Recipes with salt and black pepper

Warm vegetable salad with julienned carrots, turnips, celery, tomatoes, green beans, and snow peas on mache and radicchio, dressed in shallot vinaigrette and garnished with fresh truffles.

College Park fire alarm chili with two pounds of ground beef, chili beans, canned tomatoes, and a generous hit of chili powder. Hearty, no-fuss, and simmered for an hour.

Baked spinach Parmesan balls with garlic, breadcrumbs, and butter. A crispy, savory appetizer with just six ingredients and no frying required.

Penne with cauliflower, fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and Parmesan. A no-cook sauce tossed with hot pasta and cauliflower boiled together in the same pot. Ready in 30 minutes.

Chicken and cherries jubilee braises whole chickens in cherry juice and chili sauce for 6 to 8 hours, finished with a sherry-brandy flambé cherry sauce. Retro slow-cooker showstopper.

Roasted garlic bulbs with rosemary and bay leaves served alongside a spiced goat cheese spread with coriander and fresh chili. A stunning British-style appetizer.

Quick sherry pan gravy with currant jelly, orange juice, soy sauce, and a splash of sherry, thickened with cornstarch. A sweet-savory sauce ready in 15 minutes for roast game, duck, lamb, or holiday turkey.

Pan-fried oysters dredged in flour and cooked in hot oil until golden and crispy. A simple four-ingredient recipe with a humorous nod to pearl-bearing oysters.

Spaghetti with sauteed curly endive, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. A quick 30-minute Italian pasta with bitter greens and tangy-sweet dressing.

Easy clam dip stirs canned clams into a creamy base of cream cheese and mayonnaise, brightened with onion, garlic, and Worcestershire. A no-cook, 10-minute appetizer for crudites or chips.

Curried shrimp in a creamy roux-based sauce made with turmeric, ginger, curry powder, and shrimp-poaching broth. Served over white rice for a flavorful weeknight dinner.

Tomato and basil puff pastry tarts with vine-ripened slices over a thick tomato coulis. Shatteringly crisp pastry, no soggy bottoms, six individual rounds.

Tex-Mex skillet pasta pie with spaghetti, eggs, and cilantro, cooked like a frittata and served with fresh homemade green chile salsa. A creative one-pan dinner.

Indian-style chile tomato salad with fresh green chili, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and cayenne. A spicy, bright no-cook side dish or appetizer.

Soba noodle and cucumber salad with daikon sprouts and seared ahi tuna. A cold Japanese-style noodle plate finished with chile oil drizzle. Light, fresh, restaurant-style.

Warm chicken and rice salad tossed in balsamic vinaigrette with fresh tarragon and chives. Light, herbaceous, and served warm instead of cold. No mayo, all flavor.