If you love spicy food, I mean, really, really LOVE all things fiery and flavorful, then you’re ready for Nashville Style Hot Chicken.

I’m telling you, this atomic fried chicken is guaranteed to burn your face off. Ah, the eye-watering pain. The mouth-burning agony. It hurts (and tastes) so good.

Yes, there are a lot of spicy fried chicken recipes out there. But what makes Nashville Style Hot Chicken so unique is the “sauce” that is brushed, dipped or poured over the chicken just before serving. That sauce is so delicious; you have to serve it with a slice or two of good old-fashioned white bread to soak up all the drippy goodness.

Oh, and you definitely need some good pickles to gussy-up the plate. That’s part of the presentation. You don’t want to go to all the trouble of making Nashville Style Hot Chicken and leave off a traditional garnish!

Several (now famous) places in Nashville have been serving Hot Chicken for decades. But as we all know, it only takes one hip website or famous food show star to get the rest of the country clamoring for the next BIG THING RIGHT NOW.

But what in the world is Nashville Style Hot Chicken anyway? How it came into being is absolutely fascinating, but, then again, I love food history and how it defines our culture, and in this case, a city.

Give a read to Dr. Rachel Martin’s post on the website The Bitter Southerner to understand how Nashville’s so-called signature dish stayed hidden in plain sight for so long before exploding into the mainstream.

Hattie B’s in Nashville, which offers five heat levels, including “Shut the Cluck Up”, inspired my Nashville Style Hot Chicken recipe. I’ve changed it a bit by adding some spices to the flour. Like Hattie B’s recipe, I dredge the chicken pieces (breasts, thighs and legs only) twice in the flour before frying.

But I don’t add quite as much cayenne pepper as Hattie B’s because, well, I may be a little high strung, but I’m not crazy.

Read this recipe all the way through before you begin. I just heard you gasp. That’s right, one of the ingredients in the secret sauce is one cup of the hot oil from the skillet where the chicken is fried.

But, like I always say, you don’t eat like this every day, and I know how much you love fried chicken!

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What’s the difference between a crisp and a crumble? 

Heck if I know.

I spent most of the morning researching this question and came to only one conclusion: they both have deliciously baked seasonal fruit buried under a warm, sweet and buttery streusel-like blanket.

Some recipes say crisps have oats, while others argue that only crumbles have oats. The name “crumble” originated in England, but that’s about the only historic tidbit I could find (which actually isn’t very helpful, but interesting if you’re like me and love trivia). I confess, don’t know where the word “crisp” came from.

This recipe for crisp is not only gluten-free, it’s super easy to make. I used Honeycrisp apples because they’re my favorite and they don’t dry out like other apples (I’m looking at you, Red Delicious).

Any seasonal fruit will work. Fresh berries give you a jammy and juicy compote, while peaches and pears are more pie-like. Don’t use frozen fruit or you’ll wind up with a dessert that won’t be a crisp or a crumble, just a soggy mess!

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Winter squash reminds me of football players. Not just because they’re both in season right now, but because they’re low in fat, usually large and have really tough skins (yet somehow manage to be pretty sweet on the inside!).

These vegetables are  also incredibly versatile and can be substituted for each other. They’re also high in vitamins and antioxidants… and they’ll keep for weeks if you store them in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place (I’m not sure football players would like that).

When choosing winter squash, here’s what to look for:
• Firm, hard skin
• Deep rich color (lots of beta-carotene)
• Heavy for it’s size

These are some of the more popular winter squash and a few links to delicious recipes from other fantastic food bloggers:

Acorn Squash

One of the most popular in America. It’s a little bland, which may be why it’s used in so many recipes.

Image from Melissa’s Produce

Banana Squash

These are the huge… really, really huge. Halloween pumpkins can get big and round… these get big and long. When you see cut up slabs of squash in the supermarket, it’s probably one of these.

Buttercup Squash

Dark green, dense and squat, sometimes with a turban on top, these squash are amazingly sweet.

Butternut Squash

A very distinctive squash with a buff-skin and long, straight solid neck and round bottom. Amazing flavor and versatility makes this the perfect all-purpose squash.

Carnival Squash

The party animal in the squash family, these pumpkin-shaped squash are splashed with fall colors and have a sweet potato-like flavor.

Delicata Squash

Yellow or cream colored with dark green strips running down their oblong shape, these squash are easy to peel and are great for filling.

Hubbard Squash

Don’t let the “wart” covered skin keep you from trying this delicious squash in any of its color combinations (orange, blue or slate)!

Kabocha Squash

Also known as Japanese pumpkin, the green, almost square-shaped Kabocha is similar to buttercup squash with a nice sweet flavor.

Spaghetti Squash

Substitute this lovely yellow squash for whole-wheat spaghetti and you’ll save 75-percent of the calories! Available year-round put peaks from early fall through winter.

Need some help in the kitchen, but your volunteers are barely able to see over the counter top? Don’t despair… put them to work!

I’ve said it again and again, but some of my best memories are of being with my kids in the kitchen. It’s where they can learn about food, as well as some very basic life skills. They’ll also learn about kitchen safety and cleanliness, something that they’ll use the rest of their lives.

But, most important: make sure YOU have the time to help them! You don’t want to be rushing to get dinner on the table. You’ll need a lot of patience because the first few times they assist you, they’re not going to know what to do!

Kids from about 3-years-old can start helping (if they want!). I’m not a slave driver, but getting kids in the kitchen is a great way for them to learn about team work and that cooking can be fun.

Kids like to eat what they’ve had a hand in preparing, so you might get them to try some foods they’ve vowed they’d never eat. Most important, you’ll get the chance to really be with them… to hear their stories and inner secrets. And, if you have more than one child helping you, learn how to stand back and just listen to the conversation between and among them.

That’s how Mama finds out what’s REALLY going on in their lives…

For a breakdown on age-appropriate tasks, and more ideas on how to get your kids in the kitchen, Click Here.