1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut eight 6-inch squares of foil and arrange them on a baking sheet. (Each square of foil will hold its own biscuit.)

2. In a medium bowl stir together the Parmigiano, Fontina, mayonnaise, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl whisk together the 2 1/2 cups flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to combine. Using a fork or a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry mixture until butter pieces are the size of small peas. Add the buttermilk and stir until dough comes together.

4. Once the dough is manageable, flour your work surface and turn the dough onto it. Fold dough in on itself about four times, kneading gently and taking care not to overwork it. Incorporate more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to work surface. Roll dough into a 10-inch square that is 1/2-inch thick.

5. Cut the dough into sixteen 2 1/2-inch squares. Coat each of the foil squares on the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Put one biscuit square in the middle of each foil square. Top each biscuit with a scant 3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture and about 1 tablespoon Little Green Dress. Top each with one of the remaining biscuits. Do not press down or try to crimp the edges. Lift the sides of the foil square up the sides of the biscuit. Repeat with remaining biscuits. Each biscuit stack should look like a foil package with an open top. (Do not close or seal the packages. If you do, the biscuits will steam instead of brown.)

6. Slide the pan onto the middle rack of your oven and bake 22 to 25 minutes, until they are browned a bit on top. Serve them warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 sandwiches.

Little Green Dress

1. In a small food processor mince the shallots and garlic, then stir them together in a small bowl with the red wine vinegar. (We want the shallots to pickle a bit, so set mixture aside about 20 minutes.)

2. Meanwhile, mince the olives, capers, and anchovies in the food processor. Transfer to a medium bowl. Pick the leaves and small stems from the parsley and the leaves from the mint; mince in the food processor. (It may take a little while to get them all fully processed.) Transfer herbs to the bowl with the olive mixture.

3. Add the pickled shallot mixture, lemon zest, lemon juice, hot sauce, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl with everything else. Stir it all together and let the vinegary puddle of green sit for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving. Makes 2 cups.

Notes from Vivian Howard

Based on an Eastern North Carolina gas station tradition where a knob of hoop cheese is stuffed in the middle of a day-old biscuit and baked again in foil, these biscuits get crispy and the cheese melts around the edges like a lace skirt. I've gilded the lily on something pretty shiny already and stuffed some LGD in there with the cheese. The biscuit itself is the brainchild of my coworker Justise Robbins. They are excellent all on their own. The cheese filling is a modified version of my tomato pie topping and the LGD Is a gift from heaven.

Little Green Dress can be kept refrigerated in a sealed container up to 1 month. (Don't relegate it to the freezer. Little Green Dress doesn't respond to the lack of attention and cold environment.) Just make sure all the green stuff is submerged in a bit of olive oil to prevent browning.

Notes from Vivian Howard

This recipe is specific in call for a certain variety of olive, shallots instead of onion, and a particular hue of vinegar. But know that it is LGD's equation that makes it heroic, not its details. To make your own variant of LGD, you need fresh, fragrant herbs; something onion-esque; the combined brine power of olives, capers, and anchovy; and the juxtaposed acid of both vinegar and citrus; and the fruity fat of a good-quality olive oil. Don't get hung up on the variety of vinegar you don't have or the fact that you've got onion and no shallot. Just follow the equation and taste what happens.

This is not the place for dried herbs. The parsley and mint must be fresh and fragrant. And don't even thin about lemon juice from the bottle.

Don't let some of the ingredients deter you; I've knowingly fed this to haters of olives and anchovies alike, and everybody wanted more. However, if you are a vegetarian, omit the anchovies and make LGD anyway.