A simple, flavorful supper dish that Miss Lewis used to make at Café Nicholson in the 1940s. Layer pork chops and sugared cranberries in a casserole and bake—the tart berries tenderize the meat and render a delicious sauce. It's a good way to prepare chicken too.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Rinse and dry the pork chops with paper towels. Heat the lard or butter in a heavy sauté pan until quite hot. Brown the pork chops on each side in the hot fat. Remove from the pan, and season well on each side with salt and pepper.

Put a third of the cranberries in the bottom of a small baking dish that will hold the pork chops in two layers. Sprinkle 1/4cup of the sugar over the cranberries. Lay two of the pork chops side by side on top of the sugared cranberries. Top with half of the remaining cranberries, and sprinkle another 1/4cup of sugar over all. Top with the two remaining pork chops, the same as before, and the remaining cranberries and sugar. Place a piece of parchment directly on top of the cranberries, and a piece of foil directly on top of the parchment. Cover the baking dish with a tight-fitting lid, or wrap with a double thickness of foil to seal tightly.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, until pork chops are tender. Taste the cooked cranberries carefully, and add a little salt and black pepper if needed. Serve the pork chops hot with the cranberry sauce spooned over.

Note on Brining for Poultry and Meat

Brining poultry or pork—that is, soaking it in a saltwater solution before cooking—serves a twofold purpose: it helps the flesh retain moisture and seasons it all the way through. To make the brine, stir kosher salt into cold water until dissolved, in the proportion of 1/4 cup salt to 1 quart of water. (Don't use table salt in this formula, by the way; it will be too salty.) Mix enough brine to cover the poultry or meat completely in a (nonreactive bowl) or pot. Store refrigerated for the times specified below:

Preheat the oven to 450°

Mix the cornmeal, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Stir the milk into the beaten eggs, and pour over the dry ingredients in batches, stirring vigorously to make a smooth glossy batter.

Cut the butter into pieces and put it in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or baking pan. Put the skillet in the preheated oven, and heat until the butter is melted and foaming. Remove from the oven, and swirl the butter all around the skillet to coat the bottom and sides thoroughly. Pour the remaining melted butter into the cornbread batter, and stir well until the butter is absorbed into the batter. Turn the batter into the heated skillet, and put in the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes, until cornbread is golden brown and crusty on top and pulls away from the sides of the skillet.

Remove the skillet from the oven, and turn the cornbread out onto a plate. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve the cornbread while it is hot.

Note on Homemade Baking Powder

Distressed by the chemical additives and aftertaste of commercial "double-acting" powders, Miss Lewis years ago started making her own baking powder—a traditional mixture of cream of tartar and baking soda. When I first used her formula (from her books, before we met), I couldn't really taste any difference. Soon, though, I realized that muffins and quick breads made with aluminum-sulfate-based powders left a metallic "tingle" on my tongue. Today, I make up a batch of this powder every week for use at the restaurant and bring a jar home for Miss Lewis. We recommend it for all the recipes here. If necessary, you can substitute commercial baking powder in equal amounts.

Sift 1/4 cup cream of tartar with 2 tablespoons baking soda together 3 times, and transfer to a clean, tight-sealing jar. Store at room temperature, away from sunlight, for up to 6 weeks.

Put the vinegar and sugar in a large nonreactive saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Toss the apples and lemon juice in a large bowl. Put the garlic, ginger, salt, and dried chilis in a food processor, and blend until finely chopped.

Add the apples, garlic mixture, raisins, and mustard seeds to the vinegar-sugar mixture, and simmer, stirring often, until the apples are tender and the chutney has thickened, about 45 minutes.

Spoon the hot chutney into sterilized canning jars, and seal following manufacturer's directions. Or simply put in jars and refrigerate.

Edna Lewis at Café Nicholson

Excerpted from THE GIFT OF SOUTHERN COOKING by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock Copyright 2003 by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.