In Texas, the ubiquitous chicken fried steak is often plated with fries and a buttermilk ranch dressed salad on the same plate, making the ranch the dip of choice for the fries. Robb Walsh, author of Texas Eats, speculates that the popularity of ranch as a dip comes from Texas's cowboy culture, where those gruff dudes used the creamy-tangy dressing to compliment everything from fries to onion rings and even chicken fried steak. And now we know that we have Texas to thank for those little tubs of ranch meant for pizza crust dippage. More

This ice cream is bright and twangy, and as you start making pies and cobblers with every fruit that comes your way, it's the ice cream that you want plopped on top. More

The recipe may look like it calls for a lot of sugar, but it's worth it. This sherbet is lush, velvety and, if I say so myself, better than any I've had from a scoop shop. More

Lekvar is a traditional Jewish plum paste, most often used as a filling in pastries. It is sour and sweet, with a sticky, chocolate richness that warms the back of your tongue and reminds you of the Old Country. Accentuated by the buttermilk's tart barnyard creaminess and bass notes of dark molasses, this is a delicious conclusion to a Passover seder, Easter dinner, or just a long day. More

Remember that retro salad of fruit, marshmallows, and coconut? This is inspired by that creation, but much more grown up. More

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt] Update your fried chicken with these no-cook dipping sauces in under 7 minutes » About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Managing Editor of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home... More

These tender buttermilk cookies have a double hit of lemon: zest in the dough and lemon juice in the glaze. More

These tender apple muffins are spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. More

The cake is moist and tender, with the subtle tang from the buttermilk and just a hint of nutmeg. I soak the layers in a coffee syrup to add additional moisture and flavor, and then cover it with an espresso-flavored Swiss buttercream. More

Moscato wine has a lovely hint of apricot flavor, making this pairing pure stone fruit genius. More