2,556 bitter recipes

Crayfish etouffee built on a deep buttery base of onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic, simmered with tomato paste, white wine, and tender crayfish tails. The Cajun classic, served over rice. Best made a day ahead.

This is an authentic family recipe that my mother taught me in 1950 in New Orleans. It makes a great dinner party main dish. Like chinese food, it is long on chopping and assembling, but goes together and cooks rather quickly.

French-style almond macaroons piped from almond paste, filled with rum-spiked chocolate ganache, and dipped in a semisweet chocolate glaze. An elegant three-part cookie.

Chef Paul Prudhomme's Barbecue Sauce: a smoky, sweet-tangy Cajun sauce built on bacon, pecans, honey, and citrus rinds. Pureed silky for chicken, pork, or ribs. Makes 5 cups.

Earthy wild mushroom lasagna layered with Marsala-sauteed fungi, creamy Fontina bechamel, and a golden mozzarella-Parmesan crust. Vegetarian comfort food at its most elegant.

Hearty ground turkey chili simmers with black beans, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and fresh tomatoes for a lighter take on classic chili. Top with scallions and grated cheese for a warming, protein-packed bowl.

Maple-apple oatmeal cookies with real maple syrup, fresh apples, applesauce, currants, and a crunchy oat-brown sugar topping. Soft, cakey fall cookies baked low and slow.

Traditional holiday fruitcake loaded with raisins, currants, citron, and pecans, enriched with sherry, honey, and orange marmalade. Baked low and slow, best after aging.

Old fashioned fruit cake with blackberry jam, fig preserves, watermelon rind preserves, candied cherries, pecans, and cocoa. Baked low and slow in a cast iron skillet.

Chunky corn chowder loaded with bell peppers, red potatoes, sausage, and a touch of cumin. Half the corn is pureed for a thick, creamy base. Even better the next day.

Loaded chocolate chip cookies stuffed with pecans, white chocolate, milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and mini chips. The everything-in-the-cookie-jar classic.

Pumpkin raisin cookies with canned pumpkin, cinnamon, and raisins, topped with a simple butter-vanilla frosting. Soft, cakey fall cookies that stay moist for days.

Mrs Fields' applesauce oatmeal cookies loaded with chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts. Soft, chewy, and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg for a bakery-style cookie.

Fruit basket cookies packed with candied cherries, dates, dried apricots, golden raisins, pecans, and walnuts in a brown sugar butter dough. A chewy, fruited holiday cookie.

Dense fudge pecan cake with cocoa, chopped pecans, and a glossy chocolate-cream royal glaze. Baked in a springform pan, chilled until firm, then glazed.

Hazelnut double fudge pie with cocoa, chocolate chips, hazelnut liqueur, and cream baked in a flaky shell. Dense, wet-brownie texture with intense fudge richness. Slice thin, it's that decadent.