Recipes with butter

Italian-style braised calf's feet in red wine and tomato with caraway, lemon peel, and gremolata finish. A rustic osso buco-cousin traditionally served over saffron risotto.

Microwave cauliflower scramble with frozen cauliflower in cheese sauce, zucchini, tomatoes, and thyme. A quick vegetable side dish ready in 30 minutes with no stovetop needed.

Fudge satin pie layers a toasted almond graham crust under a no-bake chocolate filling enriched with Kahlua and finished with coffee whipped cream rosettes. A silky French silk style dessert.

Favorite Molasses Apricot Cookies with Icing recipe

Yeasted apple crescents with a maple syrup whole wheat dough and a fresh apple and date filling. Make the dough overnight and bake golden, buttery rolls the next morning.

Shrimp risotto with fresh Roma tomatoes and sun-dried tomato pesto stirred into creamy arborio rice. White wine-glazed shrimp spooned on top to finish.

Venison-beef stew combines wild game and beef with potatoes, carrots, celery, and peas in a rich broth. A hearty hunter's stew that simmers low and slow for tender results.

Fig garden party cakes layer sponge cake or lady fingers with a homemade dried-fig filling cooked down with peanut butter, butter, and lemon juice. A vintage tea-table dessert with surprising depth.

Mississippi mud bars layer fudgy pecan-studded brownies under a glossy chocolate frosting and another shower of toasted pecans. Cut into small bars, they yield over four dozen from one 9x13 pan. Southern bake-sale royalty.

Carrot cake cheesecake on a cinnamon graham cracker crust with shredded carrots, raisins, nutmeg, and ginger. Topped with an orange cream cheese glaze.

Classic snickerdoodle cookies: tender soft cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar, with the signature cream of tartar tang. Yields five dozen for the cookie tin.

Turkey lasagne with a fresh Roma tomato sauce, ricotta, and Parmesan. Ground turkey browned with red wine and oregano layered between noodles and creamy ricotta.

Cheese and chile squares, a baked appetizer of cottage cheese, Longhorn cheddar and Monterey Jack layered with green chiles and a tabasco-spiked egg custard. Cuts into 24 crowd-ready bites for parties.

Semolina pastries stuffed with pistachios, cinnamon, and sugar, then dipped in orange flower water and rolled in powdered sugar. A Middle Eastern-style cookie.

Classic Reuben sandwiches with corned beef, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing, and Swiss cheese on buttered rye bread. Broiled or grilled until the cheese melts.

Louisiana crawfish étouffée smothers tender tails in a buttery trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper with a kick of pepper. Serve over hot rice for Cajun country at its finest.