Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

This dish, inspired by the BBQ pepper shrimp at the Lobster Pot — the busy seafood restaurant in Provincetown, Mass., that the McNulty family began operating in 1979) — is a rich, satisfying shrimp dinner that comes together quickly. The chef and owner Tim McNulty came up with the idea for the dish after trying New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp. He blends those spicy flavors with the richness of beurre blanc, a classic French butter sauce. “It’s a big seller for us,” Mr. McNulty says of the dish, which has been on the menu for more than 10 years. The sauce is an ideal topping for pasta or crusty bread and is a perfect match for any seafood: “It's a great base recipe and you can add scallops or lobster to it instead of the shrimp.” The sauce also makes a luscious topping for steak, similar to an au poivre. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

A favorite of the chef Elsy Dinvil, these tender fried beef meatballs were a common sight on her childhood dinner table in Jérémie, Haiti. Comforting yet complex thanks to epis, a Haitian seasoning blend made with herbs and spices, they’re a great addition to rice or even some crusty bread. You can enjoy them as is or with the piquant onion and tomato sauce below. If you like heat, be sure to break open the Scotch bonnet chile after it’s tender from stewing, and it’ll give the sauce a hot, fruity flavor. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Conceptualized by the chef Lana Lagomarsini as a topping for her tamarind glazed oxtails, this chow chow is a punchy, textural showstopper that adds a vinegary backnote and brightness to anything you add it to. This recipe makes quite a bit of chow chow meaning you’ll have plenty left over to add to salads or as a topping for burgers or sandwiches. If you’d like it a little hotter, add an additional seasoning pepper or habanero. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Ubiquitous on southern tables, cornbread is a versatile side dish that can be cut into pieces from a cast-iron skillet or, as done in this recipe, portioned as individual muffins. This recipe by Alexander Smalls, a chef, author, restaurateur and former opera singer, uses finely ground cornmeal and two types of milk to create a savory batter, which also gets a kick from coriander. Fresh corn kernels add texture to the dense quickbread. Serve warm alongside a spread of vegetables or a meat dish, with plenty of butter. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

In an ode to her Black, Mexican and Haitian backgrounds, the chef Rahanna Bisseret Martinez created this recipe, which honors one of the Americas’s most important ingredients: corn. Corn grits cooked with unsweetened oat-milk cream act as a base for tender swiss chard leaves, pickled chard stems and mushrooms. Soaked then caramelized in a jalapeño sauce, the mushrooms create layers of varying textures along with the greens. This dish can be served on its own as a hearty one-plate vegan meal, or alongside a main dish or with a crisp and lightly dressed green salad. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

When researching her family history, the chef Ashleigh Shanti found aunts and cousins that fried fish and sold it on the streets of Virginia Beach, yelling “Good hot fish!” to people walking or driving by. This recipe, from her book “Our South” (Union Square & Co., 2024), is Ms. Shanti’s version of fish sticks, featuring crunchy, savory and salty trout, fried until golden brown and served with the chef’s take on Alabama white barbecue sauce. Serve as part of a spread with salad or hush puppies as Ms. Shanti does at her Asheville, N.C., restaurant. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Native to North Africa and the Middle East, dates were planted in the Coachella Valley in the late 1890s and are now a California crop, with the state growing 90 percent of America’s dates, particularly the medjool variety. “The intense sweetness of dates makes them a great substitute for honey or sugar,” writes Tanya Holland, the chef and author of “Tanya Holland’s California Soul: Recipes From a Culinary Journey West” (Ten Speed Press, 2022). Her date bars from this cookbook feature a gorgeous strip of the beautiful fruit and make a great caky snack to serve alongside coffee or tea. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Originating in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, deviled crab is a cousin to crab cakes, making use of the stringier bits mixed with spices, mayonnaise and egg to create a filling appetizer or entree. This recipe is from Andrew Carmines, the second-generation owner of Hudson’s Seafood House on the Docks, Hilton Head Island’s perpetually busy seafood restaurant specializing in local fare including the prized blue crab. These relatively small crabs (ranging from about 5 to 7 inches wide) are native to the Atlantic Coast and are typically in season from around April to November. You can ask your local fishmonger to order them for you when they're in season. Traditionally served stuffed into a blue crab back, it’s not uncommon to see faux-crab backs made of aluminum foil or crab-shaped tins. Whether it’s baked in tin, foil or crab, it’s an impressive dish that pairs well with rice or salad and a sunny seaside day. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Peaches occupy an exalted position in Edna Lewis’s seminal cookbook, “The Taste of Country Cooking.” First published in 1976, the book chronicles her upbringing, filled with seasonal recipes from rural western Virginia in the early 20th century. This recipe for brandied peaches, adapted from the reissued 50th anniversary edition (Knopf, 2026), combines the sweet, firm flesh of peak summer peaches with a brown sugar syrup spiked with brandy. To really experience its full complexity of flavor, you should source the fruit in the summer when they’re at their best. The original recipe calls for seven pounds of whole peaches stored in mason jars, while this version has been scaled down for easier storage in your fridge and calls for halved fruit instead. Delicious warm or chilled, brandied peaches make an elegant presentation served alongside vanilla ice cream or a simple vanilla cake like Ms. Lewis’s Busy Day Cake, still warm from the oven. Finish with an additional splash of brandy if desi

