Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2025 i Southern Living

THE FIRST TIME Ivy Odom showed up on my radar was in January 2017, when she was still fresh out of culinary school. I’d gotten word that a young Test Kitchen Professional was making a showstopping dessert that I really needed to see. So I went upstairs to our Food Studios, the sprawling space where we create and photograph recipes, and there was Ivy, putting the finishing touches on an 18-layer chocolate cake. She called it a “little layer cake,” and a small crowd of food stylists and recipe developers had gathered to watch because they had never heard of such a thing. Sounding like a seasoned cook far beyond her years, Ivy talked about the dessert’s origins in parts of Georgia and Alabama and how her great-grandmother had often…

FORM AND FUNCTION were top of mind when designing a bath for this Arlington, Virginia, couple, one of whom uses a wheelchair. “We wanted to make sure it was livable for both of them,” says interior designer Sara Swabb of Storie Collective, who partnered with Tanya Smith-Shiflett of Unique Kitchens and Baths on the space. While the pair made decisions specifically with accessibility in mind, their choices are smart for any bath, as they support changing needs over the years. “I always want to make sure a project is going to outlive my time in the home,” says Sara. “Building for longevity, not for a quick turnaround, is important.” Here’s how to design a bath that is aesthetically pleasing and easy to navigate. Choose Nonslip Tiles A checkerboard pattern of…

ADVENTURES IN TRAVEL AND CULTURE IN THE SOUTH, friendliness is not a passing state but a way of life. Warm greetings are practically expected wherever you go. Casual interactions at the post office or a coffee shop easily turn into conversations. And if you ask a stranger for directions or a restaurant recommendation, you’ll usually get an eager response. But then there are the people who go above and beyond when it comes to creating a sense of welcome. Nominated by readers and Southern Living editors, these places take pride in helping others, building connections, and making everyone feel at home. BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA BOTTEGA Fine dining that feels like a hug Like a beloved Broadway show, Bottega is the kind of place where everyone performs their roles so well that…

THE FIRE STARTS WITH PECAN WOOD, burning down to glowing coals. Three cinder blocks hold up a well-worn cast-iron pot. Chef BJ Dennis crouches low to spread the coals just right to control the heat. He begins with the aromatics: onions, garlic, and herbs. Then come the meat and water, followed by the rice. It’s an ancestral choreography, rooted in memory and muscle. The result is perloo: a comforting one-pot Gullah Geechee dish that traces back to the days when rice was locally harvested rather than imported; when sweetgrass fanner baskets were made to separate rice grains from their husks rather than to hang on walls as art; when cookware was limited, seasonings were minimal, and cooking outdoors over coals was simply how it was done. Not many people are…

SOUTHERN COOKING AT ITS BEST 1. Pork Chops with Apples and Cider ACTIVE 15 MIN. - TOTAL 25 MIN. SERVES 4 2 Tbsp. canola oil4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in rib-cut pork chops (about 3 lb. total)1 tsp. black pepper3¼ tsp. kosher salt, divided3 small red apples, cut into ½-inch wedges (about 4 cups)1 small yellow onion, sliced (1 cup)2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage, plus whole leaves for garnish1½ Tbsp. all-purpose flour1½ cups apple cider2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high. Sprinkle both sides of pork with pepper and 3 teaspoons salt. Add 2 pork chops to hot skillet; cook, undisturbed, until browned on 1 side, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat cooking process with remaining pork chops. Cover…

Herby Cloverleaf Rolls Beer is the secret ingredient to making rolls from a mix taste homemade. ACTIVE 30 MIN. - TOTAL 1 HOUR, 25 MIN. MAKES 12 1 cup pilsner beer (from 1 [12-oz.] bottle)1 (16-oz.) pkg. hot roll mix with yeast packet (such as Pillsbury)½ tsp. kosher salt⅓ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as chives, thyme, and flat-leaf parsley), divided1 large egg, at room temperature8 Tbsp. melted salted butter, divided⅓-½ cup all-purpose flour, as needed, plus more for work surfaceFlaky sea salt 1. Heat beer in a small saucepan over medium until temperature reaches 120°F to 130°F, about 1 minute, 30 seconds. 2. Whisk together roll mix, yeast packet from mix, salt, and ¼ cup herbs in a large bowl. Add beer, egg, and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir…

I LOVE THOSE commercials, bankrolled by the telecommunications giants, about how far we have come in our technology. Cell phone towers rise from the pines. Satellites glide among the stars. They hire healthy-looking, neatly dressed young people to tell us that they have linked up the world to all points of itself. They show us maps to back it up. If you believe their graphics, there is not one dead spot, not a single cone of silence, in the entire United States. These people lie. I live in the country. I know better. Out here, my smartphone is useless, unless you need something to balance a wobbly table or throw at a mean cat. It has a nice heft to it; you might could even use it to drive a…

