Wassail Recipe
A steaming bowl of wassail feels like Christmas wrapped in spice and old-world tradition. This warm cider punch has been part of winter feasts for centuries.
recipes
Hoppin’ John
Black-eyed peas and greens have carried more than flavor to New Year’s Day tables—they’ve carried hope. Long a symbol of coins, this humble dish has become a quiet ritual of resilience, prosperity, and new beginnings.
Country Style Collard Greens
For generations, greens have carried more than flavor to New Year’s Day tables. Rooted in history and strengthened by family tradition, this humble dish has long represented “folding money” and the hope of prosperity in the coming year.
Potato Lefse
A traditional Norwegian flatbread—soft and delicate like a tortilla—made from a potato-based dough that’s rolled out into large, thin circles and cooked on a griddle. Often filled with butter and sugar (known as Kling) or used to wrap savory ingredients.
Meyer Lemon Bars
The ultra thick and creamy Meyer lemon custard, with its unique citrus flavor, atop buttery shortbread crust–the last lemon bar recipe you’ll ever need!
Pozole Rojo (Mexican Pork & Hominy Stew)
Rooted in centuries-old Mexican tradition, it’s a dish often shared during holidays and family gatherings, where the garnishes are as colorful as the company around the table.
Shrimp Étouffée
A classic, rich, and flavorful Louisiana dish featuring succulent shrimp smothered in a thick, spicy sauce and served over rice. The name comes from the French word “étouffer,” meaning “to smother”.
Ultimate Smith Island Cake
Born on the windswept shores of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, Smith Island Cake, has long been a sweet symbol of community and celebration. With its signature nine paper-thin layers and glossy chocolate icing, it’s the kind of dessert that feels both homey and grand—a cake meant to be shared, one slender slice at a time.
New England Clam Chowder
This thick, creamy soup filled with diced potatoes and tender clams makes a delicious appetizer. Or serve it with a fresh tossed salad for light lunch or hearty, stick-to-you-ribs supper.
My Holiday Eggnog
One taste of this deliciously sweet, thick, and creamy holiday beverage, and you’ll never want the store-bought variety again.
Classic Green Bean Casserole
Born in the Campbell’s Test Kitchen in 1955, this recipe has stood the test of time. With just five staple ingredients and a mere 10 minutes of prep, it’s no wonder this dish has been a beloved family favorite for over six decades.
Polpettone di Fagiolini
This recipe comes from Liguria, Italy located on the north-western Mediterranean coast— also known as the Italian Riviera. The region’s capital is Genoa, a city famous for its many beloved Italian foods, including olive oil, focaccia, and mouthwatering confections.
Bologna Salad Sandwich Spread
This recipe is right out of the 1950s. The eggs, relish, and salad dressing—which can be adjusted to taste—round out the flavor of bologna in this simple and delicious spread.
Vienna Sausage Breakfast Rolls
These easy, made-from-scratch yeast rolls stuffed with Vienna sausage are perfect for breakfast, brunch, bringing to potlucks, or holiday parties.
Underwood Spanish Omelet
Adapted from a vintage Underwood Deviled Ham advertisement, this omelet makes a great start for your morning breakfast or brunch. Or serve it with a side salad for a light dinner option.
Liverwurst Meatballs
A blend of liverwurst and ground pork, these moist, flavorful, and delicious meatballs come with the added bonus of sneaking in healthy organ meat without anyone knowing it’s there. Perfect for your pasta dish or served on their own with a side of greens.
Pinto Bean Pie
This quick and easy Southern-style pie is an Appalachian favorite—the perfect alternative to pumpkin or sweet potato pie. Who knows, you may find it even tastier. I know my momma would.
Muslim Navy Bean Pie
This traditional Muslim bean pie—made with navy beans—can be served warm or cold. Either way, it’s a sure to be a hit with family and friends.
Chicken and Dumplings
This was my grandmother’s recipe for chicken and dumplings, as handed down to my mom. Please note the the substitutions at the end of the recipe.
Brunswick Stew
Born from Southern tradition Brunswick Stew is made with already-cooked meats, it comes together quickly—just the thing for feeding a crowd or warming up a chilly day.
Kentucky Burgoo
This thick, hearty stew is as much about fellowship as it is about flavor. While most often linked to Kentucky, you’ll also find folks in Indiana and Tennessee calling it their own—each with a slightly different spin.
White Potato Pie
This recipe has been passed from one generation to the next, remaining a special holiday treat in Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Perfect Pie Crust
Adapted from a recipe in the November 2021 issue of Southern Living. The combination of butter and shortening produces an extremely flaky yet sturdy pie crust.
