Seasons by the Sea: All-Time Favorites

Today is your lucky day! Today I am going to share with you my absolute favorite recipes of all time. The tried and true, the foolproof, the crowd pleasers, the best of the best.

I thought it would be easy, but it got harder and harder as I went through my files. Is that recipe a favorite because I like it or because others love it? Are some of them significant because of the time and place they were served?

Favorite recipes and favorite foods are different things. For instance, some of my favorite dishes are Peking duck and sticky rice with mango, two things that are better made by others. Another favorite dish is the Singapore street food “chicken rice,” something that tastes especially good in the wee hours of morn after a night of drinking. In Singapore. I shan’t ever attempt to make this.

Most of these recipes are easy and economical. There have been times when I wanted to feed a lot of people but couldn’t afford costly ingredients. Thibadeaux’s Creole Jambalaya to the rescue! Or Lazy Texas brisket with spoon bread. Or chicken in a bag! Some of the recipes have already been published here but good luck finding them; I know I can’t. So here are a whole bunch of them, from friends and relatives, magazines and restaurants, cookbooks and churches. Get out your scissors because you will want to clip this column out and start cooking.

Click for recipes