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

“A busy day cake, or sweet bread as it was really called, was regular cake batter, measured out and stirred in a hurry while vegetables cooked on one end of the wood stove,” writes Edna Lewis in her 1976 cookbook and farm-to-table manifesto, “The Taste of Country Cooking.” Slightly sweet and crumbly, this cake, adapted from the 50th anniversary edition of her cookbook (Knopf, 2026), comes together quickly and is a great backpocket recipe for a simple dessert that can be adorned with any seasonal fruit compote, Ms. Lewis’s brandied peaches or even sweetened whipped cream. The cake has a beautiful rise but may sink a bit in the middle; that’s just part of its humble charm.

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Best enjoyed using local snapper, this bright dish represents the protein part of fish and fungi, a classic duo on dinner tables in the Virgin Islands. The fish is topped with plenty of thyme-laced, tomato-based Creole sauce and is typically served over a bed of fungi, the classic Virgin Islands side dish of buttery cooked cornmeal with sliced, boiled okra. Michael Anthony Watson and Judy Watson, husband-and-wife owners of Petite Pump Room in St. Thomas, traditionally use whole fried snapper for this recipe, but you can use fish fillets. For authenticity, serve them with plenty of hot sauce on the side for a little extra heat. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

A staple on dinner tables in the Virgin Islands, this filling, earthy side dish goes well with fish or any stewed protein. In St. Thomas, you can find it accompanying tender stewed snapper or butter-braised conch, acting as a sponge for luscious sauces. Here, chef Julius Jackson, author of “My Modern Caribbean Kitchen” (Page Street Publishing, 2018) and native Virgin Islander, offers a simple, traditional version. This dish isn’t an exact science; some people like it so thick it stands up on its own, while others prefer it thinner, with runny lines of butter. Find which way works best for you by tasting and tweaking as needed. Chilled leftover fungi can be cut into squares and pan-fried in a bit of oil until golden, making a great base for scrambled or poached eggs with bacon on the side. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

The chef Tanya Holland’s mother grew up in Shreveport, La., and made a version of gumbo that features lots of hearty greens, so Ms. Holland came up with this version for her newest cookbook, “Tanya Holland’s California Soul: Recipes From a Culinary Journey West” (Ten Speed Press, 2022). It’s a blend of her mother’s recipe and a bit of inspiration from the famous Creole chef Leah Chase. Here, the sauce is a vibrant green thanks to a purée of spinach and kale, giving it an earthy lightness and California flavor that perfectly complements fresh seafood. If you can’t find Dungeness crab, use blue crab or Jonah crab in its place. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

“Kilt, as in ‘killed,’ is how mountain folk describe once-lively lettuce that has been forgotten and left to wilt on the counter (or in the back of the fridge for the modernists),”the chef Ashleigh Shanti explains in her cookbook, “Our South” (Union Square & Co., 2024). This dish speaks to the resourcefulness of Appalachian cooks, who found a way to make delicious meals out of produce that may have been past its prime. With a few staple ingredients, a head of iceberg lettuce becomes a tangy and slightly sweet salad that pairs well with a simple roast chicken or mustard-glazed pork tenderloin, and can also serve as a main course with simply cooked rice or roasted vegetables alongside. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Throughout the English and French-speaking Caribbean, homemade pepper sauce in glass jars or plastic bottles are an important part of the tablescape, kept within reach to add a burst of fruity, sharp heat to whatever is being eaten. This version, from cookbook author Lesley Enston, is earthy thanks to the addition of culantro, a fresh herb not to be confused with cilantro. From island to island, and even household to household, the recipe varies, but Scotch bonnets, the brightly colored bonnet-shaped chiles native to the region, are a must. Feel free to play around with this sauce to create one that matches your tastes, adjusting the seasonings or adding a pinch of a spice like clove or nutmeg. Keep a jar on hand to add a teaspoon or so to dishes from the Caribbean like braised oxtails or to serve as a condiment for dishes like fried snapper with Creole sauce. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Pilipili, chiles in Swahili, infuse oil along with aromatics like herbs and onion to create a spicy condiment. Similar to hot sauce, these chile oils, found in Africa and across the African diaspora, provide a kick when drizzled on a dish. This version from the chef and author Bryant Terry uses fresh, small bird’s eye or Thai chiles for their vibrant taste and their availability in most supermarkets. Smoked paprika adds a bit of depth and helps to make the oil fire-engine red. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

