All recipes

Moist old-fashioned zucchini bread with cinnamon and walnuts, made with oil and unsqueezed grated zucchini. The recipe makes two loaves, one to eat and one to freeze. Cups and grams.

The classic Southern poppy seed chicken casserole: pulled chicken in a creamy sauce, a snow of poppy seeds and a thick crust of hand-crushed butter crackers. Fifteen minutes to assemble, 30 minutes at 350°F.

Arkansas possum pie with a pecan shortbread crust, a sweet cream cheese layer, a thick chocolate pudding layer and whipped cream spread to the edges so the chocolate stays hidden. Cups and grams, and only the crust is baked.

The classic no-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies: one saucepan, a 60-second boil, and they are set on wax paper in 20 minutes. With the boiling rule that decides whether they set or crumble, and the fix for humid days.

A classic Southern red velvet layer cake finished with the original cooked flour frosting, also called ermine: white, light as whipped cream and not too sweet. Cups and grams, step by step.

The American family shepherd's pie: ground beef with onion, carrots and peas in a thick brown gravy, under stiff mashed potatoes dragged with a fork so the ridges bake brown and crisp, with a handful of cheddar. Cups and grams.

Old-fashioned apple butter made overnight in the slow cooker: six pounds of apples, brown sugar and spice, ten hours on low, blended smooth and finished with the lid off until it is dark and thick enough to hold its shape. With the crooked-lid trick.

A tall, tender old-fashioned sour cream pound cake baked low and slow in a tube pan, with the crack on top that means it was done right. Cups and grams, and the creaming rule that makes it.

An old-fashioned Southern caramel cake: three 9-inch yellow layers and a real cooked caramel icing, taken to 238°F and beaten by hand until it starts to lose its shine. Cups and grams, and the two-minute rule for icing it.

The yellow potluck potato salad: potatoes boiled in their skins, dressed while still warm with mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish and chopped eggs, then chilled overnight. Cups and grams, and the one rule that makes it.

Real Southern skillet cornbread: all cornmeal, buttermilk, and a cast iron skillet heated until the batter hisses when it goes in. Crisp brown crust, tender crumb, no sugar, with the sweet version given as a variation.

The classic strawberry pretzel salad: a salty buttered pretzel crust, a sweet cream cheese and whipped topping layer, and strawberry gelatin with sliced strawberries set on top. With the sealing trick that stops the gelatin leaking and the timing that keeps the pretzels crunchy.