Experience Education Jillian Dara received a Bachelor of Science from Emerson College. In her sophomore year of college, she studied at Queen Mary University, in London, England. Learn moreabout usand oureditorial process.

It’s a perfect balance of sweet and sour. They even had a tiki hut bar with a margarita machine! Those are some of my best high school memories. Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Sara Haas Instead of the cloyingly sweet version, this one was made with good tequila and fresh limes. I remember thinking thismust be what Buffett was singing about! It was light, refreshing, and the perfect drink for a warm Florida evening on the beach....

Its soft, fragrant, and Southern-style. Though Haller was Swiss-born, the cornbread he made appealed to the Carters Southern palates. An essential part of the region’s cuisine, Southern cornbread is never sweet. Simply Recipes / Getty Images When presented with the sugary cornbread that Northerners bake, Southern cooks Ive known call it cake. This is not a compliment. To yield a tender crumb, double-check you buy finely ground cornmeal, not the medium grind available nowadays....

This juicy, grilled A.1. hamburger recipe has all the fixings! Everybody should have a friend like Jim. Lori Rice They also sell Calphalon pans (for about five times the price). Eventually, the high heat will warp the Calphalon pan. The brand I picked up wasLodgefor less than $25. Lori Rice They also carryLe Creusetfor somewhat more. The high heat of the grill tends to dry out your meat. So, a little fat keeps your burgers juicy and moist....

Its the perfect combination of simple and elegant. Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration By Wanda Abraham / Sara Haas I love to bake. This trait wasn’t inherited because my mom has always despised baking. Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration By Wanda Abraham / Sara Haas That didnt mean, though, that she didnt like baked goods. She often brought home pies or cookies from a local bakery and wed greedily inhale every crumb....

It’s so easy that you’re free to’t mess it up. Simply Recipes / Getty Images / Sara Haas Ive had a lot of bad salmon in my day. It’s one of the reasons I love this weeknight salmon recipe from Joanna Gaines. Simply Recipes / Getty Images / Sara Haas Its so simple that you cant mess it up. Ive watched Joanna Gaines’s show, “Fixer Upper,” for years. I admire her realness and love that she can somehow make anything shes wearing look ultra-cool....

Joe’s Special is a classic breakfast for dinner. Have you ever heard of Joe’s Special? This is a classic San Francisco diner dish dating back to the 1920s. Coco Morante It’s a hearty scramble of eggs, ground beef, spinach, mushrooms, and onions. This scramble is great any time of day. The mushrooms were optional at the diner, but my dad always included them. Coco Morante I use fresh baby spinach, sliced crimini mushrooms, and lots of fresh diced garlic....

This classic Midwestern pasta casserole is a total crowd-pleaser. I cant think of anything more Midwestern. As an adult, Ive been drawn to the recipes history, which turns out to be fascinatingly muddled. Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm Why is this dish, essentially a shortcut, un-fancified lasagna, named after some guy? And why has this humble casseroles appeal endured for over a century? Regardless, people eat the story up as willingly as they do the casserole itself....

Bold, deeply red, West African rice with spices and tomatoes. Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe I still remember the first time I had jollof rice. I was meeting my ex-boyfriend’s family for the first time during Thanksgiving. Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe I was expecting to see the usual stuffing and gravy. Instead, I saw a big pot of red rice on the table. It came as a surprise (what is that?...

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Experience Writer Joy Manning lives at the intersection of food and health. (She likes to say, It was an honor just to be nominated. The Best Food Writing book series once anthologized an essay she wrote. She has written for many publications, including Web MD, Womens Health, Diabetes Forecast, and Shape. Together with fellow food writer Marisa McClellan, Joy co-hosts Local Mouthful, a home cooking podcast. Learn moreabout usand oureditorial process....

Experience Favorite meal:“My favorite meal is BBQ Shrimp- Nola style!” Learn moreabout usand oureditorial process.

They’re deep brown and crisp on the outside and perfectly tender inside. This classicFrench potato dishis very simple on paper (just two ingredients!) but requires a fair bit of technique to master (or so I thought!). Simply Recipes / Getty Images / Molly Adams You start cooking the potatoes on the stovetop, shingling them while basting the whole thing with butter. At the time of my exam, I was just 23 years old and I crumbled under the pressure....