Recipes with black pepper

Braised beef brisket slow-cooked with onions, carrots, garlic, and bay leaves until fork tender. Best made a day ahead for easy defatting and deeper flavor.

Broiled cheddar-olive sandwiches loaded with sharp cheddar, olives, hard-boiled egg, and green pepper on toasted buns. A retro open-face sandwich that broils bubbly in minutes.

Fresh tomato pasta toss simmers blanched and peeled tomatoes with garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano, finished with a splash of cream over penne. A high-summer pasta sauce when tomatoes are at their peak.

Italian zucchini ricotta fritters with garlic, scallions, and bright lemon zest, pan-fried in olive oil until crisp and golden. Crispy on the outside, tender and herby inside.

Couscous Provencal with artichoke hearts, ripe tomato, fresh basil, and briny capers. A bright Mediterranean side that comes together in about 15 minutes using steeped (not boiled) couscous.

Pureed celery and dried apricot soup simmered in vegetable stock. An unexpected combination that blends herbal freshness with natural fruit sweetness.

Southern chicken fried steak: tenderised round steak dipped in milk and seasoned flour, deep-fried golden, then served with a creamy milk gravy made from the pan drippings. A classic comfort food dinner.

Easy raw fennel salad: crisp fennel cubes tossed with good olive oil, salt, pepper and a splash of white wine vinegar. A refreshing, anise-scented Italian side that lets the fennel's clean crunch shine. Ready in minutes.

Gourmet meat loaf stuffed with a sauteed mushroom and sour cream filling, wrapped in seasoned ground beef with oats and Worcestershire. A hidden center that surprises every slice.

Herbed beef and vegetable stew braises chunks of beef in tomato, white wine, and Italian herbs, then finishes with carrots, mushrooms, green beans, and celery. A classic Sunday Dutch oven dinner.

Waldorf chicken salad with poached chicken breast, crisp red apples, toasted pecans, and a tangy yogurt-mustard dressing. A lighter take on the classic with three built-in variations.

Sweet and sour pork chops braised in chili sauce, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar until fork-tender. Thick-cut chops seared with ginger and simmered in a tangy, glossy sauce.

Homemade Italian pepper sausage with coarse ground pork, salt pork, fennel, paprika, red pepper flakes, and red wine stuffed into natural hog casings.

Beef and rice meatloaf rolled jelly-roll style around a sweet peach and dill filling, brushed with peach syrup as it bakes. The retro pinwheel that turns ground beef into a dinner-party showstopper.

"...For those who love a harmony of softly blended flavors with the faint suggestion of seafood..."

Fruity and creamy. Italian spaghetti with lemon, olive oil with a touch of basil. Bright, lemony flavors.