10,000 low low recipes

Appetizers have long been a part of the culinary tradition in Europe, but they're relatively new to America. One of the first to appear in American cookbooks, at the turn of the century, was shrimp cocktail.

Baked mac and cheese loaded with smoky leftover ham and pan-fried onions, topped with melty mozzarella and golden breadcrumbs. The tastiest way to put that holiday spiral ham to work.

Basic beef chili with lean ground beef, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and canned tomatoes simmered low for up to two hours. A no-bean Texas-style chili with pure meat-and-spice flavor.

Boneless chicken in a creamy cheese-mustard sauce made with cream of chicken soup, served over rice with broccoli and chopped pimentos. A quick weeknight dinner.

Toasted curry powder oven-toasts coriander, cumin, fennel, cardamom and turmeric before grinding for a deep, aromatic, restaurant-style spice blend. Six-month shelf life in a tightly sealed jar.

Turbot fillets gently poached in milk infused with anise-scented Pernod, then napped with a velvety egg yolk sauce. This elegant French-style fish dish needs just a handful of ingredients and an hour of your time.

Folded Sri Lankan omelettes get sliced and bathed in a spiced coconut milk gravy with curry leaves, turmeric, and a bright squeeze of lime. Ready in just 15 minutes.

Southern-style fried rabbit with onions and pan gravy. Flour-dredged rabbit pieces browned in oil, then simmered in a simple flour gravy until tender and saucy.

Asian vegetable and tofu soup with soba noodles, bok choy, broccoli, ginger, and garlic in a soy-spiked vegetable broth. Vegan, weeknight-fast, infinitely customizable.

Pineapple coleslaw with crushed pineapple, lime, celery seed, and Miracle Whip. The sweet-tart Hawaiian-style slaw that goes with pulled pork, fish tacos, or BBQ ribs.

Grilled Key West fish steaks marinated in teriyaki with lime zest, lime juice, and orange juice. Works with halibut, grouper, sea bass, or swordfish. Only 8 minutes on the grill.

Greek eggplant rounds broiled with tahini, fresh tomato, and crumbled feta cheese. A low-carb, vegetarian appetizer with Mediterranean flavors that comes together in 20 minutes.

Ma-po's pork brains is a traditional Sichuan offal stir-fry pairing silky poached pork brains with crispy ground pork, chili nam yuey, ginger, and Shaoxing wine. A regional classic for adventurous eaters.

Easy matzoh ball dumplings made with just 5 ingredients: eggs, matzo meal, fat, salt, and stock. Drop them into any soup for fluffy, tender dumplings that cook in 30-40 minutes.

Homemade Chex party mix with Wheat Chex, Rice Chex, Cheerios, pretzels, and nuts baked low and slow in garlic butter and Worcestershire sauce. The classic snack mix recipe that vanishes at every gathering.

Pickled sweet green tomatoes turn end-of-season fruit into spiced jewel-toned slices. Brown sugar, vinegar, and a spice bag of mustard seed, allspice, celery seed, and cloves give them a sweet-tart bite for canning.