Southern

In the South, homemade biscuits are a staple for any household or Southern restaurant. Natchez, MS, a small town on the Mississippi River, is known for its Antebellum homes and unbeatable Southern cuisine. Stanton Hall, an official National Historic Landmark and one of the largest and most prominent Natchez mansions, was built in 1858. On the grounds of Stanton Hall, toward the back of the estate, is a restaurant called Carriage House, which serves some of the best biscuits in town.

The Carriage House has served residents and visitors alike since 1946, and a typical Carriage House lunch might consist of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and mustard greens — served alongside biscuits, of course. Between 400 to 1,000 biscuits are baked for the Carriage House every day, and they're always served piping hot and crispy, with melted butter and a mild apple jelly. The biscuits are piled high on a platter, and asking for biscuit refills is just about as popular as asking for tea refills.

For a taste of Natchez in your own home, get recipe for Carriage House biscuits.

In the South, iced tea is the standard, and waiters greet you with the question "Sweet or unsweetened?" rather than "What can I get you to drink?" My answer is usually half and half, as most Southern sweet teas are practically syrup; I like my iced tea edging toward bitter but still slightly crisp and not too dark.

This particular iced tea uses Lipton, the most commonly found tea in American grocery stores. Add it to a glass full of crunchy ice with a squeezed lemon wedge and a straw, and let the hot, lazy days of Summer begin! Keep reading to learn how to make iced tea.

Is there any better excuse for debauchery than Mardi Gras?! Get in the purple, green, and gold spirit with provisions shaped by and inspired from the city's rich history and culture. Start off your day with a Ramos gin fizz, and end it on a sweet note with a decadent ice cream bombe topped with flambéed bananas Foster! Here are a few of our Nola favorites; for more, check out all of our Mardi Gras recipes.

Treme Cocktail	Muffaletta	Ramos Gin Fizz
Bananas Foster Bombe	Vegetable Gumbo	King Cake

My relatives live in Mississippi, so it's tradition for my immediate family to gather there every Christmas. Mississippi is famous for its Southern hospitality, and it's common for family friends to drop by unexpectedly and leave incredible, homemade confections. This particular bundt cake was left by the next-door neighbor, and despite our small family's size, we have managed to gobble it up in only two days. Super moist yellow cake with butterscotch flavor, crunchy toasted pecans, and lip-smacking honey whiskey come together for a warming Southern bundt cake that you can enjoy morning, noon, and night. Lucky for you, I snagged the recipe so you can enjoy this divine delight in your own kitchen.

See recipe.

I'm a little sick of the traditional Thanksgiving meal. That's why this year I plan on serving slightly different versions of old favorites — like a turkey roulade instead of a whole roasted turkey, for instance.

Rather than the usual green bean casserole, I'm reaching for a neo-Southern riff on the creamed spinach standby, and plan on impressing guests with creamed collard greens. Unlike creamed spinach, this vegetable side isn't swimming in heavy cream; the cream adds subtle body, while smoky bacon rounds out the collards' bitter character.

But the pièce de résistance is really the crispy, cheesy crumb topping. Be sure to make a generous amount, because the more, the better. Add a new tradition to your meal when you keep reading

Couldn't make it to Mardi Gras this year? If you're lamenting the fact that today's Fat Tuesday and the French Quarter's a plane ride away, then do what I like to do. Bring the purple, green, and gold to your kitchen instead with a comforting platter of saucy shrimp étouffée.

Although some variations of the seafood recipe take hours to cook, enjoy a snappier version, since tonight's a school night. While the tomatoes and aromatics simmer together, steam a bowl of grains in the rice cooker (dabbed with a bit of butter, of course) so everything's ready to hit the table at the same time. Settle in with an Abita, some extra hot sauce, and your party hat, and you'll be ready to dig in! Click through for the quick recipe.

Happy Fat Tuesday! Don't you wish this plate of beignets were real rather than just a picture? Dice215 shared the image in the Savory Sights group in the YumSugar Community.

Freshly made vanilla bean beignets with warm chocolate fudge sauce on the side.

For the recipe, check out her blog. If you have a delicious photo to share, upload it to the Savory Sights group in the community!

If you're interested in cooking authentic Louisiana fare for Mardi Gras, look toward a plethora of awesome cookbooks that have come from New Orleans recently. Cooking Up a Storm features tons of classic savory recipes, and when it comes to desserts, you can't go wrong with Damn Good Sweet.

It's full of delicious-sounding treats like red velvet cake, lemon icebox pie, and the creamy luscious banana pudding seen here.

This pudding is relatively quick and easy to prepare; however, you do need several hours for it to chill. The vanilla wafer topping is a necessary step, as it adds a crisp textural contrast to the thick smooth pudding. Next time I make this, I will serve it with a dollop of whipped cream as well. Want to look at the recipe? Read more.