Lizzy, I think that's an even better idea than chicken on the bone, and here chicken is removed from the bone, added to the gravy and spooned over the waffles, much like your version I'd guess, except the chicken is fried. Many times chicken "strips" or "fingers" are used. Renee, you're right about regional dishes even within a state. Elery moved to Michigan when he was 11, but he spent his childhood in Tennessee and had never heard of chicken and waffles, although I thought it was a "southern thing". He was astounded when I dragged out the sorghum molasses to put on my cornbread, and said that was a southern thing but I've been doing it all my life and I was born here in Michigan. Of course, he claims that Grandma had to be from the south because of the way she cooked, but she grew up in Ohio. A little searching revealed that Grandma's stepmother, who raised her from a very young age and taught her to cook, was from Kentucky. So some of her cooking "migrated" to Michigan with Grandma and my kids grew up eating what is considered by some to be "traditional southern cooking". I guess after a couple of generations, the way people move around, anything can become a regional specialty! As for the chicken and waffles with syrup, I know a lot of people who will cover their sausage with syrup when they have breakfast, so chicken with syrup is no stranger than that, I've just always seen it served with gravy and never for breakfast. Annie

OK! Jelly and cola. The Strawberry jam is an addition which the most popular K*F*C* restaurant in Los Angeles has listed on their sauce ingredient list. I thought it really strange at first reading - also I do not like strawberry jam. The ingredient list also has "soda pop". I thought about the mix of flavours and came up with cola. I must admit I do not use P*ep*si or Co*ke because of the HFCS. I purchase cola from Whole Foods which is made with cane sugar. I have grape jam on my "must try in this recipe" list. This recipe is a sweet/hot/savory recipe so the jam and cola contrubite to the sweet and take some of the blazing heat away from the Korean Red Pepper Paste. For substitutions I would say the jam could be replaced with ketchup or plain tomato paste. You could try pure apple juice in place of the cola. It is my intention to make this with frozen pineapple juice concentrate in place of the strawberry jam. I hope that by summer I will have 3 variations - all will be hot & spicy. For another variation I will try using a sweet southern style BBQ sauce with added garlic and sesame oil on this crispy cooked chicken. However you make it be sure to double fry because this is how you get that c r u n c h!! Now I am working on a Korean Fried Shrimp - must use JUMBO shrimp because must double fry. DL

Chicken Tamale Casserole 1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided 1/3 cup fat-free milk (I used 1%) 1/4 cup egg substitute (I used 1 egg) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn 1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White) I used Jiffy 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained Cooking spray 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso) 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 1. Preheat oven to 400°. 2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9Âinch baking dish coated with cooking spray. 3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. (I poured about 3/4 of the enchilada sauce over the base, then I poured the remainder over the chicken after I added it.) Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream. Calories: 354 (36% from fat) Fat: 14.1g (sat 7.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.2g) Protein: 18.9g Carbohydrate:36.3g Fiber:2.5g Cholesterol:58mg Iron:1.7mg Sodium:620mg Calcium:179mg

Banana Cream Pie 2 cups milk 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch pinch of salt Mix together and cook in microwave for 6 or 8 minutes stirring every 2 minutes. Each microwave is different. When it is thick stir in 4 egg yolks. Add 3 or 4 sliced bananas that have been put in orange or lemon juice or I use 7-up so they dont turn black. Put in either a baked pie crust or a graham cracker crust. You can make a meringue for on the pie with the egg yolks. I have never put the meringue on the graham cracker crust though. I like whip cream on it better. Coconut cream pie use the same recipe as above but add a 1/2 cup of toasted coconut instead of bananas. I toast the coconut in the microwave starting out a minute at a time and then stirring it and then less time each time. If you dont stir it around it will burn in some places and it will burn very quickly so watch it closely