The crackling bread recipe that follows was one of about a dozen submitted by reader Dewey Moody, who attributed it to a family cookbook titled "Moody Meal Memories," a collection of recipes from "descendants of the I.A. Moody family who live in or around Wayne County, Ga." It was the specialty of a beloved aunt, who also shared with her relatives stories of where those pork cracklings came from during hog-killing time.

"It seemed that no part of the hog was not used in some way," Doris Moody Yarbrough wrote in a family letter many years ago, adding that she would "be glad to detail the process to anyone who is interested."

LOUIE FAVORITE/AJC (ENLARGE)

Chef Dave Roberts serves crackling corn bread with braised kale, creamed Vidalia onions and stuffed chicken.

Family photo (ENLARGE)

Doris Moody Yarbrough of Canton taught home economics at Cherokee High School for over 30 years.

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She did recount how her father liked to eat chitlins with vinegar and salt — even though no one else in the family would eat them and they "made the house smell terrible for days" when cooked inside. (She and her siblings would beg their stepmother to cook them outdoors in the washpot.)

Chef Dave Roberts, the former chef of Sam & Dave's BBQ1 & BBQ2 restaurants who is developing a new Southern restaurant, was interested in trying her recipe in his own well-seasoned skillet. He was so pleased with the result he decided to develop a main course and vegetable side dish to complement it for a slightly updated blue-plate special. (He suggests rounding out the plate with country ham-stuffed chicken, creamed onions and braised kale or other greens.)

The contributor: Dewey E. Moody, a native of Jesup who graduated from the University of Georgia and remains "a big Bulldog fan." An employee of Alcoa (the aluminum company) in Norcross, he lives in Grayson with his wife, Brenda Brownlee Moody, who taught for 32 years at Grayson Elementary, the school she attended as a child. He comes from a long line of "outstanding" traditional Southern cooks.

The story: "My aunt, the late Doris Moody Yarbrough, of Canton taught home economics at Cherokee High School for over 30 years and later served as assistant principal. During her career, she received many accolades including Georgia's Teacher of the Year and the National Teacher of the Year. She was also the first female to serve as chairman of the board at Canton First United Methodist Church.

"Aunt Doris was a 'lady' in every sense of the word — gracious, kind, charming and hospitable. One of her close friends, Marguerite Cline of Cherokee County, described her by Lionel Richie's song, 'Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady.'

"Aunt Doris was raised in the tiny Wayne County community of Brentwood (near Jesup). Her mother died young, so Doris at about age 12 became 'mother' to four siblings for a while. Later, her father remarried, and she as well as her siblings were fortunate that their stepmother was a wonderful Southern lady who imparted to them the manners and graciousness of Southern living.

"Aunt Doris did not have any children, so as a nephew, I was lucky enough to often feast at her dinner table. Her cracklin' corn bread was delicious — especially when right out of the oven. Her angel flake biscuits were incredible, and she often made and decorated the wedding cake when someone in the family got married. She enjoyed sharing stories of long ago, including hog killing and the ice wagon coming. She was just a wealth of knowledge about food and gracious living."

Doris Moody Yarbrough's Cracklin' Corn Bread
6 servings

Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 25-30 minutes

The only change chef Dave Roberts made in the original recipe was cutting back on the cracklings (he thought a cup was too overpowering for modern tastes). Cracklings (the crunchy fried bits of pork skin) are available near the meat section at most supermarkets.

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
3/4 cup cracklings
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk (more or less)
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
1 cup self-rising flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and heat until oil is very hot. Meanwhile, chop cracklings into fine pieces. Soak in small amount of hot water about 10 minutes; drain. In a medium bowl, beat egg, remaining 2 tablespoons oil and buttermilk until blended. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal and flour. Add wet ingredients and mix only until dry ingredients are blended with liquid. Fold in cracklings. Pour into hot skillet and bake until cooked through, about 15 to 18 minutes.

Per serving: 257 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 7 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 12 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 53 milligrams cholesterol, 576 milligrams sodium.

Country Ham-stuffed Chicken With Creamed Sweet Onions
4 servings

Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Spring Vidalia onions are baby Vidalias with the green part growing out of the top. They look like fat green onions. They're coming into season now, so they should be available at most markets.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or thighs
4 slices sugar-cured country ham
4 spring Vidalia onions
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
Dave's Creamed Sweet Onions (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butterfly the chicken breast halves or place the thighs between sheets of plastic wrap and pound lightly to flatten. Add a piece of ham to fit end to end but not stick out too much on the side. Cut a similar length of the green part from the spring onion, wash and lay on top of the ham. Then fold over the chicken and tie with a piece of string.

In a cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

Place the flour on a bowl or plate and season with salt and pepper. Roll each piece of chicken in the flour, then place in the skillet. Brown the chicken on one side, then turn. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Serve with creamed onions,

Per serving (including onions): 409 calories (percent of calories from fat, 37), 36 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 17 grams fat (5 grams saturated), 89 milligrams cholesterol, 461 milligrams sodium.

Dave's Creamed Sweet Onions
8 servings

Hands on: 20 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

Chef Dave Roberts thought this homey side dish inspired by one his mother used to make would go perfectly with crackling corn bread. To time this dinner perfectly, start the onions boiling while you assemble the stuffed chicken. Once the onion casserole is in the oven, you can fry the chicken, then add the pan to the oven to finish everything simultaneously. If Vidalia onions are not available, use another sweet onion, such as Walla Walla. You can add a few slices of the green tops from the spring onions to the casserole for a little color.

3 large Vidalia onions (or other sweet onions such as Walla Walla), large dice
2 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the onions. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, until very tender. Drain the onions, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Slowly whisk in the milk and reserved onion water. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Add the onions and nutmeg; season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 1 quart baking dish or into 8 individual ramekins. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.