American

Some folks hear “barbecue chicken” and think of seriously sauced-up pieces that are slick and slippery and sweet. I like that kind of chicken just fine and have my own recipe for it, which I call “Wishbone Chicken” (page 36). However, in the traditional barbecue world, “barbecue chicken” is dry-rubbed, without sauce. This is my personal favorite way to prepare barbecue chicken. If you like, you can serve it with some sauce on the side. Sometimes, if we’re not doing a Lowcountry Boil, I make this at our cooking school’s Friday night dinner. It’s simple to make and a great way to test out a new smoker and get your feet wet. I like to use eight-piece cut-up chickens instead of halves or quarters; this way you get more pieces with options for white and dark meat, and it’s better for those who want only one piece. Notice this recipe calls for just chicken and rub—that’s it.

SHERYL: The first time Wyatt had one of Chuck's zucchini muffins it was as if he'd died and gone to muffin heaven. I was thrilled, of course, because I knew he was actually eating zucchini without the fuss factor. Now, the first thing out of his mouth every morning is, "I want a keenie muffin!" Being the creature of habit that he is, I believe he would start every day with one of Chuck's muffins, and the nice thing about it is that Mommy can make them, too!

This triple threat dessert offers three distinct textures and flavors: A nutty, crumbly crust is filled with a dark chocolate pudding enriched with bittersweet chocolate, cocoa, and chocolate stout, then topped with a billowy bourbon whipped cream. For more seasonal recipes, download the free Gourmet Live app and stay tuned to the Gourmet Live blog for the latest updates.

At San Francisco's Contigo, chef Brett Emerson created this muddled soda to showcase the small, sweet strawberries he finds at the farmers’ market.

Chase Utley is not a dessert guy, unless it is mud pie. Once you try this incredible dessert recipe, you, too, will find your dinner guests unable to turn away a serving of bliss.

There aren't many dishes more satisfying than a sizzling steak with a full complement of savory side dishes. Alex Rodriguez likes his sides tasty and free of unnecessary fat and calories. This slow-cooked confit (a French culinary term referring to an ingredient slowly cooked in its own juices) fits the bill, and leftovers can be refrigerated for the next day. Add some steamed spinach and oven-roasted sweet potatoes as a well-balanced complement to the steaks, and you've got a dinner that knocks it out of the park.

This is Josh Hamilton's favorite sandwich to eat with his family, especially when he comes home after a game. Katie must like making it, too, because it is a classic slow-cooker recipe that needs very little attention. The payoff is meltingly tender pork in a sweet sauce. To round out the meal Southern-style, serve the sandwiches with coleslaw, baked beans, or fries.

I love a good corn muffin, and nobody makes one better than Loic Feillet of Panorama Baking in Alexandria, Virginia. The muffin is so good, in fact—moist and studded with chewy little bits of corn—that as soon as I tasted it, I knew I’d incorporate it into an egg dish. The muffin reminded me of an artisanal English muffin, and I just happened to be working on a Mexican variation of eggs Benedict. How perfect! The corn muffin would replace the traditional corn tortilla in huevos rancheros, and I’d poach instead of fry the eggs. Immediately, I had a dish worthy of the muffin, but best of all, even a lesser muffin tastes great when capped off with these ingredients.

The barbecued chicken pizza Wolfgang Puck first served at Spago in Hollywood inspired this quesadilla, which we serve as a special at the Market. The combination seems kind of strange to people at first, but once they try it, they love it.

These tasty steaks are served on a bed of spinach, which earns them their name. Both round and butt steaks are full of flavor, and they are so well appreciated all across America that we think of them as "American cuts." They are chewier than sirloin or tenderloin but full of great beef flavor. If you can find prime beef, buy it, but choice will do just fine here.

This recipe appears at just about every occasion in Cajun Country. Whether it's a holiday, funeral, family reunion, or potluck dinner, you can bet there will be at least one form of dirty rice or rice dressing. At the Link family reunion in Robert's Cove, I counted six versions, all different. The essential ingredients are few, but flavor and texture vary greatly. The main difference between dirty rice and rice dressing is that rice dressing is generally made with ground beef or pork, whereas dirty rice is made with pork and chicken livers. Many people think they don't like liver, but when it's balanced with other flavors, the liver taste is not overpowering. I've served this deeply flavored rice to many people who claim they hate liver, only to have them love it.

These potato chips will intrigue your guests. As the chips bake, the anchovy melts into the potato for an intense one-bite amuse. While no one would want to eat a bowl of these chips, a single one packs a flavor punch. I was inspired to make these by David Bouley, the brilliant chef-owner of Bouley Bakery and Danube in New York, who was a guest chef at Tru soon after it opened in 1999. He wove an anchovy between potato slices and fried them. I was hooked and had to develop my own method, which is to thread a white anchovy through slits in a potato slice and then bake the chips in a hot oven until lightly browned. If you can't find white anchovies, use the familiar dark anchovies instead.

The yellow pepper mole may have lots of ingredients, but the result is a delightfully complex sauce. Golden raisins and white chocolate preserve the golden color of the roasted peppers, and while those may sound sweet, onion, garlic, and tomatillos keep the sauce savory, fresh, and never cloying. At the restaurant we give this a hint of smoked red pepper sauce and cilantro oil and garnish it with cilantro.

A nice thick bone in steak is our favorite kind of splurge. Uncle Bubba loves to gnaw on a steak bone, so we came up with this simple recipe for steak rubbed with brown sugar and spices especially for him. Rib eye is Bubba's favorite cut, but you use this rub on your favorite cut, too. It's also great on grilled chicken.

Room temperature ingredients make all the difference in this cake. You can get more loft from non-chilled egg whites, and room-temperature butter is easier to cream (beat together) with sugar than the straight- from-the-fridge stuff. The fluffy egg whites and properly creamed butter and sugar mean tender, light cake. And room-temp butter and cream cheese will translate to creamy, smooth frosting instead of a sticky mess filled with lumps.