10,000 popper recipes

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.

Crostini with chicken livers sauteed in butter and white wine, finished with cream and brown gravy, spread on thin toasted French bread. A rich Tuscan-style appetizer ready in 35 minutes.

Thai tom kha gai: creamy coconut chicken soup fragrant with galangal, lemongrass, bergamot leaves, and fresh chilies. Tangy, rich, and aromatic in every spoonful.

Pickled fish poaches mild white fillets, then bathes them overnight in a citrus-bright marinade of vinegar, orange juice, green chiles, bay leaf, and garlic. A make-ahead Mexican escabeche-style dish served cold.

Good wintertime meal. Serve with crusty French baguette to sop up the gravy.

Creamy chilled broccoli vichyssoise with leeks and potatoes. A refreshing twist on the classic French soup, bright with lemon.

Canned salmon spread with mayo, pimentos, dill, horseradish, and tarragon vinegar. A no-cook party appetizer ready in 10 minutes. Serve on brown bread or crackers.

Lasagna rolls with tomato-fennel sauce wrap mushroom-and-tofu filling inside lasagna noodles, then bake in a sweet fennel-spiked tomato sauce with mozzarella. A lighter, vegetarian take on baked pasta.

In this case evil means tasty, as this dish made with mixed vegetables and coconut milk makes a delicious meal.

Hot tamale pie with pinto beans, corn, and bell peppers in spiced tomato sauce topped with a cornmeal crust. A hearty vegetarian Southwestern casserole baked until golden.

Sandwich maker chicken fajitas with overnight soy-orange-ginger marinated chicken, peppers, and onions sealed inside pressed tortilla pockets. A handheld weeknight twist on classic fajitas.

Thin-sliced round steak braised until fork-tender in soy sauce and ginger broth, then simmered with tomatoes, green peppers, and mushrooms. A Chinese-American classic served over hot rice.

An elegant sophisticated Masterchef dinner. Duck with wine sauce, bone marrow and sautéed spinach.

North Carolina-style barbecued baked beans with dried pinto beans, chili powder, mustard, and tangy vinegar sauce. A smoky, spicy Southern casserole baked with onion slices on top.

Vegetarian zucchini kofta: grated courgette balls bound with gram flour, deep-fried to a reddish-brown crisp, then simmered in a spiced tomato cream sauce with garam masala and roasted cumin.

Vegetarian sweet onion fajitas loaded with Vidalia onions, new potatoes, roma tomatoes, and carrots simmered in white wine with jalapeño and cilantro. Rolled up with Monterey Jack and yogurt in warm flour tortillas.