Toast

For Derby Day indulgence or a post-Thanksgiving lunch, this Kentucky favorite can’t be beat.

Among the easiest appetizers ever.

On this melty toast, the burrata comes in at the end, but it’s most definitely the star.

Kabocha squash, which has a wonderfully creamy texture and tastes like a cross between a pumpkin and sweet potato, makes a great topping for toast.

Chopping the burrata makes the cheese on these toasts even more voluptuously creamy.

People always want bread to dip into their clam broth, so why not put the clams right on the bread from the get-go?

Doubling down on proteins in recipes shows sophistication and speaks to a hallmark of Soul cuisine—utilizing the entire animal. Chicken hearts are an underutilized part of the chicken. They provide an earthiness to dishes that allows fattier, delectable morsels of food to stand tall. You can find this same quality in mushrooms, but I think hearts are a fun way to explore new techniques.

Smoked oysters are succulent and salty with a creamy texture that pairs beautifully with bright, acidic flavors. The egg spread provides another layer of richness. These may seem like disparate components of a menu, but each one brings something to the meal in terms of flavor, texture, aroma, and appearance to create a memorable experience.

This is bread topped with an easy chile-pecan paste that can be used in so many different ways, but the paste spread on some bread and topped with slices of Brie, sprinkled with sugar, and then broiled.