WHAT WE’RE LOVING, SHARING, AND CELEBRATING IT WAS ON A ROAD TRIP from Georgia to California nearly 20 years ago when Mandy Rovolis and Steve O’Shea fell in love and started dreaming up 3 Porch Farm. “We were already kind of friends, but by day two, I knew: ‘We’re going to be together forever,’” recalls Mandy. In 2011, the O’Sheas spotted a 9-acre plot of land in Comer, Georgia, on Craigslist, bringing them from the West Coast back to Mandy’s home state. Although Steve is a California native, he’d been enamored with the area since first visiting there in 2003. “The idea of a porch just embodied all the romantic beauty of the South to me,” he says of the inspiration behind the farm’s name. “And when we found this…

BESIDES THE ENTICING aroma of freshly made muffins and croissants, what’s most striking about Andy’s Artisan Bread—a husband-and-wife-run bakery that sits within a block or so of the Kentucky State Capitol—is the eclectic mix of foot traffic coming through the door. Legislators and lobbyists in suits chat with families while a city councilman exchanges first-name pleasantries with constituents, young and old, in line. The staff greets everyone with the same warm welcome, and customers leave smiling, with a half dozen pastries in hand, knowing the goodness they’re about to enjoy. This is Frankfort in a nutshell. Because of its smallish size, Kentucky’s capital (population 28,000) is a city where neighborliness and politics go hand in hand. It has, at times, been overshadowed by larger nearby destinations like Louisville or Lexington,…

WHOEVER SAID “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” could have been talking about my freezer. When I store a container of leftover soup in there, I really do believe that, on some unknown day in the future, I will remember to defrost and reheat it for an effortless meal. Same with the mystery casserole with that layer of ice on top and the two-for-one packs of drumsticks that I purchased who knows how many months ago. The reality: Frozen chicken just won’t cut it in a 6 p.m. pinch. I finally had to be honest with myself. Despite even my very best plans, my freezer is often where food goes to die—with a few exceptions. I thought about the items that I actually do pull out and…

Butter-Pecan Bread ACTIVE 30 MIN. - TOTAL 2 HOURS, 45 MIN., PLUS 3 HOURS COOLING SERVES 10 1 cup unsalted butterBaking spray2 large eggs, at room temperature1 large egg yolk, at room temperature¾ cup sour cream, at room temperature¾ cup packed dark brown sugar⅓ cup granulated sugar2 tsp. vanilla extract1¼ tsp. kosher salt1⅔ cups all-purpose flour1½ tsp. baking powder½ cup, plus 3 Tbsp. chopped pecans, dividedBrown Butter Glaze (recipe follows) 1. Cook butter in a light-colored skillet over medium, stirring constantly, until solids are caramel colored and butter has a nutty aroma, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Let stand until cool to the touch, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. For tips on making brown butter, turn to page 106. 2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an…

BEAUTIFUL SPACES FOR A BETTER LIFE “THE BONES were great. And that’s where the list stopped,” says Baton Rouge designer Anne Underwood with a laugh, recalling her first impression of the traditional 1970s home she purchased back in 2016. However, its spot in the Stanford Place neighborhood—just a stone’s throw from Louisiana State University’s revered Tiger Stadium—was unbeatable. Nestled on a tree-lined street within walking distance of the famous University Lakes (with whooping cranes, roseate spoonbills, and great white pelicans), it was all about location, location, location. The house’s quirks, such as the laminate countertops and vinyl floors, could be fixed, but the position in town was irreplaceable. Anne’s passion for decorating was sparked during her childhood in Baton Rouge, going to estate sales with her mother, Susie, and then…

Appetizers Southern Seven-Layer Dip, P. 96 Breads Butter-Pecan Bread, P. 102 Dressing Cornbread, P. 100 Garlic-Brown Butter Crescent Rolls, P. 100 Herby Cloverleaf Rolls, P. 98 Mains Barbecue Chicken Hand Pies, P. 94 Beer-Braised Pot Roast, P. 91 Chicken No-Pot Pie, P. 91 Easy Pumpkin Soup with Chipotle Grilled Cheese, P. 91 Ham-and-Pimiento Cheese Hand Pies, P. 94 Lowcountry Perloo with Short Ribs, Shrimp, and Oysters, P. 71 One-Pot Chicken Perloo, P. 71 Pepperoni Pizza Hand Pies, P. 94 Pork Chops with Apples and Cider, P. 91 Sides Roasted Delicata Squash, P. 17 Stuffed Delicata Squash, P. 17 Sweets Apple Biscuit Pudding, P. 86 Apple Butter Pie, P. 82 Apple Upside-Down Cake, P. 87 Brown Butter-Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie, P. 105 Dried-Apple Hand Pies, P. 86 Iced Oatmeal Skillet…