Old Bay may be tasty, but does a Baltimore-born seasoning really belong in the Southern Food Hall of Fame? A playful challenge, plus a worthy Texas Gulf Coast contender: homemade Zippy Cajun.

My neighbor is a smart and funny Southern woman, a successful writer of romantic and teen fiction, a devoted wife, mother and friend, and a wonderful hostess.  She also makes the best pound cake I’ve ever eaten. Christie recently served her homemade sour cream pound cake at…