10,000 pepper recipes

Thin, tangy vinegar and peanut oil basting sauce with tomato paste, mustard, and hot sauce for grilled chicken. Whisk it together in 5 minutes and brush it on while the charcoal does the work.

Potato crepes topped with stir-fried scallops, salmon, and asparagus in a ginger-soy sauce. A restaurant-quality Asian-fusion dish for two with wok technique.

Microwave tostada casserole with seasoned ground beef, green chilies, Monterey Jack cheese, and crushed taco shells. A quick Mexican-style weeknight dinner in 45 minutes.

Dry cauliflower sabzi with toasted cumin, asafoetida, ginger, coriander, and turmeric. Classic North Indian side where no gravy clings, just spice hugging each floret.

Low-fat baked chicken breasts coated in plain yogurt and seasoned bread crumbs with cayenne and ginger. Crisp, golden, and tender without deep frying or breaded eggs.

Flour-dredged chicken browned and baked until tender, then finished with heavy cream, plump oysters, and slivered almonds. A classic, old-world surf-and-turf casserole.

Menudo with hominy: tender tripe and pork knuckle simmered with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic, then finished with whole hominy. The traditional Mexican Sunday-morning soup.

Sichuan bang bang chicken: poached chicken pounded and torn into shreds, served cold over cucumber matchsticks with a soy-sesame-scallion sauce. A classic Chinese cold appetizer.

Wild rice amandine with toasted slivered almonds, green pepper, onion, and chives cooked in beef bouillon. A quick, savory rice side dish ready in 25 minutes.

Individual crab ramekins loaded with tender crabmeat, hard-boiled eggs, and a touch of cayenne. Fluffy folded egg whites keep things light while golden breadcrumbs add crunch.

Traditional Irish beef stew with round steak, whole potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and pearl barley simmered low and slow. Hearty, thick, and honest pub fare.

Competition-style Texas chili with 4 pounds of cubed round steak, 14 spices including curry and cinnamon, green chiles, and a secret weapon: milk chocolate melted in at the end.

Lamb and apple pie with mushrooms, carrots, and apple cider under golden puff pastry. A savory British-style meat pie with autumn flavors baked until flaky.

Hash brown crust quiche with ham, pepper jack, gouda, and a half-and-half custard. The crispy potato crust ditches pastry entirely. Brunch crowd-pleaser, breakfast-for-dinner all-star.

Braised lamb shanks simmered in a flour-thickened broth with onion and garlic, finished with celery, fresh tomatoes, and parsley. Fall-off-the-bone tender.

Polish noodle casserole with egg noodles baked in a creamy mix of sour cream, cottage cheese, onion, and dry mustard. Crispy browned noodles on top, soft and tangy underneath.