25 bitter recipes

Pasta with bitter broccoli, garlic, and chili flakes: a Southern Italian classic scented with an almost reckless 14 cloves of garlic and a hit of red pepper heat. Weeknight dinner, minimal effort.

At least an hour of advanced preparation is required, to allow the dry ingredients to blend. This recipe will work well with other vegetables, shrimp, chicken strips, etc.

Better than sex brownies are dense fudgy squares built on melted unsweetened chocolate and shortening, topped with chopped nuts for crackling crunch against the gooey middle.

This version of the classic Jewish passover potato dish is much lighter and fluffier than the old fashioned variety.

Much better than classic Macaroni and Cheese. This version still has lots of cheesy flavor but is baked with juicy tomatoes and lots of mushrooms. Serve with a simple salad and make with whole wheat macaroni for a serious boost to the health value that's packed with flavor. A great family casserole.

Grilled peaches tossed in sugar and caramelized over the coals until juicy and soft, then served warm under a scoop of melting vanilla bean ice cream. A three-ingredient summer dessert off the grill.

Six layers of indulgence: buttery shortbread crust, from-scratch vanilla pudding, cream cheese mousse, crushed pineapple, caramel drizzle, whipped cream, and a chocolate glaze zigzag on top.

Crispy beer batter onion rings with rested batter for the lightest, lacy crust. Cold beer and egg yolks build crunch that holds. Same batter works on fish, vegetables, and seafood.

Traditional Amish Friendship Bread starter that lives on your counter for 10 days, then splits into four batches to share. The foundation for sweet, tangy quick breads.

Light, crispy beer batter made with just flour, egg, beer, and seltzer. Use it for onion rings, fried chicken, fish, or veggies. Adjust thickness to your liking in 5 minutes flat.

Homemade pancake batter from scratch with flour, egg, milk, and shortening. Double-sifted dry ingredients make thick, light pancakes every time.

Blueberry batter cake bakes its own sauce as boiling water poured over a sugar-cornstarch topping creates a syrupy blueberry layer beneath the risen cake. A self-saucing pudding cake.

Better than sex cake: German chocolate poke cake soaked with sweetened condensed milk and caramel, topped with whipped topping and crushed Heath bars. The Midwestern potluck classic.

This recipe is my husband's specialty, good for any fresh fish. I prefer halibut but whatever your pleasure. Goes great with homemade mashed potatoes.

Make-ahead sourdough biscuit batter with buttermilk, self-rising flour, and yeast. Mix once, refrigerate, and bake fresh biscuits anytime you want them.

Introduce your fish to beer with this scrumptious recipe that also uses cornmeal.