10,000 bitter recipes

Baked crab and mushroom casserole in a tarragon white wine cream sauce with dry mustard and hot sauce, topped with buttered breadcrumbs. A versatile classic you can also make with shrimp.

A no-bake chocolate chestnut loaf with dark chocolate, butter, chestnut puree, and brandy. Chilled overnight into a dense, sliceable terrine. Serve with piped cream or marron glace.

Lemon butter wafers are thin, lacy butter cookies scented with fresh lemon zest and ground almonds. Perfect with tea or sandwiched with raspberry jam.

Oven pancakes baked on a hot buttered sheet pan with buttermilk batter. No flipping, no standing at the stove. A batch of golden pancakes in under 15 minutes.

Moravian Scotch cakes, a 4-ingredient Pennsylvania Dutch shortbread cookie with caraway seeds, topped with boiled icing and colored sugar. A crisp, buttery heritage recipe.

Sour cream pastry dough made in the food processor with flour, cold butter, salt, and sour cream. Supremely flaky and tender, ideal for galettes, hand pies, empanadas, and sweet or savory tarts.

Classic pan-fried yellow perch with crispy cornmeal crust, finished with lemon butter pan sauce. Fresh-caught lake fish ready in 45 minutes for simple suppers.

Genoise sponge cake whips warm whole eggs and sugar to ribbon stage, then folds in cake flour and melted butter for a delicate French-style layer cake base. The classic foundation for tortes and trifles.

Sauteed soft-shell crab in sizzling butter topped with browned pecans. A Cajun classic with just 4 ingredients and crispy, golden results in under 30 minutes.

Amigdala praline is a Greek almond brittle made with blanched almonds caramelized in butter and sugar with a drop of lemon juice. Crush it over tarts and ice cream for a crunchy topping.

Buttered egg noodles tossed with poppy seeds. Three-ingredient Eastern European side that pairs with roasts, schnitzels, and stews. Ready in 25 minutes.

Three-ingredient cheese crumb topping made with sharp cheddar, butter, and bread crumbs. A quick, savory sprinkle for casseroles, gratins, and baked vegetables.

German beer-braised Brussels sprouts simmered until tender and finished with butter and salt. A simple 4-ingredient side dish that might convert sprout skeptics.

Oatmeal and cereal cheesecake crust with brown sugar and melted butter. A crunchy, nutty alternative to graham cracker crusts for Black Forest cheesecake or any creamy dessert.

Sagh is a simple Indian spinach side cooked with butter, ginger, and a pinch of sugar. Wilted down and warming, it pairs with any curry or flatbread.

Simple couscous with raisins and butter, ready in under 10 minutes. Just boil water, stir in couscous and raisins, cover, and let it steam. Five ingredients, no fuss.