313 first recipes

Homemade Chinese duck sauce from fresh plums and apricots simmered with ginger, mustard seed, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar. A sweet-tangy condiment that needs two weeks to mature in the jar.

A succulent and scrumptious pot roast that is simmered to perfection with onions, carrots, tomatoes and dry red wine.

Southern fried chicken done Mom's way: flour-dredged pieces covered first for juicy meat, then uncovered and cranked up for a shatter-crisp golden crust.

Make glace fruit at home with this classic four-day method, slowly saturating apples, peaches, cherries, or citrus peel in sugar syrup until candied and leathery. The spent syrup becomes a fruit-flavored pancake syrup.

Crab phyllo triangles: shatteringly crisp pastry packets stuffed with creamy garlic crab and fresh chives. The cocktail-party appetizer that disappears off the tray first.

The first chili recipe appeared in West Texas at the turn of the century.

These easy to make, no-bake truffle treats are so delicious and full of nutrition. They make the perfect after dinner sweet treat, and the best part about this recipe is they keep in the freezer so you can just take them out as and when you need them. We love the combination of bananas and almonds, we discovered it recently while making my new ice-cream recipe, so this sweet snack has soon become a new favourite of ours. The ingredients in this recipe are all wholesome and all have anti-aging benefits, so if you’re looking to turn back the clock this is a fail safe as it’s full of magnesium (nuts, seeds and banana) probiotics (cacao) and polyphenols (cacao). If you find it difficult to blend the dates in your food processor a good tip is to soak them in hot water for a few minutes first which should soften them.

Cheesecake lovers will simply enjoy this healthier version that doesn't take a lot to make.

Alligator stew simmers tender cubes of gator tail in a spiced broth of green chiles, tomato, garlic and cumin. A soak in salted water and milk first keeps the meat mild and tender. A true Cajun wild-game stew.

Mushroom and onion quiche with Swiss cheese, heavy cream, and a dusting of nutmeg. Mushrooms and onions are stewed in butter first for deep, concentrated flavor in every slice.

This makes an excellent first course with dry white Demesticha or Samos wine.

This is a wonderful dish for a first course. It is very rich.

Creamy green olive soup with pureed olives, sauteed onion and garlic, chicken broth, sherry, and a hit of Tabasco. A briny, elegant first-course soup with garlic crouton garnish.

Lady Bird Johnson's famous lemon cake with 8 egg yolks, fresh lemon, and a tangy lemon icing. The First Lady's favorite recipe straight from the Texas White House.

Savory Gorgonzola and leek crème brûlée: silky blue cheese custard with sweet sautéed leeks, torched to a bubbling Parmesan crust. An elegant first course that turns brûlée savory.

Fennel, zucchini and tomato soup builds Mediterranean summer flavor from ripe tomatoes, sliced fennel bulbs, basil and white wine. A light, vegetarian first-course soup.