Bacon

Way better than the classic leftover-turkey sandwich.

Crumbled bacon makes an irresistible top crust on this slightly sweet cornbread.

It's pretty hard to upstage bacon, but if you get your hands on some heirloom Carolina Gold rice, the granddaddy of long-grain rices in the United States, that's what you might end up doing. Lee cooks it uncovered, which allows the water to evaporate and thus concentrates the richness of the chicken stock and tomato juice.

These soupy beans resonate with the deep notes of tomato, garlic, and thyme. Meant to be served with the country hash , they would also go well with pork chops or grilled sausages.

Pasta and pork—what's not to love? Spaghetti alla carbonara traditionally calls for guanciale (cured pork jowl), but bacon is weeknight-friendly and every bit as satisfying. Raw egg is typically mixed into the hot pasta, but a poached egg on top feels more substantial while still providing the requisite creaminess.

The brisket tastes best if prepared ahead, so make it at least one day and up to two days before you plan to serve it. Chilling the brisket makes it easier to slice. Rewarm the meat in the sauce and serve with a full-flavored dark beer (see our suggestions below).

The official vegetable of Georgia since 1990, the sweet, mild Vidalia onion is recognized worldwide for its gentle flavor. However, Vidalias can only be grown in a 20-county production area in and around Vidalia, Georgia, to legally wear the Vidalia label. Because of their thin, tender skins and relatively high sugar content, Vidalia onions are more perishable than most and need to be consumed within about one week of purchase. Look for Georgia-grown Vidalias at farmers markets around the Southeast in early spring through the summer. Although a regular white sweet spring onion would make a fine substitute, Vidalia's signature sweetness is gorgeous with the saltiness of bacon and the mild, lemony bite of fresh thyme in this savory tart. Serve with a salad and you've got a meal to remember. If you want to bypass making tart pastry, go ahead and buy prepared pastry at the grocery.

The classic BLT sandwich turns into an easy wrap that tastes great served cold. For a healthier wrap, use uncured turkey bacon.

Summer's bounty gets even better when it's combined in a fresh-tasting pasta.

Figs combine beautifully with all sorts of salty flavors—prosciutto, for instance, or Gorgonzola, or, of course, bacon. They also add succulent, sumptuous texture.

BLT, hold the bread (you won't miss it). Big chunks of sun-ripened tomato and soft leaves of butterhead lettuce—Boston or Bibb, for instance—are topped with a creamy blue cheese dressing (fine-tuned with a wizardly touch of bacon fat) and plenty of crisp homemade bacon bits. It is a familiar yet striking kickoff to a bucolic meal seriously focused on produce.

A lovely combination of contrasting tastes: bitter greens, salty-smoky bacon, tangy goat cheese, and sweet shallots.

A classic American sandwich gets a makeover: The avocado dressing has an inviting creaminess to it, and the crunchy grilled croutons are a revelation.

Chile "poppers"—just pop 'em in your mouth—are on many restaurant menus, and they're easy to prepare in your own backyard. They need to smoke at a higher temperature so the bacon wrapped around the outside of the chile gets cooked through. Although higher-heat smoking is technically not considered low-and-slow traditional barbecue, it does have its place in recipes like this one (and for people who use a ceramic smoker, which automatically smokes at a higher temperature). At a lower temperature, the bacon won't crisp up. You can also use this technique to smoke other bacon-wrapped appetizers like shrimp, water chestnuts, or green bean bundles. If you like, substitute goat cheese, garlic-and-herb cream cheese, or even pimiento cheese spread for the cream cheese and cheddar. You can also use almonds or walnuts instead of the pecans, or omit the nuts. These poppers are so addictive that you can make a meal out of them! They are slightly fiery, but even friends who describe themselves as heat-intolerant have devoured these and raved about them. Jalapeños of any size will do, but the bigger ones hold more flavor and are easier to fill with cheese. I use a swivel-blade potato peeler or a paring knife to core the peppers. And remember to wear disposable food-handing gloves when touching fresh jalapeños, because oil from hot chiles will stick to your heands. If you rub your eyes or other sensitive areas after working with the chiles, it can be painful. If the chiles are mild, however, gloves aren't necessary. You can buy metal chile popper racks, but you can also use cardboard egg carton. At 350°F, the carton won't burn and you can simply throw it away when you're done. Another big plus to using an egg carton is that the carton absorbs bacon fat. This means no grease flare-ups. You can enhance the hickory or maple wood smoke flavor in the bacon by using that type of wood for your fire, or you can add a little different flavor to your poppers by using apple, oak, or pecan. Suggested wood: Hickory or maple

Smoke baking is a great technique to use for garlic bread, pizzas, quiche, or a savory breakfast casserole—whenever you want to bake and get a hit of smoky flavor at the same time. You can smoke bake using a charcoal grill, gas grill, or a traditional smoker with a smoking temperature you can control (water smokers have a set temperature of 225°F to 250°F and will not work for this recipe). When chiles from Hatch, New Mexico, come to market in August, I stock up on enough to roast and freeze for chile pies, pots of Southwestern chili, and batches of salsa through the winter months. You can substitute other varieties of chiles (or bell peppers for a less spicy result) in this recipe and experiment with additional ingredients, such as a garnish of chopped scallions, cilantro, or parsley. A teaspoon of your favorite chili seasoning blend or barbecue dry rub could add a special accent. If you can't get Hatch chile peppers, no problem. Buy fresh green Anaheim peppers and fire roast them at home. For a true Southwestern flavor use the heavier mesquite wood—very sparingly here—or pecan. This is a great dish for a light supper or an outdoor brunch. Suggested wood: Pecan or mesquite

In recent years, panini-type grilled sandwiches have taken center stage, but there is nothing like a freshly made club sandwich. The triple-decker here amplifies the classic flavors of a BLT with sliced hard-boiled eggs, chive mayo, and a jumble of herbs.

Freshly ground coffee adds a depth to the spice rub and brings out the flavor of the meat. Be sure to keep the rub recipe handy. The spice rub would also be great on steaks and chicken.

Travel the world's barbecue trail and you’ll find meat on a stick almost everywhere. South Africa's version goes by the Afrikaans name sosatie. Like all good Cape Malay meat dishes, fruit and curry are never far off—the former (usually apricots) interspersed with the meat on the skewers, the latter used to flavor the marinade and sauce. "Cape Malay," by the way, refers to the descendants of Indonesian and Malaysian slaves and indentured servants brought to Cape Town to work in farming. "There is perhaps no other single dish that can be regarded as more genuinely Afrikaans than sosaties," wrote South African poet and food writer C. Louis Leipoldt. Writing in the 1940s, Leipoldt was to Afrikaans food what James Beard was to our own. Like all great food writers, Leipoldt dispensed not only recipes but the wisdom gleaned from considering cooking a manifestation of culture. The following sosaties are based on Leipoldt's.

Clams are excellent on the grill. The tinge of smokiness perfectly complements their briny flavor, and, conveniently enough, they pop open when they are done cooking. Combined with crisp bacon, they’re the foundation of a very easy yet very flavorful pasta sauce.

A hot skillet and an egg will quickly enliven any leftover rice parked in your refrigerator. Add meaty pieces of broiled chicken and bacon for a satisfying, inexpensive meal.