60 school recipes

Chicken, okra and sausage gumbo: dark-roux Louisiana stew with smoked sausage, fresh okra and tomatoes, simmered low and slow for 2 hours. Authentic Creole one-pot done the old-school way.

Old-school chocolate layer cake with a tender, fudgy crumb thanks to the boiling water trick. Unsweetened chocolate, cake flour, and triple-sifted dry goods build classic bakery-style layers.

Ground beef and spinach scramble with eggs, Tabasco, and Parmesan, inspired by San Francisco's old-school Italian diners. A hearty one-skillet breakfast or dinner.

Baked stuffed manicotti the old-school way: pasta tubes packed with a beef and mozzarella filling, blanketed in a homemade tomato sauce simmered an hour with fennel seed and herbs, then baked bubbling under more cheese.

Southern pigs' tails and lima beans, slow-simmered with onion, garlic, and sweet bell peppers for deep pork-infused flavor. Old-school soul food stew where inexpensive pork cuts make rich, sticky broth.

A Boston landmark recipe: Durgin-Park's corn bread made with cornmeal, flour, eggs, milk, and butter, baked hot and fast for a golden crust and tender crumb. Old-school New England simplicity.

Chili with beans built the old-school way: overnight soaked pintos, three kinds of meat, and a slow simmer that coaxes out real depth. Cumin, cayenne, and jalapeños do the talking.

Pennsylvania Dutch chicken corn soup with saffron-yellow broth, tender noodles, sweet corn, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Old-school county-fair comfort food.

Chicken liver and spaghetti bake combines ground beef, sauteed chicken livers, and slow-simmered tomato sauce over thin spaghetti. Hearty old-school baked pasta casserole with deep meaty flavor.

Baked spaghetti casserole with ground beef, tomato soup, cream of mushroom soup, green pepper, and melted cheese. Old-school comfort food the whole family will devour.

Liver, bacon and onions done right: beef liver soaked in milk to mellow its bite, dredged, pan-fried until just pink, then simmered in a savory herb gravy with crisp bacon and sweet onions. Old-school comfort food.

Classic Coquilles St-Jacques with a curry twist. Poached scallops in a creamy curry-mushroom sauce, piped into shell dishes with buttery mashed potato borders, then broiled golden. Old-school French elegance.

British pork belly and pig's kidney casserole slow-braised with celery, onion, orange zest, and rosemary, then chilled overnight for depth. Old-school nose-to-tail comfort food from the English kitchen.

Layered baked pasta casserole with hot Italian sausage, creamy spinach, and a ricotta topping. Old-school comfort food that feeds six in under an hour.

Beige brownies are old-school blondies built on brown sugar, vanilla, and chopped walnuts. One bowl, one pan, butterscotch-toned crumb. The chocolate-free brownie worth knowing.

Old-school Italian focaccia built on a two-stage rise, olive oil, and unbleached flour. A chewy, golden flatbread ready for any topping from rosemary to olives.