All three area Casa-Rolls Dinner Drive-Thrus are offering free tastings Saturday to remind customers why their foods are a good fit for the holiday season.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can stop by 3902 Hixson Pike, 1414 Jenkins Road or 4555 N. Lee Highway in Cleveland to sample more than a dozen casseroles and other dishes. These include chicken and dressing, chicken and wild rice, sweet potato soufflé, fresh cranberry sauce, corn pudding, cranberry apple crisp and pumpkin bread pudding with praline topping.

In business since July 2006, Casa-Rolls offers the convenience of a made-from-scratch casserole you can pick up to take home for dinner. It’s completely hassle-free — just heat it up in the oven. The homemade flavor makes this a win-win solution for your own dinner or for gift-giving.

Casa-Rolls dishes and recipes are featured in this month’s issue of At Home Tennessee. Find copies in local bookstores.

I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails from readers asking where they can find whole buttermilk after last week’s story on biscuits. Check out the dairy section at Walmart. You’ll find it there.

The sights, sounds and aromas of the holiday season often stir up a yearning to be at home with family. This year, Folgers is making that happen for five lucky families in its Home for the Holidays contest.

Winners will receive a seven-day, six-night trip in December for themselves and up to three guests to travel to their hometown destination within the 48 contiguous United States.

If you’ve always wanted to go home for Christmas but can’t seem to foot the bill for the family, here’s your chance to make your dream come true.

To enter, go to www.folgers.com and describe what you think is the best part of waking up at home during the holidays. Winners will be announced on or about Nov. 11, so you need to enter no later than Saturday. Each trip includes round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, a rental car, $1,000 spending money and a Folgers gift basket.

Cookbook author Barbara Smith, owner of B. Smith restaurants in New York City, Long Island and Washington, D.C. has a way of making you feel at home when visiting her eateries. She grew up in North Carolina and Virginia, so her recipes offer hints of down-home goodness with currents of modern food trends.

In her latest cookbook, “B. Smith Cooks Southern Style” (Scribner, $35), Ms. Smith goes back to her roots to share the foundations of her cooking. It’s a trip into a world of Southern goodness. Here’s an example.

Braise of Black-Eyed Peas and Greens Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced sweet onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrots

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 cups chopped kale or collard greens, stems discarded

1 cup diced pork, ham or smoked turkey breast

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth

1 1/4 cups (about 10 ounces) dried black-eyed peas or 2 (15-ounce) cans cooked black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional garnish: 1 cup cooked barbecued rib meat, shaved off the bone and chopped

In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots, and sauté for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the bay leaves, kale or collard greens and meat to the pot. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, black-eyed peas, Creole seasoning, oregano and salt and pepper to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until peas are tender. Serve in bowls, garnished with barbecued rib meat, if desired.

If using dried peas: The day before serving, place the dried black-eyed peas in a large bowl. Cover with water and let soak overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Or, to quick-soak peas, place them in a large pot or Dutch oven, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover tightly and let stand for 1 hour, then drain and rinse thoroughly.