Mardi Gras

Creamy Southern stone-ground grits with Cheddar cheese, plump sautéed shrimp, crisp bacon, garlic, and scallions.

Sweet tea. Whiskey. Lemon juice. That’s all it takes to make a sassy summertime cocktail you’ll want to sip all afternoon long.

Piles of tender shrimp, smothered in a lush, buttery, spiced sauce that’s perfect for sopping up with bread. Pass the napkins!

If you’ve ever sought an excuse to start making your own margaritas, this is it. Salted, warming, and lip-puckering limey. Fresh!

An honest-to-goodness hot weather refresher. A riff on frozen yogurt that combines the tang of lime with an unexpected burst of flavor from crushed black peppercorns. Inspired.

For those in the know, Rodney Scott is a barbecue sensation. For those of you who don’t know, allow us to introduce you to his sublime smoked chicken—and tell you how to make it at home.

Not all pimento cheese recipes are created equal. This one, with a touch of barbecue, definitely has an unfair advantage.

Boozy bananas are lavished with a cheater’s caramel sauce made with butter, brandy, and brown sugar in this outrageously simple riff on a Southern classic. No flames required.

An Indian-inspired tandoori masala crawfish (or shrimp) that’s still the butter-drenched feast you expect but with a warming spice blend. Napkins, please!

Bathed in buttermilk and spiced ever so slightly, this Cajun fried hen is memorably moist, superlatively crisp, and gosh darn perfect through and through.