Pilgrimage for a beignet -- The pugilist and the cook -- The unfamiliar noodle -- The accidental fast -- Exile and cigars -- Slaw dogs and pepperoni rolls -- A kibbeh in Clarksdale -- Matriarchs of Montgomery -- A lesson in smen -- Death and aquavit -- Trawling for shrimp -- The immortality of Paterson -- Nigerian hustle -- German mustard -- The palace of pastrami -- A tale of two cornbreads.