Recipes with salt and black pepper

Chicken fried steak with a craggy double-dredged crust, fried golden and crisp, then smothered in peppery cream gravy made right from the drippings. Classic Texas comfort cooking done the proper way.

Pennsylvania Dutch scrapple mixed with rice and chopped hard-boiled eggs, breaded and deep-fried into golden croquettes. Crispy, savory, and on the table in 15 minutes.

Creamy potatoes au gratin layered with thin-sliced potatoes, heavy cream, melty cheese, and crumbled bacon, then baked until bubbling and golden. A rich, crowd-pleasing holiday side dish.

Sweet Vidalia onions stuffed with a smooth cornbread, potato, and hard-boiled egg filling, baked until tender. A true Georgia-style Southern side dish.

Raw zucchini and yellow squash salad with Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, and apple cider vinegar. Low-fat, vegan, and versatile over pasta or rice.

Deep-dish broccoli and red pepper pizza loaded with three cheeses: mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan. Fresh vegetables in a golden pie crust shell.

Tender simmered chicken in a velvety curry-yogurt sauce built from scratch with butter, onions, and warm spices. A simple, soul-warming one-pot dinner with a creamy tang that keeps you coming back for more.

Pan-fried sweetbreads and button mushrooms baked under a golden yogurt, egg, and cheese gratin. A refined dinner for two that's ready in an hour.

Onion and Swiss cheese quiche in a flaky homemade soda water crust with a rich egg and cream custard seasoned with nutmeg. Made entirely from scratch.

Cold pasta salad with blanched asparagus, tuna chunks, ham strips, black olives, and linguine tossed in garlic olive oil and lemon juice. Great at room temperature or chilled.

Deep-fried salmon fritters made with canned salmon folded into a light egg white batter. Crispy, golden fish fries served with tomato or tartar sauce. Kid-friendly.

Late-summer pepper rainbow soup with multicolored bell peppers floating in a lemon-and-egg-yolk thickened broth. Greek avgolemono technique meets a confetti of red, yellow, and green peppers.

Lightened-up single-serving Boston clam chowder built on chicken broth and low-fat milk instead of cream, with leek, celery, red potato, canned clams and a handful of shredded spinach folded in at the end. Ready in about 30 minutes.

Golden vegetable fondue made from pureed carrots, turnip, swede, and celery simmered in chicken broth and finished with butter and nutmeg. A savory dipping pot for sausages and potatoes.

Earthy wild mushroom lasagna layered with Marsala-sauteed fungi, creamy Fontina bechamel, and a golden mozzarella-Parmesan crust. Vegetarian comfort food at its most elegant.

Toasted cheese bread topped with fresh tomato, cheddar, and chopped chives, then broiled until bubbling. A 15-minute open-faced sandwich that makes a quick lunch or snack.