Cornmeal

Don't pretend like you haven't asked this before.

Quickly boiling the agave thickens it a bit; adding the strawberries while it’s still warm infuses the syrup with flavor and a pretty pink color. Blackberries or pitted cherries can be substituted if you wish!

Corn cake three-ways: fresh corn kernels, a little bit of cornmeal, plus crunchy Corn Flakes.

This will take you back to the flavor of all those canned cream-of-mushroom-soup-based casseroles, but without all the weird ingredients!

These are easier to make than most rolls, really.

One size does not fit all

These pillowy steamed buns are delicious in all the same ways as Parker House rolls, with the sweet flavor of cornmeal.

A true Southerner wouldn’t dare add sugar to this cornbread recipe, but a Yankee might miss it. Do what you will; we don’t judge.

The pieces of butter in the batter melt as the hushpuppies fry, making them extra moist and luscious. This recipe is from Buxton Hall, one of the Hot 10, America's Best New Restaurants 2016.

Trust: You want your polenta to be creamy, not sandy. Here's how it's done.

Ultrarich and almost custardy in the middle, this is the kind of appetizer you should serve before a dinner of celery sticks.

Ras-el-hanout is a Moroccan spice blend that contains several warming spices (such as cinnamon and nutmeg) with a little ginger and chile for heat. If you can’t find it, use garam masala instead.

Bob’s Red Mill makes a coarse cornmeal that’s perfect for these, but don’t stress if you can’t find it. A finer grind will just have less crunch.

Biscuits and gravy meet loaded nachos.

If we had our way, we'd eat corn every at every meal. Oh, wait a second: With these 22 sweet and savory recipes with cornmeal, polenta, masa, and corn grits, we can—and will.

If you can’t find currants (check the farmers’ market first), use any other berry or a mix.

Equal parts fruit crumble and coffee cake, this not-too-sweet dessert starts out bright pink but bakes to a toasty golden brown.

We like this textured, molasses-tinged loaf with a mix of seeds, but you can simplify by using a larger amount of just a couple of them.

“Good for dessert but even better for breakfast.” –Brad Leone, test kitchen manager

Chef Ryan Pera, Coltivare Pizza & Garden, Houston, learned the art of arepas from his sister-in-law. Now, this recipe is his easy Sunday meal of choice, packed with leftovers or farm-fresh produce.

Try a combination of strawberries and rhubarb in this buckle-inspired breakfast cake.

A simple, straightforward cornbread that we’d happily serve alongside a bowl of chili on any other day of the year.

We recommend using a finely ground cornmeal for these; it will give them the ideal texture.

If you don’t have (or can’t spare) a cast-iron skillet, this can also be finished off in an 8x8” glass dish for baking.