American

A hearty, old-fashioned-style pie. Delicious with vanilla ice cream. A winner in the Bon Appétit Recipes Sweepstakes, a reader poll conducted in honor of our 50th anniversary.

Kansas city steaks (also known as New York strip steaks) are sirloin steaks that have the bone attached. If you can't find this cut, ask your butcher to cut the filet side off porterhouse or T-bone steaks, leaving the strip side with the bone for you. What to drink: A Merlot-based red with intense fruit and velvety tannins. Try a Bordeaux or a California blend.

Baker's sugar, a favorite of pastry chefs, is also called superfine sugar. It measures the same as regular but dissolves more quickly. It's available at some supermarkets. You can also make your own by whizzing granulated sugar in a food processor until powdery.

Crème fraîche is a cultured cream with a rich, silky texture and a nutty, tangy flavor that's well worth seeking out for this recipe. Look for it at some supermarkets and in the dairy section of specialty foods stores. Baker's sugar, a favorite of pastry chefs, is also called superfine sugar. It measures the same as regular but dissolves more quickly. It's available at some supermarkets. You can also make your own by whizzing granulated sugar in a food processor until powdery.

Without the ice cream and served warm, these make a great brunch dish.

The ultimate dish for a cold winter day, this hearty pie couldn't be more satisfying. Picard uses venison along with pork to create an amazingly tender and sauce-rich filling.

Maple syrup brings out the subtle sweetness of the bacon. If you like, you can substitute molasses (not blackstrap).

In this recipe, associate food editor Alexis Touchet uses pork to create a new sensation based on her mother's recipe for traditional chicken fried steak.

When chef Sam Choy doesn't have the time to build an imu, he makes this oven-cooked kalua pig. The dish is often served with sweet potatoes and poi (mashed taro root). It's also great on a sandwich with coleslaw and barbecue sauce.

Coconut milk enhances the taste of the white chocolate; kumquats add tang.

Be sure to use regular peanut butter — not old-fashioned or freshly ground — for the best consistency in the cookie batter and the filling.

In July of 1864, the Confederate cavalry rode into Owings Mills, Maryland, where an ice cream factory's employees were loading a shipment bound for Baltimore. With rations low, the soldiers seized the ice cream and ate it straight out of the ten-gallon freezers for breakfast. Many of the mountaineers had never seen ice cream before. Some put it into their hats and ate it while riding, while others thought it too cold, so they put it in their canteens to melt.

The recipe and introductory text below are from Amy Sedaris's I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.