The first time I had shrimp and grits, I was sitting on a screened-in porch outside Charleston, with a breeze coming off the marsh and a glass of sweet tea sweating beside my plate. The shrimp were perfectly seasoned, the grits were creamy and rich, and I remember thinking, This is the kind of food ...

There’s something magical about the smell of bubbling peaches, cinnamon, and buttery crust drifting through the kitchen. It takes me right back to summers at my aunt’s farmhouse in Georgia. We’d pick ripe peaches straight from the tree, still warm from the sun, and by dinnertime, there was always a ...