Beverages

This Glorious One-Pot Meal is a take on a traditional Indian dish. Consider changing it up with chicken, sweet potatoes, and broccoli in place of chickpeas, white potato, and cauliflower. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties and may be helpful for people suffering from internal swelling of joints or nerves, as with fibromyalgia, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.

Feel free to experiment with cheeses besides Parmesan. Try mozzarella, feta, or provolone—each makes a completely different meal. Fresh wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle or shiitake, add a complex, earthy flavor, but dried mushrooms work well, too, and may be easier to find. I like to keep dried wild mushrooms in my pantry for spur-of-the-moment dishes. Sometimes I place them in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit for fifteen minutes to soften, then drain and use. Other times I simply chop the dried mushrooms and throw them into the pot for a chewier version that adds another texture to the meal.

Try this recipe with steak or tempeh or even veal. Spoon any residual broth over the chicken before serving and remember to remove the rosemary sprig.

In a pinch, substitute a drained can of diced tomatoes for fresh and any kind of wine for the dry sherry. For light and fluffy couscous, fluff it with a fork and let sit for a few minutes before eating. An easy way to peel an avocado is to halve it lengthwise and remove the pit by striking it firmly with the blade of a knife and twisting slightly to loosen. Then, make a few lengthwise cuts and a few cuts across, making sure not to pierce the skin. Push the avocado inside out and effortlessly knock the cubes of flesh from the skin.

The Marsala and fennel seeds give this recipe the familiar flavor of the classic dish, while the red pepper flakes add a bit of a kick. If you are a fennel fan, double the amount given here. You can grind fennel seeds in a mortar or purchase the spice already ground. Feel free to use any type of fresh or dried mushrooms. Cut dried mushrooms into thin pieces to be certain they will hydrate enough. To presoften particularly thick dried mushrooms, soak them in boiling water for 15 minutes before draining, chopping, and adding to the pot.

For me, this flavor is reminiscent of the south of France, along the Côte d’Azur with its crystalline blue waters. Of course, fresh herbs would be fantastic here if you have them. If using fresh herbs, use one tablespoon of each.

Barley is a comfort food in my book. Hulled barley is a whole grain and offers all of the health benefits of other whole grains, including cholesterol-lowering qualities and fiber. Use a variety of mushrooms for a deeper, earthier flavor. This recipe tastes great with turkey, too! I cut and seed winter squash, but often I don’t peel it as the peel comes off very easily after it is cooked. You can also make this dish with yellow summer squash.

It has been successfully argued that these soda fountain favorites are a good source of protein—after all, they’re full of milk and peanut butter. We try to drink them regularly for that reason alone.

Warm, boozy cherries over ice cream is a classic dessert, and it’s so easy to do. We like ours over chocolate ice cream (but when Bobby doesn’t quite have the energy to make this, you know he’s always got Cherry Garcia in the freezer).

Jamie’s a fan of shrimp scampi, but Jack is not. Turns out they can both agree on this chicken version.

We took Mama’s classic pineapple rings off the ham and put them on our grilled chicken breasts. This sweet-and-sour, quick-cooking dish is a real crowd-pleaser. Pineapple slices coated in brown sugar and Bourbon turn sweet and caramelized on the grill, and a salad dressing marinade makes the chicken tangy, moist, and tender. Perfect with a nice green spinach salad.

When Bobby caught on to thick-cut pork chops, they started disappearing from the walk-in refrigerator at The Lady & Sons. We both enjoy how juicy and satisfying a nice big chop is, especially since it’s not as heavy as red meat and not as easy to dry out as a thinner chop. This is a simple, tasty way to cook them. All you need to add is some grilled veggies to make a complete meal.

We’re big fans of pork tenderloin because it cooks pretty fast and you don’t need to do much to it for it to come out meaty, satisfying, lean, and juicy all at once. Here the pork is a little sweet from the apple cider and tangy from apple cider vinegar. Roast some sweet potatoes and make a salad while the pork is cooking, and you’ve got a beautiful meal for the family or for company.

When I thought about writing a cookbook, I didn’t want to create one like many of the ones I saw on the market already—books that had a bunch of made-up barbecue recipes for things like grilled peaches. Then I realized that I actually do grill peaches in the summertime when I want a little something sweet for dessert! You can read other people’s versions, but mine is the best. Tip: Make these when you’re already smoking something in the smoker, so it’s already hot and you can just lay them in there; don’t make it hard for yourself. If you are using wooden skewers, they must be soaked in water for at least 12 hours before using. If you have stainless steel or other metal skewers, soaking is not a concern.

My granny always made this punch. She practically raised me; we lived with her until my daddy bought us a house and moved us out when I was still a little boy. My grandmother was a hardworking Southern woman, always cooking and cleaning her house. This is her recipe for as refreshing and fragrant a summer drink as you can imagine—a really intensely flavored version of sweet tea, if you will. It’s a family favorite to this day. (It doesn’t call for Crown Royal, and I don’t even mind.) One thing, though: My granny’s last name wasn’t Jenkins, and she never did tell me who this recipe is originally named after; that’s a mystery for the ages, I guess.

Anybody who’s ever seen me on Pitmasters knows that Crown Royal is my drink of choice. Students who come to my classes bring me bottles; folks who come up to my rig at barbecue contests bring me bottles, too. I’m grateful, because after a long day of barbecuing I always relax with a little Crown and water—because every king can always use another Crown. But on occasion, I like to surprise my liver with something different. This is as Georgia of a drink as you can get, with a little help from our Canadian neighbors.

If I’m working, which is to say I’m not drinking anything strong because I’m focused on winning a competition, I don’t drink anything besides sweet tea. I love sweet tea, truly. It’s the drink of the South, the drink of my home. Here’s how we do it.

Something a south Georgia boy doesn’t eat much is lamb. But south Georgia boys who like to win barbecue contests have to figure out how to cook it. The first mutton contest I ever entered I won, cooking lamb chops just like this. I like to get the largest rack of chops I can find, so I can serve them at least an inch thick and give my guests something they can sink their teeth into.