Cheddar-Scallion Biscuits

Before John Becker knew Megan Scott's real name, he was already a little smitten with the "cheddar scallion biscuit girl." Everyone who worked at the Dripolator Coffeehouse in Asheville, North Carolina, were devotees of Greenlife Grocery's signature savory biscuits—and the lovely baker who made them. They'd been nudging John to ask Megan out on a date, and to his surprise, she came into the coffee shop looking for him, only she didn't know it.Megan had spent the summer learning from The Joy of Cooking—a book she'd heard regarded as the bible. When she heard that the original author’s great-grandson worked at Dripolator, she marched over and asked the barista to confirm the rumor. John turned beet red. She asked him out, he made coq au vin for her soon after, and within a week, the two were living together.The couple is now taking on the monumental task of updating the much-beloved cookbook for the first time since 2006, and they're well aware of the place it holds in people's hearts. Some sections and recipes will be lovingly relegated to past editions, others will remain unchanged, and still others will be refreshed. Under John and Megan’s careful stewardship, new recipe, ingredient, and technique additions will reflect the changing face of American cooking, but at least one recipe will be making its debut in Joy's pages for sentimental reasons: these cheddar scallion biscuits.The buttermilk dough bakes atop a pile of grated cheddar, bringing not just a wonderfully caramelized flavor, but a clever textural element in the form of crisp, lacy "feet" that form around the bottom or each biscuit. Add a hefty amount of chopped scallion into the mix and it's a savory, joyous match for the ages. —Kat Kinsman