136 litter recipes

Braised escarole with caramelized apples, shallots, and toasted pecans in a cider vinegar pan sauce. A bitter-sweet fall side dish that pairs beautifully with pork, duck, or roast chicken.

Grilled polenta topped with charred radicchio, olive oil, and a drizzle of vinegar. A rustic Italian antipasto where crispy-edged polenta meets the bitter smoky bite of grilled chicory.

Christmas gift-box cake decorated with homemade red ribbon and holly leaves made from melted vanilla chips and corn syrup, dusted with edible glitter. A centerpiece-worthy holiday showstopper.

German Brussels sprouts simmered in beer until tender, drained, and tossed with butter and salt. A traditional Bavarian side dish where the beer adds malty sweetness and tames the bitterness.

Sauteed curly endive with garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar piled over olive oil-tossed spaghetti. A quick vegetarian pasta with a bitter-sweet edge that keeps you coming back.

Italian rice and endive soup with fresh tomatoes, carrots, and basil. A light vegetarian meal ready in 45 minutes, simmered in vegetable stock with curly endive for a pleasantly bitter depth.

Candied citrus peel made from orange, lemon, and grapefruit rind, double-boiled to remove bitterness, then simmered in honey syrup and tossed in sugar. A homemade confection for baking or gifting.

Strawberry granita made from just three ingredients, no ice cream machine needed. Fresh strawberry puree and simple syrup frozen and scraped into glittering, refreshing ice crystals. Pure summer in a glass.

Old-fashioned vinegar taffy: a six-ingredient pulled candy with a faint tangy edge that cuts through the sweetness. Pioneer-era pulling candy that kids and adults can make together.

Southern sweet tea done right: sugar dissolved into a warm tea concentrate, steeped just briefly so it never turns bitter, then chilled and poured over ice. Smooth, sweet, and refreshing by the glass.

Authentic pumpernickel bread with a rye flour starter, whole wheat, wheat germ, bread crumbs, and caramel for color. A 4-loaf recipe with an overnight rye starter from scratch.

These are extremely low in fat, and the taste is more slightly bitter dark chocolate than the milk-chocolate sweet of most brownies, however if you love chocolate, they're a great treat!

Grilled chicken breasts marinate in red wine, balsamic, garlic and oregano, then sear quick over hot coals. Served on a bitter-sweet trio of radicchio, butter lettuce and Belgian endive with salsa garnish. Mediterranean weeknight grill.

Southwest riblets baked in a mole-inspired sauce with ground red chiles, unsweetened chocolate, juniper berries, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar. A smoky, complex, slightly bitter glaze on tender pork back ribs.

How to cook white asparagus, Europe's springtime white gold: peeled and gently simmered in lemon-butter water until silky and tender. The simple method that keeps the stalks sweet, not bitter or stringy.

Low-fat bean and greens risotto with kidney beans, peppery arugula, and bitter radicchio in a creamy wine-broth-cooked rice base. A no-stir Italian-inspired dinner that skips the butter and oil.