As for food in the south. Often not so much what we cook, it's how we cook. You have to let things marry or "jubilee" as dem cajuns call it. For instance something as simple as boxed mac n cheese. Most people add the milk, butter and cheese to the pot and mix it, once mixed they add the noodles back. Instead, before adding the noodles back turn the heat up to foam the milk, butter and cheese and stir continuously until it thickens and starts to scorch then add the noodles. It will marry and impart a "cooked" flavor.
I made Dave and them a pastalaya when they were here. The first step is brown cut up sausage and chicken. Most people would just put it in a pot and stir until browned. I start out with just the sausage on a medium heat to pull oil and fat from the sausage then turn the heat up to brown it and make some of the fat and oil stick to the bottom of the pan. When I remove the sausage I do so with a slotted spoon to leave the grease. Pour in some white cooking whine to de-glaze the bottom of the pot and scrape until it comes up and the whine smell cooks off. Once thats done dump in the cut up boneless skinless chicken thighs and basically fry in the grease to brown. Some people might substitute chicken breast, some people suck. Dark meat chicken with it's fat and oil has way better dish flavor. The next step is to pour in heavy cream and chicken broth, most people would probably add both at the same time and move on. Instead pour in the creme first, add the sausage back and bring it to a boil to marry and get all that flavor in the creme as that's going to be the sauce, then add the broth to thin it down and add in the penne pasta.
Cooking without letting things marry is like building a brick wall without mortar, sure it's there but it's n9ot the same.
