ham

Red beans and rice is a dish that is native to Louisiana. Traditionally it's enjoyed on Mondays because it's a one-pot meal that makes use of leftovers from Sunday's family dinner. The important thing to remember is that the beans must be soaked overnight, therefore a little planning is involved when making it.

It also requires time because the beans simmer with pork, vegetables, and aromatics for two hours. The resulting dish is hearty soul food that's filling and flavorful. Four different kinds of pork — bacon fat, ham, ham hocks, and smoked sausage — infuse the beans with an amazing richness.

To take a trip to the Bayou in your own kitchen, all you have to do is make these red beans and rice! Here's the recipe.

If you've never made a strata before, you are missing out! A strata is a casserole brunch dish that consists of bread, eggs, and cheese. Think of it like a savory breakfast bread pudding. Stratas are excellent for entertaining because they can be assembled the night before the party and feed a large crowd. My favorite strata recipe, one that I've served over and over again, is this version. It's got smoked ham, artichoke hearts, and three different kinds of cheese. To make it vegetarian, simply omit the ham. This recipe is one of my go-tos, and I highly recommend you give it a try. Here's the method.

At the Christmas table, the centerpiece of choice is often ham over turkey. But although we urge you to ditch the mail-order honey baked version in favor of the little effort required to make at home ham, there are a few general points you should know before you dive in.

To get you on the fast track to porcine deliciousness, the editors at KitchenDaily and Slashfood have put together an exhaustive ham primer and purchasing guide. Never cooked a ham at home, either? They've also got serving suggestions, and celebrity chef Curtis Stone's recipe for making your very own honey glazed ham in the comfort of your own home.

• How to shoot the holiday table. — The New York Times
• Top Chef's all-stars reveal their New Year's resolutions. — The Feast
• Is this the famous recipe to KFC's secret spice blend? — Rachael Ray Blogs
• Watch David Chang, Dan Barber, and Wylie Dufresne lecture at Harvard. — Eater
• Actor Stanley Tucci will host a new wine television show. — Grub Street NY
• 10 must-have iPhone food apps and accessories. — Serious Eats
• Richard Blais on his new sci-fi cooking show, Blais Off. — Eatocracy
• Learn the proper technique for carving ham. — Huffington Post Food

Since figs are in season, I've been looking for delicious savory ways to use them. They're delectable as an appetizer and scrumptious on a pizza, but did you know that they're also absolutely divine in a sandwich? Give this grilled ham and cheese sandwich a try and you'll realize how amazing fresh figs are. It's a simple recipe with a rewarding result that's elegant enough for entertaining. Pair with mixed greens and you've got a light but filling dinner. Get the easy recipe after the break.

When TrèsSugar hosted a party on a recent Friday night, I not only supplied her with a bunch of easy appetizer ideas, I also volunteered to make something for the event. I took my own advice and threw together a quick, but tasty app with puff pastry. Since Trés is a huge fan of all things French, I decided to do ham and cheese pinwheels seasoned with dijon mustard. Pinwheels are a great portable potluck appetizer option because you can assemble them at home and when you get to the party, slice, bake, and serve. To get my simple but scrumptious recipe — seriously, these were all gone in a matter of minutes! — read more

While PartySugar was pressing a sandwich with smoked ham and cherry mustard, I was busy placing my own honey-glazed Easter leftovers between slices of bread. I was drawn to this nontraditional ham salad, which is made with chopped ham, cream cheese, and Dijon mustard and mango chutney for tang and sweetness. I used a spinoff of Major Grey's Chutney, a ginger-mango preserve created two centuries ago by a British Army officer. When combined with dense pumpernickel bread and thinly sliced cucumbers, the result is a tea sandwich with a spicy, lemon-tinged twist. The recipe, when you read on.

The other day I was browsing the YumSugar Community and I came across an interesting post titled The Best Ham Sandwich. Ever. I love ham sandwiches and couldn't help but click through to see the story. Turns out Fuzzles was sharing a recipe in the Kitchen Goddess group.

Fuzzles' hysterical and engaging description of the best ham sandwich she has ever eaten (the thing that makes it so scrumptious is a special cherry mustard) made me want to go home and try it immediately. It took me a couple of weeks, but I finally made it, and let me tell you, Fuzzles was right!

This sandwich is absolutely amazing. The cherry mustard is tangy and sweet and the combination of ham with brie is delightfully French. I plan on enjoying it all week with ham leftover from Easter. To check out my recipe that's based on Fuzzles' story, read more