables to give off their sweetness and help form the glaze that makes the crust. I am using a cooked beet here, because New Englanders always include it with pork—hence the name “red flannel”—but use other handy vegetables, such as mushrooms, red peppers, carrot, or fennel, that are good foils for whatever meat you have left over. I cook it all in my sturdy 8-inch cast-iron pan, which I think is better than nonstick for a hash.

Crystal’s Aunt Mary Ann prefers to accompany her stuffed peppers with a rich tomato sauce.

Ah, the Corn Dog Casserole! Just the smell alone will get the kids to the table in time for dinner. Maybe even your neighbor’s kids. Okay, forget the kids. Who are we kidding? If you’ve ever dropped by your local carnival or street fair just to get yourself a corn dog, this is the dish for you! It’s fun to act like a kid sometimes, anyway.

Chicken soup is so comforting on so many levels, and it’s a cinch to whip up a pot of your own rather than opening a can (which is not that healthy, by the way). And here’s a tip: If you’re going to make a little, you might as well make a lot and toss the leftovers in the freezer.

A dear friend from London gave me this recipe and a bit of good English advice: The key to great shepherd’s pie is the ketchup. So taste the turkey mixture before adding it to the baking dish and add another spoonful or two of ketchup if desired. The chili powder gives good flavor but no heat, so don’t let it scare you.

My mother became a special education teacher because my sister Elizabeth was born with a mental disability. Mom was always on the lookout for easy recipes that would allow her to be in the kitchen with all of us. When I told Elizabeth that I was working on a cookbook, she asked if I would include some of her recipes. Of course I said yes right away! Liza is a remarkable person and I love cooking with her. This is a quick and easy snack for kids—although I always catch a few adults sneaking a log or two!

Coleslaw is a staple side dish in every barbecue restaurant in the South, and the flavors vary from region to region. You’ll find hot slaw, mustard slaw, creamy slaw, vinegar slaw, red slaw, white slaw, and even blue cheese slaw. Which is better usually depends on the flavors you grew up with or what entrée you are serving it with, and although the debates aren’t as heated as those focusing on politics or who has the best ’Q, the discussions are quite passionate. This marinated coleslaw recipe is one of the stable of slaws fixed in the test kitchen at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q. Although it has never been on the menu, it is a favorite of Big Bob’s grandson Don McLemore, and it’s a natural pairing with chicken. The sweet vinaigrette dressing makes this dish adaptable to every barbecue region.

Here’s a potato salad with a spicy twist. It’s perfect for a picnic on a hot day or for supper on a chilly evening.