Carla Hall 
A man who had never made chili in his life once entered his church cook-off. He didn’t improvise or guess. He pulled out a cookbook, followed the recipe exactly, and walked away with first place. That’s the kind of story this Brenda Gantt chili recipe earns. It’s a big-pot, cold-weather chili built from ground beef, … Read more
There’s something comforting about a pecan pie that doesn’t ask you to roll out dough or dirty a pastry cutter. This Brenda Gantt pecan pie recipe does exactly that: the crust gets pressed straight into the pie plate with your fingers, no rolling pin required, and the filling comes together in one bowl. It’s classic … Read more
If you’ve spent any time watching Brenda Gantt’s cooking videos, you’ve probably seen her roll dough out paper-thin, tuck in a spoonful of apple filling, and fry up a batch of golden hand pies while talking to the camera like you’re standing right there in her kitchen. That’s exactly where this Brenda Gantt fried apple … Read more
Most vanilla paste recipes ask you to wait. Steep whole beans in alcohol, tuck the jar in a dark cabinet, and check back in six months. This Alex Green vanilla paste recipe skips all of that. Everything goes into a blender, and ten minutes later you have a thick, syrupy paste flecked with real vanilla … Read more
The first time I watched Brenda Gantt put this marinated bean salad together, I understood why it turns up on Southern tables from church potlucks to funeral spreads. Five kinds of canned beans, plus corn, get doused in a sweet-tangy vinegar and oil marinade, then left to chill overnight until every bite turns crisp, cold, … Read more
Before I fired up my smoker for this Terry Black brisket recipe, I did what any nosy home cook would do: I read what real diners say. One long Reddit thread began with a photo of a dry, dusty lean slice from the Austin location, and the replies split fast. Some called the place overhyped. … Read more