3,048 bitter recipes

Moose stew braises cubed game meat with red wine, beef broth, pearl onions, carrots, and new potatoes. A Northwoods chop-house classic thickened with buttery beurre manie.

Potato, artichoke, and leek soup pureed silky smooth with fresh thyme and a touch of Tabasco. Served hot or cold, this creamy soup uses milk instead of heavy cream for a lighter bowl.

Florentine sandwich cookies: lacy crisp oat wafers held together with melted milk chocolate. Brittle, buttery, and made for the holiday cookie tin.

Pillowy soft buttermilk drop cookies baked until pale golden get frosted with sweet buttercream and sprinkled with colored sugar for nostalgic treats.

Grilled deer loin filets topped with a grilled tomato slice and a rich red wine mushroom sauce with Worcestershire. A Brennan-style tournedos that turns wild game into fine dining.

Caramel pecan apple pie with a double crust, drizzled with caramel ice cream topping and sprinkled with chopped pecans right out of the oven. A simple twist on classic apple pie.

Pan-seared chicken livers in a rich wine and beef gravy sauce spooned over hot rice. A budget-friendly comfort meal ready in 25 minutes.

Peach melba layer cake sweetened with apple juice concentrate instead of sugar, topped with fresh peaches, raspberries, and fruit spread. Refined-sugar-free homage to the Escoffier classic.

Milk fudge made stovetop with evaporated milk, marshmallows, semi-sweet chocolate, and chopped pecans. No candy thermometer needed. Five minutes of prep for a dozen rich, creamy squares.

Pressure cooker oxtail soup with carrots, celery, onions, soy sauce, and warm spices like nutmeg and cloves. Rich, beefy broth in under an hour instead of all day.

Wholesome whole wheat and oat scones made with oil instead of butter, studded with raisins or currants. Ready in 30 minutes with endless flavor variations.

Macaroon meets chocolate chip cookie in this co-winner in the drop cookie category, with a twist of cinnamon, nutmeg and mint; it's from Jessica Wall-Valadez of Milwaukee.

Oven-bag barbecued chicken with homemade tangy BBQ sauce. Easy hands-off cooking method keeps chicken tender and juicy in 1 hour.

Methi gobi: a Punjabi dry curry of cauliflower simmered with fresh fenugreek leaves, green garlic, ginger, tomato, cumin, coriander, and turmeric in ghee. Vegetarian, naturally gluten-free, deeply aromatic.

Bread machine whole wheat loaf with cracked wheat cereal, wheat germ, honey, and powdered milk. A triple-wheat hearty sandwich bread that goes from pantry to slice with the push of a button.

Asian-style chicken in a creamy mushroom-teriyaki sauce with water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and fresh mushrooms. A quick skillet dinner served over rice with chow mein noodles for crunch.