I recently discovered a menu item at Moe's Original Barbecue   in Birmingham that I have to share with you. They're called Barbecue Nachos. I was so intrigued, I took a snapshot for your viewing pleasure.

Instead of tortilla chips, they use crunchy kettle chips as the base and generously top them with smoked pulled pork, melted cheese, and two sauces. I told my coworkers about it--they loved the idea so much that it inspired our own version of barbecue nachos, coming to a Southern Living issue near you.

Every recipe deserves the chance to succeed. And the success of a recipe depends largely on the quality of the ingredients used. Therefore I thought I would create a list of some of the test kitchen's favorite items and the reasons we love them, to help you become the great southern chefs you aspire to be.  In these economic times it's tempting to always choose generic products, but sometimes it's worth it to spend a little extra.

The watermelon cooler on the July cover screams SUMMER and we knew you guys would love it. It's fast, easy and the best part to me, it uses the rind of the watermelon that generally ends up in the trash can. It's just the thing for that backyard BBQ or kids party this season. But let me tell you, finding that perfect watermelon to grace the cover wasn't easy.

I got the assignment and thought "no problemo." I picked up five good size melons (thinking i was very prepared and would have three left over for sure.)

My neighbor called me Sunday morning.  "Want to come for lunch?  I've got some lady peas and green beans, and I'm going to fry some chicken thighs."  Bruce is a prodigious cook, so I rarely turn down an invitation, but his offer of fried chicken assured my place at the table. He had also made rice and gravy with tomatoes chopped up in it, "I read in a cookbook that this is an old-fashioned trick, so I decided to try it."  It gave the gravy a nice slightly pink color and touch of sweetness.

Q: After I drain cooked spaghetti, I rinse under cold water, then drain well.  However, when I put the pasta in a bowl or on a plate with the sauce, everything seems to water out...and I end up pouring off excess liquid.  What am I doing wrong?

Nikki D.