About Virginia Willis

One way to down your sweet potatoes? Drown them in butter, sugar, bourbon, and maple syrup. It’s The Southern Way. And we can’t say we have a problem with this.

Flecked with vanilla seeds, this classic cake is ridiculously rich and oh so satisfying with its tender crumb and its knee-wobbingly crisp outer edges. Pound cake perfection.

We’re all familiar with the glory of ribs slowly smoked in the backyard. But sometimes Mother Nature doesn’t agree with our barbecue plans. Thankfully there’s this recipe.

Properly airy and messily delicious, these peach souffles are an elegant (yet easy) ending to any summer supper. Or heck, perhaps just have these for supper.

Shirttail cousins to corn bread, these savory cakes wooed and wowed us with their crisped edges, ethereally airy interior, and pantry-friendly frugality.

More nuanced than gingerbread and not at all like fruit cake, this French pain d’épices is unforgettably fragrant with spice and nostalgically rich with tradition.

All the comfort of classic mac and cheese plus a little kick. Actually, a lot of kick. Although we’ve heard not complaints.

A modern riff on a Cantonese classic. This leaner version relies on pork tenderloin rather than more indulgent cuts but tastes every bit as authentic as the real deal and is redolent of five spice powder, garlic, and ginger.

These quick, easy, gritty-in-a-good-way little corn cakes come from a doyenne of Southern cooking. Put simply, they don’t disappoint.