A CLOSE COUSIN of Swiss fondue, fonduta is a rich cheese sauce from Northern Italy, typically made with fontina, cream, and sometimes truffles. It is often served in cooler months alongside toasted bread cubes and cornichons for a classic Alpine trea

Simply put, mayonnaise is a thick emulsion of oil, egg, and an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice. As ubiquitous as ketchup or mustard, it’s among the most common condiments in America today, found in refrigerator jars, tabletop squeeze bottles, and

I ARRIVE AT 9 a.m., just as the April sun starts to bear down over the eastern side of Gilliard Farms in Brunswick, Georgia. The owner, Matthew Raiford, waves to me as I park beneath a series of enormous moss-draped oaks, ubiquitous in coastal Georgi

WHEN YOU’RE LOADING up your plate at a cookout, it’s part of the experience to get a little barbecue sauce on your cornbread, some baked beans elbowing your mac and cheese, or a little coleslaw in your potato salad. The last of these combos is the in

Cooking with smoke adds deep, complex flavor to foods such as our Smoked Chicken (page 7) and Smoked Corn on the Cob (page 14). We use two different forms of wood to add smoke to the grill: chips and chunks. Wood chips are much smaller than wood chun

RUBY-RED CHERRY PIE looks festive, so it is naturally a perfect addition to any summer celebration. I had stars (and stripes!) in my eyes when I was first introduced to the streusel-topped version that’s popular in Traverse City, Michigan (see “The ‘

CHICKEN COOKED OVER smoke is a pure expression of the rich, savory flavors that occur when fowl meets fire. This is not individual pieces slathered with thick, brick-red sauce. Instead, this recipe makes a juicy, golden, deeply flavorful whole smoked

GRILLED CORN IS undeniably delicious, and it’s celebrated as such across many cultures and cuisines (particularly in Mexico, Central America, and South America). Charring the husked corn hot and fast until the kernels are caramelized adds depth and a

EVERYONE LOVES A perfectly juicy peach, but how about a green, unripe one? You know, the tart, firm, and virtually indestructible specimens? Bill Smith, the legendary former chef at Crook’s Corner restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, taught us

WHAT EXACTLY IS bruschetta, anyway? Most sources point to the most basic version being grilled bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. But achieving delicious success takes more than just slapping slices of bread on the grill. Our techn

YOHANA GONZALEZ trims aloe vera leaves for use in a batch of jarave, a medicinal juice, at La Plaza del Mercado de Santurce, an open-air produce market in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Read our collection of On the Road articles at CooksCountry.com/ontheroa

WE LOVE OUR CHARCOAL grills for many reasons. The biggest: Charcoal makes great-tasting food, as it burns hotter than gas and produces lots of radiant heat, ensuring that everything you cook gets beautifully, deliciously browned. Charcoal also produc

EVERY TIME I’VE just seasoned some fine-looking pork rib chops and I’m firing up the grill, I hear my dad’s voice in my head: “You think they’ll be as good as the magic chops?” Until now, the answer has almost always been “no.” You see, on the family

EVERY COOKOUT NEEDS something green. We propose broccoli salad. One favorite version of broccoli salad, made popular by the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain, features a mix of crunchy raw broccoli and crispy bacon tossed with raisins, pungent red on

GRILL GLOVES ARE designed to protect your hands and forearms from heat while you’re pouring flaming coals out of a chimney starter, flipping food near the back of a hot gas grill, or adjusting logs when cooking over a fire pit. We find them useful wh

Serves 6 to 8 (Makes about 2 cups) Total Time: 25 minutes Serve with Smoked Chicken (page 7) or use anywhere that you enjoy a fruity, moderately spicy barbecue sauce. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil1 shallot, chopped fine2 tablespoons minced canned chipot

THIS CHICKEN DINNER for two is so easy and flavorful that it’s likely to be on repeat at your house. Although it has “hot” in the title, its spice level is aimed more at folks who love flavor and not daredevils (we specifically call for Frank’s RedHo

WITH MULTIPLE LAYERS of paper-thin crepes sandwiching a creamy filling, a crepe cake is a showstopper. But this labor of love is actually easier than it looks and surprisingly forgiving (the flaws of any mangled crepes can be hidden when piled into a

CREATING THIS ISSUE released a flood of memories as I recalled the joys of summer bonfires and barbecues that graced my childhood in Southern California. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, my family frequently gathered with friends and neighbors in

EGGPLANT PARMESAN IS a beloved dish featuring breaded and fried eggplant slices layered and baked with marinara sauce, melty mozzarella, and Parmesan. The frying and baking makes the eggplant silky and creamy. As delicious as eggplant Parmesan is, in

IT’S HARD TO imagine a better way to begin the day than with a plate of hot pancakes under a lavish slather of butter and a generous dose of maple syrup. It’s a stack of promise that all but guarantees a good morning. With pancakes, there are infinit

THE PROCESS OF making minute steak is true to the dish’s name: Thin steaks are seared in a skillet for about 1 minute per side. Minute steaks can be served in a variety of ways, but they are typically blanketed with a rich, beefy gravy that’s built i

How do you like your marshmallows toasted: golden brown or blackened into a flaming sugar torch? Either way, nothing says summer like sharing some laughs around a fire. This picture is from a photoshoot for our book The Outdoor Cook (2023). ■

IF YOU HAVE leftover smoked chicken, this recipe is for you. This creamy smoked chicken salad takes inspiration from the chicken salads served at several Texas restaurants: Katrina and Travis Carpenter of Carpenter’s Cafe & Catering in Fort Worth are