In Boston’s North End, the pistachio martini is a common menu item, made with pistachio liqueur and vanilla vodka and then garnished with chopped pistachios. The origins are hard to pin down, but many believe the cocktail came about because of Boston’s strict liquor laws, which often inspire mixologists to get creative with flavored liqueurs. This recipe is based on the pistachio martini served at Caffé Vittoria, open since 1929, and it embraces the best parts of a pistachio dessert: rich and creamy, with plenty of bold pistachio flavor that’s accented by vanilla. Serve this at the end of a holiday dinner party as dessert in festive martini glasses that can hold at least 5 or 6 ounces. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Potlikker, the broth left over after cooking a pot of greens, makes a flavorful base for ramen in this recipe from the chef Rasheeda Purdie. Inspired by her grandmother’s collard greens, Ms. Purdie serves bowls of this ramen at her shop in Manhattan. It makes an especially filling and comforting meal when enjoyed alongside a cup of hot green tea or soba cha. This recipe will most likely yield extra potlikker, which can be served with cornbread or crusty white bread and a salad. Chile crisp, homemade or store bought, would also make a delightful addition to this ramen, adding both texture and heat. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Summery, tart and slightly sweet, this sauce ingeniously uses peach preserves to make a perfect pairing for pork chops. It also works as a tart dressing for a kale or chicory salad, highlighting the fruit at its peak while also adding richness thanks to butter and oil. In the mid-60s, Pamela Strobel served this condiment, her signature sauce, alongside dishes like fried chicken, black eyed peas and smothered pork chops at her restaurant, Little Kitchen. Princess Pamela, a moniker given to Ms. Strobel when she asked a printer what the name of her business should be, wore the title well: She ruled over her minuscule soul food spot underneath her apartment in New York City’s East Village, deciding who was let in (and who was kicked out). Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Black-eyed peas are a common sight in West African cooking, stewed long until tender or turned into fritters like àkàrà. They’re also a staple ingredient in the American South, where they’re commonly eaten on New Year’s Day as a symbol of good luck for the year to come. The chef Isaiah Screetch’s saladu nebbe, based on the Senegalese dish of the same name, highlights the nuttiness of the beans in a fresh salad that has a bit of spice thanks to serrano chiles. Studded with juicy tomatoes, cucumbers and red bell pepper, the recipe calls for letting the salad meld its flavors together in a lime dressing for two hours, but it can also sit overnight, making it the perfect side dish for a barbecue or cookout. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Döner, a staple street food across the Middle East and beloved the world around, gets a home-friendly remix in this recipe, which cleverly uses scrolls of parchment paper and a hot oven to achieve the hearty browning and thin slices you’d get from carving meat from a vertical spit. This recipe is adapted from Michael Wilkes, who posts on TikTok under the handle MezeMike and learned the technique when cooking with his fiancée’s mother, Nefise Kansu, in Cyprus. The thinness of the meat mixture is key here, so take your time rolling it out between the sheets so the meat crisps evenly while baking. Many hands also make this recipe feel like a party, so invite guests to join in, rolling sheets and helping to break them up after baking. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Aushak and mantoo (or mantu), dumplings found in Afghan cuisine, are often filled with soft cooked leeks and onion or ground beef, but this shrimp-filled iteration is the product of the chef Shamim Popal’s journey from Afghanistan to the United Arab Emirates and, eventually, Washington, D.C. After opening a French creperie in 2003, Mrs. Popal decided to share dishes inspired by her upbringing in Afghanistan at Lapis, a restaurant in the city’s Adams Morgan neighborhood. A filling, yet light appetizer, these are meant to be prepared by and for a group, which makes light work and speaks to Mrs. Popal’s own memories of making aushak in Kabul with family. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

