Nancie McDermott

I’ve loved black-eyed peas since I was very small. Their texture delights me — smooth and plump outside, but creamy inside, endowing their broth with a richness even though each pea holds its shape, distinctly marked with that elegant eye. I disliked butterbeans and limas, and found English peas pretty but not worthy of attention unless they were filling the mashed potatoe mountain we called a bird’s nest.

From my first tiny bowl of won ton soup at Wong’s Chinese Restaurant in my North Carolina hometown, I have loved this soup. I’ve since enjoyed it in New York City and San Francisco, as well as in Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Taipei. The fact that every little wonton needs filling, folding, and cooking means that this dish doesn’t belong in the super speedy category. But made with only a few ingredients and simple steps, these dumplings are ready to boil in minutes.

The word étouffer means “smothered or braised,” and is a technique often used with crawfish, which come in season during the spring when rain floods the rice fields. Creole cooks make etouffée as well, and however much it may vary from Cajun to Creole and from cook to cook, one constant remains: serving it over a plate of hot rice.

Southerners love greens, but choosing a favorite? That we cannot do. Collard, mustard, turnip? Creasie, dandelion, kale, spinach? We love them all and why would we not? Deeply colored, sturdy-textured, and packed with nutritious goodness, greens are humanity’s friend. Unlike lettuce, most of the greens Southerners cherish benefit from heat and time. The tradition of boiling up a big potful of greens goes back centuries and across the Atlantic to West African cuisines.

This simple fresh curry paste takes only minutes to prepare. It envelops sweet, golden chunks of butternut squash with a beautiful and savory green sauce in the time it takes the accompanying rice to cook. Try making it with any prepared curry paste for an even simpler dish. Blending shallots, garlic, ginger, green chiles, and cilantro together produces a wonderfully fresh and vibrant curry. Make extra of this paste and stash in the freezer to pave the way for future easy weeknight meals.