Fried Chicken

A food processor is the cleanest, quickest way to get the toasts to a sand-and-pebble consistency, but you can also leave the Melba toast in the packaging, let out any excess air and crush them with a rolling pin.

A spicier version of that old Southern favorite. From Mother Africa's Table, National Council of Negro Women, Washington, D.C.

When cooking for my college roommates years ago, I discovered that although tuna-fish casserole is consumed in millions of households, love of mother's own must be imprinted during infantile nurturing. As my friends summarily banished all my childhood favorites, I concluded that a hankering for mother's recipes could be used to distinguish genuine family from interlopers (call it genetic tasting). But I soon forgot the recipes. So, it took a call to Pam Ross, my sister and sole surviving mother in our clan, to retrieve this cholesterol-boosting pleaser from our Mom. My nieces like it, and it doesn't wear out the cook. Pam serves it with garlic mashed potatoes.

This crispy chicken is accented with ginger and sesame oil, and served with a simple dipping sauce of soy, cilantro, green onions and ginger. Wrap the chicken in foil, and store the sauce and slaw in plastic containers; be sure to add a cold pack or two to the picnic basket. Fill a thermos with limeade, or bring along a cooler of your favorite beers.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

Don't be intimidated by the amount of hot pepper sauce in the marinade; the chicken will pick up only some of the heat.

The two-pronged cooking method used for these wings —incorporating both braising and deep-frying — is a takeoff on the Chinese technique of steaming, then frying. We think it keeps the meat unbelievably tender while getting the skin supercrispy. Be sure to allow 2 hours for the wings to marinate.

Not much goes better with fried chicken than braised mustard greens or turnip greens, hot biscuits and sweet pickles. For a perfect dessert, serve squares of warm gingerbread with whipped cream. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"Last summer my husband and I took a day trip to the coast of New Hampshire," writes Perrin Enriquez of Cambridge, Massachusetts. "We found a fabulous place in Portsmouth called Lindbergh's Crossing, in a rustic building on the water. I'd love to get the recipes for the amazing fried rabbit and garlic mashed potatoes we had in the upstairs wine bar." For convenience, we substituted chicken for the rabbit used at the restaurant. The gravy can be made ahead of time, but the chicken should be fried just before serving.

This southwestern version of fried chicken needs only two sides: purchased Mexican-style rice pilaf and a sauté of bell peppers and carrots. Flan with sliced kiwi would be a nice finish. Look for ancho chili powder in the spice section of your supermarket.

This recipe makes very dark, mahogany-colored drumsticks. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is a handy recipe for families where the kids have less sophisticated tastes than the adults. Without doing more work or cooking something different, you can please everyone. Because this recipe is quick but requires tending to, be sure to finish whatever side dish you're serving first. I like this with plain cracked wheat or rice, or steamed potatoes or broccoli.