Appetizers have long been a part of the culinary tradition in Europe, but they're relatively new to America. One of the first to appear in American cookbooks, at the turn of the century, was shrimp cocktail.
Coffee and pepper crusted T-bone steaks marinated in red wine, soy sauce, and garlic, grilled over coals and served with a reduced wine sauce.
Bread machine banana chocolate chip yeast bread combines mashed banana with bread flour and semi-sweet chips for a slightly sweet, tender loaf. A breakfast or snack bread that comes out of the machine ready to slice.
Giant chocolate chip whopper cookies loaded with semi-sweet chips, pecans, walnuts, and a shot of espresso. Crackly shell, fudgy center, bakery-style at home.
Old-fashioned home baked beans with navy beans, salt pork, molasses, and dry mustard. Slow-baked for 6 hours in a bean pot for deep, smoky-sweet flavor.
A South African-style spiced mince filling for samoosas: beef or mutton braised dry with jeera, ginger, garlic, turmeric, fresh coriander and mint. The keep-it-dry method that stops samoosas from going soggy.
Scotch shortbread is a 5-ingredient buttery Christmas cookie cut into festive shapes. Powdered sugar gives a melt-in-the-mouth crumb; tender, sandy, and made for sprinkling with colored sugar.
One-pot arroz con pollo with saffron yellow rice, chicken, tomatoes, green peppers, peas, and pimientos. A classic Latin comfort meal cooked in a single pan.
Fudgy chocolate brownie cookies topped with pastel-colored frosting and sugar crystals. Loaded with semisweet chocolate chips and finished with rainbow icing for a festive, party-ready treat.
Lasagna roll-up filled with cottage cheese, cream cheese, garlic, and Parmesan, baked in a cream of tomato sauce with oregano. A fun twist on classic lasagna.
Three-layer butter pecan cake filled with rich, from-scratch burnt-sugar caramel, frosted in buttercream and crusted with pecans. A classic Southern caramel cake worth the fuss.
Indian-style red lentil soup (masoor dal) simmered with ghee-bloomed onion, peppercorns, bay leaves, dried red chilies and grated fresh ginger. Vegetarian, high in fiber, ready in 45 minutes.
Scallops and mussels with Dijon mustard vinaigrette, served over al dente asparagus on a bed of Boston lettuce. Lemon-marinated bay scallops and steamed mussels in a herb-rich dressing.
Sole fillets wrapped around crisp-tender carrot strips and topped with Italian bread crumbs, melted butter, and lemon juice. A light, elegant baked fish dinner that comes together in under an hour.
Diabetic nut cookies: sugar-free drop cookies with bright orange zest, chopped nuts, and no refined sweeteners. An easy low-sugar cookie recipe for diabetes-friendly baking.
Herb-packed ground turkey meatloaf with rosemary, thyme, basil, and oatmeal for binding. Slow-baked until firm and full of savory flavor. Only 5 minutes of prep.