10,000 bitter recipes

Trimlestown roast sirloin is an Irish roast with whiskey and red wine pan sauce. Slow-roasted for two hours and served with a rich beurre manie gravy. Classic Sunday roast fare.

Showstopping three-layer cappuccino torte with a nutty graham crust, thick semisweet fudge layer, and espresso chocolate buttercream. A make-ahead dessert that chills overnight.

A delicious appetizer made with shrimp, garlic and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

English toast turns split English muffins into baked French toast, soaked in a cinnamon-vanilla custard and baked cut-side-down in butter until golden and crisp. A hands-off, crowd-sized breakfast, no skillet flipping.

The crisp, densely chocolaty cookies, with an unusually long baking time, were an annual favorite among the 20-plus recipes that Susan Couchman of Hartland remembers were made each year by her mother, Gloria Kuchler.

Crustless rhubarb streusel pie with a Bisquick custard filling, cinnamon and nutmeg, topped with a brown sugar-nut streusel. No pie crust to roll out.

A decadent butter icing made with crushed pineapple that is perfect for cakes and muffins.

Italian-style zucchini with butter, olive oil, basil, oregano, and parsley. A quick microwave side dish that keeps the zucchini crisp-tender in 20 minutes.

Swabian-style kraeuterfladen (herb waehe): mini yeast crust rounds topped with a creamy filling of sour cream, egg, scallions, chives, and nutmeg. German regional flatbread with gentle herbal flavor.

Minimalist fortune cookies with just 4 ingredients: butter, sugar, egg whites, and flour. Quick to make, fun to fold, perfect for parties. Work fast while they're hot and pliable.

Chicken liver pate with brandy, dry sherry, and unsalted butter, finished with a hint of marjoram and optional truffles. Silky smooth and served chilled as an elegant appetizer.

Great simple recipe, I added some leeks which I threw in with the parsnips when they had about 10 minutes left to boil. Really came out great.

Pan-seared scallops Provencal style with garlic, shallots, butter, and fresh parsley. Crisp golden crust outside, tender inside. Ready in 15 minutes from start to plate.

Broiled flank steak (London broil) with lemon-garlic oil baste and buttery sauteed onions. Sliced thin against the grain for tender beef in 30 minutes flat.

Three-ingredient Vidalia onion butter with garlic powder. A savory compound butter spread for bread, corn, steak, or baked potatoes that keeps for days.

Creamy vanilla cheesecake on a cookie crumb crust, drizzled with melted caramel and German chocolate toppings, then showered with toasted pecans. Every slice is a candy-counter dream come true.