Flour

Frozen açai puree is available in the freezer section of most supermarkets.

It's not only nostalgia that makes me love arepas; it's also their versatility! These corncakes are hugely popular in many forms in my native Colombia and neighboring Venezuela (among other places) and have now actually caught on in many parts of the United States. What makes them especially wonderful is that they offer cooks fabulous flexibility as far as preparation. So here I'm giving you my basic recipe—and a serving suggestion—but please know you can add whatever you'd like (grilled corn, diced peppers, different cheeses, just to name a few possibilities). Here I'm suggesting that you smear a bit of farmer's cheese—or Mexican queso blanco—on top. Great as an appetizer, these arepas are perfect with any cocktail!

At a dinner at an Italian vinoteca, on the dessert menu was something I'd never seen before: ricotta-stuffed eggplant with candied orange and chocolate sauce. My curiosity piqued, I placed an order with the waiter, only to have him come back with "You won't like it. Order something else." Not one to be easily swayed from ordering an intriguing dessert, I ordered it in spite of his admonition, and you know what? I liked it—quite a bit, in fact. With that experience in mind, when I saw a fresh fennel cake on a dessert menu at a fancy three-star Michelin restaurant, I didn't hesitate to order it. I had high hopes and was ready for anything. But so was the waiter, who informed me as he set it down that if I didn't like it, he'd replace it with something else. He saw my expression after I took my first bite, and he briskly returned to the table to make good on his offer. Still, I do believe in giving a chance to things that are out of the ordinary, otherwise, how would we discover new flavors and tastes? I haven't gotten around to trying to come up with my own version of an eggplant dessert (and I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to come up with a fresh fennel one, either), but I've made these tomato jam-filled cookies many times and not once have I had to rush over to offer guests anything in their place.

This all-purpose sponge cake has a wonderfully rich flavor and golden color, thanks to the almond flour. For a variation, instead of white-chocolate whipped cream and coconut flakes, try lightly sweetened whipped cream, sliced strawberries, and chocolate shavings. Or you can fill the cake with a half recipe of lemon curd (in which case you'll only need two-thirds of the frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake). Plan to make the cake at least several hours or up to a day ahead so the frosting firms up and the flavors meld. The frosting needs to chill for several hours, so make that first and bake the cake while frosting is in the refrigerator. When making the frosting, be sure the heavy cream is cold and chill the bowl and whisk attachment for at least 15 minutes. Whipped cream is fragile, and the heat created by whipping the cream can weaken its structure. Well-chilled ingredients and equipment will counteract the heat, making for stable whipped cream. See our related story for more information and sources for gluten-free ingredients.

As tamales spread across Texas and the rest of the South, they underwent some changes. Easy-to-find cornmeal replaced the Mexican lime-slaked masa and paper squares were often used to roll up the tamales instead of the traditional corn shucks. Anglo tamale-eaters preferred beef to the traditional pork, so beef tamales became common.

Sour-milk cornbread is one of those quintessential foods of the South for which there are hundreds of recipes (and infinite variations). Although we'd never claim to have the "definitive version," Miss Lewis and I worked together on this recipe until we got just what we wanted: an all-cornmeal bread that's light, moist, and rich, full of corn flavor, with the tanginess of sour milk or buttermilk. Like all Southern cornbreads, it has no sugar—that's a Yankee thing. Traditionally, milk that had started to culture was used in cornbread and other baked goods, both for its pleasant sharp taste and for a leavening boost (its acids react with baking soda to generate carbon dioxide). Since modern pasteurized milk doesn't sour nicely—it just goes bad—we use commercial buttermilk here instead. This is a genuine all-purpose cornbread, delicious as a savory bread or even as a dessert, slathered with butter and honey. My mother and grandmother only made this kind of leavened cornbread (which they called "egg bread") for cornbread stuffing, and it does make superb stuffing. It's also delicious in a time-honored Southern snack: cornbread crumbled into a bowl with cold milk or buttermilk poured over. Many Southerners—especially of an older generation—would call that a perfect light supper on a hot summer day, after a big midday meal.

Cornmeal lends these crackers a golden glow and a nice crunch; lots of crushed green peppercorns (left over from Chicken Spice Rub ) provide an intriguing spiciness. Serve them with cheese or all on their own with cocktails.

The Original: Filling made from ground beef simmered in a spicy tomato sauce. Our Version: Tender pieces of pork simmered with roasted green chiles and salsa verde.

At Ballinalacken Castle Country House & Restaurant, the bread is baked in a rectangular pan.

Porcini mushrooms reinvent a traditional Eastern European pilaf and add oomph. Try it as a meatless main course.

We love the idea of sharing the top tier of a wedding cake, but eating a dessert that's been frozen for a year can be less than satisfying. This adorable five-inch layer cake was inspired by the romantic tradition—and can be enjoyed right now.

These are great for sandwiches. Just split them in half, slather with some Dijon, pile on thinly sliced ham, and add a lettuce leaf.

A flavorful dish from the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Massachusetts.

These individual desserts feature layers of tender spiced chiffon muffins; a mix of caramelized apples, pears, and cranberries; and a rich custard laced with apple brandy. To show off the pretty layers, assemble the trifles in clear bowls or dessert glasses. Enjoy the extra muffin for breakfast the next day.

Up until I was about 12 years old, my parents took my sister, Tracy, and me to Easter service at St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. The only way they could keep us in check during mass was by bribing us to be good and quiet with promises of post-church beignets at Café de Monde across the street. We'd get so excited about the prospect of massive quantities of sugar that we probably would have done pretty much anything to ensure we got beignets before going home. Mom was a bit of a stickler when it came to sweets; I mean, at our house, Raisin Bran® was considered toeing the line of junk food! So you can only imagine how amped up we were at the mere prospect of real, honest-to-goodness fried dough piled sky-high with a mountain of powdered sugar. Like good southern kids we were dressed to the nines—me in my blue blazer, khakis, and white oxfords, Tracy in her Easter dress—and Mom, like all the proper matriarchs, with an Easter hat perched on her head that has a wingspan of at least 18 inches. No sooner had the crispy-fried beignets arrived than our holiday best was coated in a dusting of white powder, as it was our tradition to see who could blow the snowy confectioners' sugar off of the mountain of beignets and onto the other the quickest. After we'd made a complete mess of ourselves, we'd get down to business and devour our crispy-fried beignets, still hot from the fryer and so amazingly tender.

I love the buttery taste and crumbly texture of this dough.

Too often crackers get short shrift as merely vehicles for a slice or smear of cheese. Not here. By incorporating cheese into the dough, along with the tiny crunch of poppy seeds, these crackers become crisp snacks that keep your fingers reaching for another and then another and, well, you know how it goes. In no time, they're history.

Gina: Who would think that a hard green tomato would yield such tender, irresistible results? Coated with cornmeal and bread crumbs, fried to crispy perfection, and served warm with an awesome basil mayo, fried green tomatoes are delicious atop field greens or butter lettuce, or on toasted sandwiches with a few fried strips of bacon.

The bread basket just became a little more exciting. These savory muffins are made with white cornmeal—favored over yellow by many southern cooks—and strewn with corn kernels and shreds of cheese. Albin considered putting jalapeño into the muffins but prefers the fresher, more vibrant color and flavor it offers in the butter.