Bella Sera, the food and wine benefit for Chattanooga Endeavors, had a great sixth year, according to event organizers. I was happy to have been able to go for the first time.

Renaissance Park is a great setting for outdoor eating. It’s not as busy as neighboring Coolidge Park, and it’s shady. The walk is easy, and the wildflowers are spectacular.

What’s your favorite picnic food? For many, it’s fried chicken. Bi-Lo has a new recipe that’s quite good. Never frozen and hand-breaded, it has a much fresher taste than the Bi-Lo fried chicken of old.

New on the market: I recently tasted two new products worthy of mention — Wickles Pickles (Bi-Lo, Publix) and Wright Bacon (Wal-Mart).

Wickles Pickles are amazing and different from dill, bread-and-butter and other common varieties. There are several varieties (banana peppers, relish, red pepper strips), but my favorites are the traditional Wickles Pickles. Your first crisp bite have you thinking dill, then the next crunch has you thinking sweet. The final bite has a little kick to it.

When your assembling a bacon cheeseburger or BLT, try adding a slice or two of Wright Bacon. I’ve never been a big fan of thick-sliced bacon because I never could get it crisp enough without overcooking. I didn’t have that problem with Wright’s. There are several varieties, including maple-flavored and hardwood-smoked. I thought the peppered bacon was best for my BLT.

I rarely watch TV’s Food Network. After writing about food all week, I need to escape from it for a while. That said, I’ve had a cookbook sitting on my desk for a few weeks now that has generated a lot of attention. When people see it, they say, “I love those people. Have you ever seen them on the Food Network?”

Now that Patrick and Gina Neely have come out with their first cookbook, “Down Home With the Neelys,” which is also the name of their show, I think I’ll be checking the TV listings.

“They’re so funny,” several co-workers have told me. When I started reading the book, I realized they are serious foodies, too. They come from a long line of good cooks, and they are also proprietors of Neely’s Bar-B-Que restaurants in Memphis and Nashville.

I plan to tune in their TV show as well as take a trip to Nashville to check out their ’cue. Until then, I can get a taste of it at home. I found several recipes to my liking in their cookbook. The book sleeve touts that they’re all “tried-and-true Southern favorites.”

Barbecue Spaghetti

This dish, served at Neely’s Bar-B-Que, caught on like wildfire once diners hesitantly accepted samples, Pat Neely said.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup diced yellow onion

1/2 cup diced green pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups Neely’s Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)

2 pounds cooked spaghetti

2 pounds smoked pork, beef or chicken, coarsely chopped

Hot sauce, optional

Place olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking until the vegetables have softened, 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in the barbecue sauce and simmer about 5 minutes, until slightly reduced. When you’re ready to serve the dish, add the spaghetti, smoked meat and hot sauce, if desired; toss well to combine. Makes 8-10 servings.

Neely’s Barbecue Sauce

2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon Neely’s Barbecue Seasoning (instructions follow)

Combine all ingredients in a large pot or Dutch oven; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Reduce the temperature to very low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cool and use as needed. Stored in a tightly sealed container, this sauce will keep for about 2 months.

Neely’s Barbecue Seasoning: Stir together 1 1/2 cups paprika, 3/4 cup sugar and 3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder. Stored in airtight container in cool dry place, this will last up to 6 months.