10,000 flack recipes

Pasta shells stuffed with crumbled feta, black olives, red pepper, and walnuts. A Mediterranean-style finger food appetizer ready in 15 minutes.

Polenta crostini topped with a savory porcini and cremini mushroom sauce. Crisp broiled polenta rounds stand in for bread, making this Italian appetizer naturally gluten-free.

Tender sliced roast beef smothered in a tangy homemade BBQ sauce with brown sugar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire. Made entirely in the microwave in just 10 minutes for the fastest weeknight sandwich fix.

Crispy oven-fried Parmesan chicken coats chicken breasts in crushed corn flakes, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes, then bakes until golden. The healthier no-fry alternative to fried chicken.

Pasta con broccole with blanched broccoli in a fresh tomato sauce spiked with garlic, hot pepper flakes, basil, and oregano. A classic Italian-American vegetable pasta.

Butter-sauteed shrimp deglazed with white wine, served over thin pasta with a slow-simmered Provencal tomato sauce rich with basil and oregano. Worth every minute of the long, lazy simmer.

Whipped cream cheese and sour cream folded with caviar, fresh dill, grated onion, and a squeeze of lemon. A 15-minute no-cook appetizer dip that turns any gathering into something special.

Spicy brown rice simmered with whole cardamom, cinnamon stick, turmeric, bay leaf, and black peppercorns. A fragrant, golden side dish with six simple ingredients.

Focaccia Provencale: a Southern French-style focaccia topped with tomato, basil, garlic, black olives, oregano, and olive oil. Two round loaves for sharing or dipping.

Indian spiced grape sherbet with roasted cumin, black pepper, lemon, and a pinch of salt. Angoor Ka Sherbet is a no-cook summer cooler ready in 20 minutes.

Howard Karten's salsa is a Mediterranean-leaning chunky tomato dip: peeled tomatoes, red onion, black olives, cumin, garlic, oregano, and red wine vinegar. No chiles, no cilantro, all flavor.

Pepper corn pasta: semolina and cornmeal fresh pasta with black pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and garlic worked into the dough. A golden, spicy homemade noodle for bold sauces.

Savory papaya lassi blended with yogurt, ripe papaya, lime juice, salt, and black pepper. The Indian cooler that goes savory or sweet, with a sweet rose-water variation included.

Sautéed chicken livers with onions and mushrooms in garlicky butter, dredged in pancake flour for a crisp crust. An old-school appetizer or budget dinner over rice pilaf.

Crispy potato latkes loaded with shredded carrots and zucchini, pan-fried golden on a hot griddle. Serve with applesauce or cranberry sauce for dipping. Makes 36 latkes.

Sauteed Italian greens for piadini made with spinach, broccoli rabe (cime di rapa), and savoy cabbage, boiled tender then finished in garlic olive oil. A traditional Romagna filling.