American

Don't be intimidated by the amount of hot pepper sauce in the marinade; the chicken will pick up only some of the heat.

"On a tour of the South, I had dinner at The Boathouse, an outstanding restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina," says Marion Hunt of Valhalla, New York. "Their spicy shrimp and sausage with grits was my favorite meal of the entire trip." The creamy grits and spicy sauce create a nice contrast. Adjust the amount of hot pepper sauce to make the dish as hot as you like.

There's a southern accent to this entrée, so round out the menu with corn muffins, coleslaw and three-bean salad; then bring on the coconut layer cake.

The success of this dish depends entirely on the quality of your ingredients. Now's the time to use your best olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and a generous amount of a flavorful sea salt.

"By adding a little espresso powder to a recipe for caramel sauce, I created an ice cream topping that has made this sundae the signature dessert in my house I had always refused to share the recipe with friends who requested it, but I finally decided that it's too good to keep secret," says Gordon Finley of Durham, North Carolina. These are terrific made with coffee or vanilla ice cream — or both.

Most of the assembly for this layered bread-and-egg dish can be done one day ahead. Serve it hot or warm.

This southern-style omelet would go nicely with sautéed plum tomatoes and warm corn bread. Dessert can be butter pecan ice cream drizzled with bourbon.

For convenience, you can use the mini candy bars available in one-pound bags.

There is hardly a wedding or garden party in the Lowcountry without these yeast biscuits. They are small, only about an inch in diameter, and they are split to hold slivers of salty country ham tempered with dollops of chutney or mustard. One ham provides enough meat for 200 to 250 biscuits. These doubly lightened breads — really yeast rolls — are also called "angel biscuits" and "bride's biscuits." Bill Neal has suggested that the "bride" is the inexperienced cook who needs the insurance policy of the double leavening.

Rich brownies are baked with a chocolate syrup that sinks to the bottom and thickens into a fudgy sauce, creating a luscious layering of textures.

An easy herbed cream sauce accents sautéed chicken breasts.