37 unusual recipes

Old-fashioned chocolate layer cake leavened with both yeast and baking powder, plus stiffly whipped egg whites folded in for an unusually tall, tender, almost spongy crumb. Made with unsweetened chocolate and cake flour.

I think what happened was that the applesauce mixed with the still uncooked pancake top and was cooked (combined) to make an unusual fluffy inside.

Serve this pleasant and unusual entree with sprigs of watercress dipped in a well-flavoured vinaigrette.

Holiday eggnog made with beer, brandy, whipped cream, and beaten egg whites for a frothy, light texture. An unusual spiked eggnog recipe with a malty twist.

A spring forager's pizza with a crust of pureed fiddleheads, egg, and cheese instead of dough, topped with tomato sauce, bacon, more cheese, and whole fiddlehead ferns. Unusual, seasonal, and grain-light.

This delicate soup, popular 100 years ago, is now unusual. On no account should it be liquidized at any stage, as that ruins the texture

BBQ beaver tails braised with onions, sherry, mustard, and barbecue sauce, then topped with parmesan and baked. A traditional Canadian wild game preparation for an unusual cut of meat.

Popcorn fruit cookies made with ground popped corn, cornmeal, dried fruit, and nutmeg. A crunchy, unusual rolled cookie with a satisfying corn-forward crumble.

Savory pie layering sweet Vidalia onions and Delicious apples in chicken broth, topped with buttery graham cracker crumbs. This unusual side dish pairs beautifully with roasted poultry.

Popcorn macaroons whip egg whites with toasted nuts and crushed popped corn into a savory five-ingredient cookie. Light, crunchy, unusual cocktail party bite.

This spicy marinade owes its unusual flavor to the chipotle, a smoked jalapeno chile. Chipotles are usually sold canned in tomato paste. Look for them at Mexican and Latin American markets. Adobo marinade goes particularly well with pork.

Sweet-savory enchiladas rolled with olives, raisins, and gouda, drenched in chili salsa and baked until bubbly. An unusual, old-world take on the Mexican classic with a sweet-salty twist.

Braised chicken quarters with cooked cucumber chunks, mushrooms, and sherry in a creamy sour cream sauce. An unusual European-style chicken dish with a surprising star ingredient.

The crisp, densely chocolaty cookies, with an unusually long baking time, were an annual favorite among the 20-plus recipes that Susan Couchman of Hartland remembers were made each year by her mother, Gloria Kuchler.

Flowerpot banana bread: classic banana walnut bread baked in a clay flowerpot in a slow cooker for an unusual conversation-piece presentation. Rustic gift idea with a 1970s charm.

Frozen chocolate souffle cake: a flourless cocoa meringue base topped with rum-whipped cream and chocolate chips, chilled overnight, then served straight from the freezer. Airy, rich, unusual.