Grandma’s Watermelon Pickles
My mother’s sister Mattie claimed this was Grandma’s recipe for pickled watermelon rind, though the claim can’t be fully substantiated. Several years before his passing, my father used this very recipe to make himself a batch and swore they tasted just like grandma’s. Try it out—I’m sure you’ll enjoy the results.
Edna Lewis’ Watermelon Rind Pickles
Adapted from Edna Lewis’s recipe in her landmark1976 cookbook The Taste of Country Cooking. Born in Freetown, Virginia, Lewis was the granddaughter of an emancipated slave who helped establish the town. She left home to make her way in New York, first as a skilled seamstress and later as a writer, before finding her true calling in the kitchen. Over the years she become a beloved chef, the author of four influential cookbooks, and one of the most important voices in preserving and celebrating Southern food traditions.
Marlborough Pie
An elegant, one-time holiday favorite in New England, Marlborough pie boasts an apple-infused custard flavored with lemon and sherry.
Gooseberry-Ginger Jam
When the warmth of ginger pairs with the tartness of gooseberries the results are a delicious jam.
Gooseberry Pie
This is a delicious introduction to gooseberries for anyone unfamiliar with these tart summer berries.
Raspberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
This high-protein cottage cheese ice cream is made with whole milk (4% fat) cottage cheese, honey, fresh or frozen raspberries, and crushed graham crackers.
Baked Pork and Beans
Have a rooten, tooten good time making these delicious homemade pork and beans.
How to cook pokeweed
You should only use the leaves and stems for young plants — those under two feet tall, with no signs of purple on the stalks or stems. Absolutely no roots!**
Brooklyn Farmacy’s Classic Egg Cream
This egg cream recipe comes from Peter Freeman and Gia Giasullo, co-owners of the Brooklyn Farmacy, located in the Carol Gardens neighborhood.
Sugar’s Mincemeat Pie
This sweet, flavorful pie was one of my momma’s all-time favorite
pies. She made them every Christmas until I was almost grown,
when she said she could no longer find prepared mincemeat at
the supermarket.
Buttermilk Pie Crust
This Is one of the flakiest pie doughs you will ever make.
Heinz Ketchup Cake
This recipe was created by Heinz to celebrate their 100th anniversary in Canada.
Homemade Ketchup
Homemade ketchup is not only great treat for your family, but it makes a terrific gift for any special occasion.
Water Pie
Born out of the Great Depression, the main ingredient in this pie is water.
Mock Pecan Pie
This desperation pie, also known as “Oatmeal Pie,” is said to have been created in the 1860s in the Civil War South when pecans were in short supply.
Classic Chess Pie
While chess pie’s rich, custard-like filling may not have the tanginess of its buttermilk pie cousin, what it does bring to the table is pure, simple sweetness.
Ellerbee’s Chocolate Fudge Pie
This simple but delicious pie dates back to Tennessee sometime between the late 1800s and early 1900s, and remains a popular dessert even today.
Sugar Cream Pie
Named the official state pie of Indiana in 2009, sugar cream pie (also called Hoosier sugar cream pie, Quebec sugar cream pie, and Tartes au sucre) is a simple but delicious pie.
Southern Egg Pie
A close cousin of chess and buttermilk pies, egg pie (also known as egg custard pie) is a custard-based confection made with eggs, sugar, and milk or cream baked in a flaky crust.
Vinegar Pie
With a taste that mimics that of lemon pie, this “make-do” pie could be made from staples found in practically every home cooks kitchen.
Mock Apple Pie
While it may only be mind over matter, most folks will agree that mock apple pie looks, smells, and tastes like real apple pie.
Shoofly Pie
Shoofly pie began as a crustless molasses coffee cake for the 1876 U.S. Centennial. A crust was added four years later to make it a pie.
Buttermilk Pie
During the Depression era, buttermilk was for many families a means of survival. In this delicious sweet and tangy pie buttermilk is the star.
Best Ever Focaccia
Adapted from Paul Hollywood’s “Ultimate Focaccia” recipe in his new cookbook, “Bake”. Hollywood proclaims this is a favorite and one he takes to many dinner parties he attends.
Orange Creamsicle Float Cocktail
This delicious orange flavored ice cream soda with its boozy kick is perfect for those hot summer days, or any day for that matter.
Hot Pack Method of Canning Peaches
While limited attempts were made by some households to preserve foods using the Appert Method, it was the creation of the Mason jar and its sure-on lid that made home canning popular .
Belgian Waffles
Belgian waffles are thicker and lighter than their American counterpart, and usually served with berries and whipped cream
