10,000 black pepper recipes

A simple and tasty pea soup that's perfect for a rainy day where you are indoors.

Festive rice side dish with crunchy water chestnuts, sweet petite peas, and sliced celery tossed in butter with steamed rice. A quick, colorful side ready in 20 minutes.

Vegetarian split pea soup thickened with grated potatoes and seasoned with marjoram. No ham, no stock cubes, just honest ingredients simmered until creamy.

Elegant Southern oyster soup with two dozen oysters simmered in their own liquor, finished with scalded milk, butter, and a whisper of mace. Ready in 30 minutes, served piping hot.

Crispy oven-baked chicken with a cornflake crumb crust, milk dip, and garlic seasoning. No deep fryer, no greasy mess. The shatter-crisp coating that earned its keep on Sunday tables.

Curried rice baked with dried apricots and toasted almonds in vegetable stock. A fragrant, hands-off vegetarian side dish with sweet, nutty, and spiced flavors.

Ragout de boulettes: Quebec-style pork meatball stew with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a browned flour gravy. A traditional French-Canadian holiday dish.

Nova Scotia dressing made with mashed potatoes, breadcrumbs, onion, and poultry seasoning. The Maritime classic that pairs with roast chicken or turkey.

Butterflied leg of lamb marinated in olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and fresh herbs, then roasted to a rosy medium-rare. The centerpiece of a Greek Easter table.

Leg roast of venison larded with salt pork, onion, and apple slices, seasoned with allspice and rosemary, then slow-roasted on a rack. A classic hunter's approach to game meat.

Turning now to cooking with cheese, here's a recipe for a yummy spinach and cheese soufflé. This recipe comes from Lynne Kaplan, a chef who owns the Victoria House Bed & Breakfast in Spring Lake, NJ. For a gourmet B&B check them out at victoriahouse.net.

Maryland-style crab soup simmered with beef shin, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, and a pound and a half of crab meat. A slow-cooked Chesapeake Bay classic loaded with briny sweetness and deep beefy broth.

5-hour beef stew, the dump-and-bake oven version that needs zero browning. Beef chuck, potatoes, carrots, peas, and red wine slow-roast into a thick, savory stew.

Chicken and peach salad pairs diced cooked chicken with sweet peaches, sliced almonds, and a creamy sour-cream dressing. Stuff into a buttery croissant for an easy summer lunch sandwich.

Pantry-friendly vegetable salad made from canned green beans, baby carrots, and beets, tossed in a lemon-tarragon vinaigrette with fresh cucumber and green onions.

Crockpot paprika chicken: a slow-cooker version of Hungarian-style chicken paprikash. Tender chicken simmered all day with sweet paprika, tomatoes, peppers, and a sour cream finish. Serve over egg noodles.