3,111 bitter recipes

Yankee maple sugar apple pie sweetens tart apples with a full cup of soft maple sugar instead of granulated. Just cinnamon, a hint of flour, and dotted butter under a cream-washed top crust deliver heritage New England flavor.

Currant wheels are buttery pastry spirals filled with currants, sultanas, and chopped almonds, then topped with a simple sugar glaze while still hot. A European bakery classic in under an hour.

This recipe came about from a need to clean out my refrigerator, I had some fruit that need to be eaten and I used them this way, the result was tart, crispy and just plain good. There are a lot of combinations of fruit you could use but this one works well.

Pressure cooker celery soup with anise seed, leeks, and orzo. Partially pureed for a silky-chunky texture, this light soup is on the table in under 40 minutes.

A simple but delicious pasta dish that is perfect for lunch on a hot summer day.

Chewy muesli bars packed with oats, almonds, dried apples, and peanut butter for a high-fiber breakfast or snack that travels well.

Freezer cinnamon fruit rolls with soft yeasted dough, a rich filling of brown sugar, golden raisins, dried apricots, pecans, and cinnamon, finished with a simple sugar glaze. Make ahead and freeze for up to 2 months.

Khoresht-e Fesenjan: chicken or lamb simmered in a rich, dark walnut and pomegranate sauce with saffron, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A beloved Persian stew served with rice.

Bread machine semolina bread with buttermilk and durum semolina flour. Pale gold, fine-textured Italian-style sandwich loaf with a tender tangy crumb.

Simple red beans and rice with canned kidney beans, sauteed onion, celery, and garlic simmered together. A quick USDA-style version of the Louisiana classic, ready in under an hour.

Scotch mock apple pie: a Depression-era trick that uses soda crackers, lemon juice, and warm spices to taste exactly like apple pie. No apples required.

Jewish rugelach with a flaky cottage cheese dough, apricot jam, cinnamon-sugar, walnuts, and currants rolled into golden crescents. A holiday cookie jar essential for Hanukkah or Christmas.

Try this scrumptious casserole that is made with cream of mushroom soup and beef consomme.

Pan-seared lamb loin steaks with rosemary, garlic, and dry vermouth sauce with mushrooms, shallots, and lemon peel. An elegant dinner finished in the oven.

Homemade maple syrup ice cream served in crisp sablé pastry barquettes with a maple custard sauce. A French-style plated dessert made from real vanilla beans and pure maple syrup.

Rabbit chasseur with a pound of mushrooms, tomatoes, and white wine braised in the oven, finished with a beurre manie-thickened hunter's sauce. Classic French technique.