Recipes with salt and black pepper

Chicken in parmesan cream sauce with crispy skin, an egg-yolk-enriched mornay sauce, and a broiled breadcrumb-parmesan crust. French bistro classic at home.

Bean, okra, and tomato soup simmered with a ham bone for deep smoky flavor. A Southern classic that turns leftover ham into a hearty, satisfying soup.

Homestyle lasagna rolls turn a meaty mushroom-and-beef filling, spiked with red wine and nutmeg, into tidy individual rolls baked in spaghetti sauce under melty mozzarella and parmesan. No messy slicing.

Deep-fried squid the easy way: tender rings tossed in seasoned flour and fried golden and crisp in hot oil, ready in minutes. Homemade calamari to serve with lemon wedges and your favorite dipping sauce.

Italian onion soup with caramelized Vidalia onions in beef broth, topped with homemade croutons, Parmesan, and melted mozzarella baked until bubbly and golden.

Louisiana chicken gumbo with stewing hen, andouille sausage, oysters, and file powder built in a cast iron pot. Browned-hen fond, holy trinity, and oyster liquor give this gumbo serious depth.

Boudin du pays is a traditional Quë©bécois blood pudding sauce made from fresh pork, lung, heart, and neck simmered with onions, cloves, savory, and coriander.

These crispy pan-fried crabcakes get their crunch from a golden cornmeal crust while minced cornichons and jalapeño add bright, briny heat. Fresh lump crab stays the star with minimal filler.

Marinated prawns soak cooked shrimp in a spicy white vinegar bath with whole chilies, oregano, carrots, and stuffed olives for two days. A make-ahead Caribbean-style escabeche appetizer.

Bean and beef soup with navy beans, stewing beef, prunes, and root vegetables, scented with whole cloves. An old-world soup where dried fruit adds unexpected sweet depth to a long, hearty simmer.

Grillel Chicken Breasts with Wild Mushroom & Bourbon Sauce recipe

Seared beef tenderloin sliced thin and rolled around blanched asparagus spears with horseradish chive mayonnaise. An elegant cold appetizer or light main course.

Chilled asparagus soup with slow-sweated vegetables, potato for natural body, and stalks simmered in chicken stock for depth. Finished with half-and-half and crème fraiche.

Very delicious grilled cabbage, almost the best one I have ever tasted.

Grilled Sicilian involtini with beef pounded thin, stuffed with Pecorino, pine nuts, currants, and parsley, then skewered on rosemary sprigs and grilled fast.

Feijoada: Brazil's national dish, a rich black bean stew slow-simmered with an array of smoked and cured meats, then served with rice, collard greens, and orange slices. A weekend feast for a crowd.