10,000 bitter recipes

A scrumptious side dish that can accompany your famous Christmas dinner!

Garlic butter asparagus and onions cooked in one skillet: steamed crisp-tender, then browned in butter with sliced garlic. A fast vegetable side that goes with almost anything.

Creamy potato ham soup thickened with a butter-flour roux and milk. A simple, comforting soup with diced potatoes, celery, onion, and ham.

Pan-seared salmon with a Zinfandel butter sauce, browned mushrooms, and shallots. The wine reduces into a silky, glossy pan sauce that coats each fillet with bold red wine flavor.

Fudgy brownies made with a whole can of chocolate syrup and chopped nuts, topped with a boiled chocolate chip frosting that sets into a glossy, crackly shell. Retro baking at its best.

These make everyone happy. Bite into the fluffy, cakey cookie and fudge frosting and the hidden mashmallow will stretch and stretch until it finally breaks leaving you with a Gandalf beard, at least this has been my experience.

Three-layer Southern cookies: a buttery shortbread round spread with gooey caramel-pecan filling, then drizzled with rich chocolate icing. Named after the wildflower and just as eye-catching on a cookie tray.

Mom's yellow cake with butterscotch frosting is a three-layer buttermilk cake with folded egg whites for lightness, topped with a boiled brown sugar and butter frosting. A true from-scratch heirloom recipe.

Elegant abalone steaks pounded thin, dipped in egg and flour, pan-fried in butter, then rolled around creamy crabmeat stuffing with shallots, lemon, mustard, and white sauce.

Five quick chicken breast sautés ready in 25 minutes: Zesty Chutney, Herbed Parmesan, Paprika Stroganoff, Peppery Mustard, and Orange Honey. One protein, five flavor-packed weeknight dinners.

A no-bake chocolate coconut pie with a crunchy shell made from melted semisweet chocolate, rice cereal, and shredded coconut. The filling is a silky bittersweet chocolate mousse swirled with cream of coconut and whipped cream.

Italian sausage with peppers and onions, boiled first then pan-fried golden brown, served on hot dog buns with mustard. A classic street fair sausage sandwich that's a staple at every Italian-American festival.

This festive babka is a rich, buttery yeast bread studded with raisins and topped with a cinnamon-sugar crumble. Baked in a springform pan, it's a showstopper for holidays and special occasions.

A great side dish for Thanksgiving that will be gone before you can say "pass the turkey".

Tender peeled white asparagus spears topped with nutty brown butter and toasty bread crumbs. A classic German side dish that comes together in just 15 minutes.

Impossible caramel custard pie that forms its own crust as it bakes. Just blend milk, eggs, brown sugar, butter, and Bisquick, pour into a pie plate, and bake. No crust-making required.