It’s hard to think of a more iconic West African dish than jollof rice, the red-tinged rice dish with depth, thanks to aromatics and spices that meld into a comforting tomato base. “Jollof is really a one-pot meal that is very adaptable,” says chef Isaiah Screetch, who adapted this recipe that plays with, but honors the Nigerian version of the dish, with plenty of heat from habanero and serrano chiles. Fit to feed a crowd, it makes a perfect base for skewers of grilled suya or a braised entree like Jamaican oxtail stew, partnered with a side of fried plantains. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Chef Isaiah Screetch was inspired by jam cakes from his native Kentucky when conceptualizing this recipe for spice cake that evokes warm West African flavors. The cake marries tart tamarind with the complexity and earthiness of calabash nutmeg (a nuttier, more fragrant nutmeg native to West Africa), ground cayenne and ginger. “The spice cake is primarily used for special occasions like birthdays and weddings,” he said. While it typically includes dairy to “create richness and keep the cake moist,” Mr. Screetch makes his cake using soy milk to keep it vegan-friendly. To save time, he recommends baking the cake the night before you plan to enjoy it and wrapping with plastic wrap to maintain moisture so it doesn't dry out. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

With its luscious mouthfeel and round flavor, the sweet potato is a quintessential soul food ingredient. In this recipe, from “Tanya Holland’s California Soul: Recipes From a Culinary Journey West” (Ten Speed Press, 2022), Ms. Holland uses the vegetable’s texture and flavor as background notes in these buttery pull-apart rolls. While you can make the dough easily using a stand mixer, you can also do it by hand with a whisk, achieving the same finished product. Serve the rolls with room temperature butter for spreading, or alongside a soup, for soaking up broth. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Inspired by her time working at a restaurant on the island of St. John in the Virgin Islands, this recipe from the chef Lana Lagomarsini, pairs unctuous braised oxtails with the tart flavor of tamarind to create this hearty, luxurious braise. “We would pick tamarind fruit right off of the tree behind the restaurant and I fell in love with its flavor,” the chef remembers. It can be paired with Ms. Lagomarsini’s punchy chow chow recipe, and is also perfect atop a bed of rice and peas, or fungi, a Caribbean cornmeal and okra side dish. Any addition, really, makes this meal feel abundant and celebratory. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

A beloved treat in Southern baking, these simple, dense, slightly sweet cakes moved to the North during the Great Migration, becoming part of the culinary traditions of northern Black communities like Weeksville in Brooklyn. Similar in texture to a British scone, and the perfect accompaniment to tea or coffee, tea cakes were made by enslaved Africans on plantations using easily accessible ingredients like eggs, baking powder, flour and sugar. Endlessly adaptable, the dough can be modified by adding more baking spices, such as clove or allspice. You also can use your preferred sweetener, whether it’s molasses or honey, in place of white sugar; just reduce the amount to ¾ cup. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

The Atlanta chef Todd Richards says his mother made catfish on Fridays as part of her weekly rotation of dishes. She let the fish sit in cornmeal for about five minutes before frying, a technique that he said resulted in very crispy fish. He uses the same method in this recipe, adapted from his cookbook, “Soul: A Chef’s Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes” (Oxmoor House, 2018). If you’re using boneless catfish, this dish can be served as a sandwich. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

This stunning vegetable dish from the chef Gregory Gourdet of Kann in Portland, Ore., applies his interpretation of Jamaica’s enduring smoky and earthy jerk seasoning to the creamy texture of roasted cauliflower. A little sugar in his jerk glaze brings out the spices’ complexity and helps the cauliflower brown. At Kann, the cauliflower is served with a coconut sour cream which tempers the spicy heat of the Scotch bonnet chile and offers a cool contrast to the cauliflower. This works great as a side dish or as a main course served alongside a salad. Korsha Wilson

Korsha Wilson · NYT Cooking

Tender greens make up the base of this bright, simple yet texturally complex salad adapted from “Turtle Island” (Clarkson Potter, 2025) by Sean Sherman. The chef created it to highlight seasonal foraging in North America. While wild dandelion greens or chickweed provide the full effect, mixed greens or even arugula also work, providing a peppery bite against the honeyed persimmon fruit. Great on its own, this salad can also be served alongside a hearty, braised main dish like Mr. Sherman’s bison pot roast with hominy. Korsha Wilson