Recipes with spices

This traditional bread served in Mexico celebrates the Epiphany! Usually hidden inside is a coin or toy baby and whoever finds it gets to make the tamales for Candelmas!

Slow-simmered chili con carne with ground beef, kidney beans, and black olives. Bacon fat builds the base, and a splash of vinegar and brown sugar balance the heat.

PB&O snackers: chewy peanut butter oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips, warm cinnamon, and nutmeg. A hearty snack cookie that beats any coffee-shop version.

Orange molasses cookies, soft and puffy with cracked tops, spiced with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and a hit of black pepper, then rolled in orange sugar. Whole wheat flour and oats make them a wholesome holiday bake.

Sour cream coffee cake mixed the night before, chilled overnight, and baked in the morning. Tender buttermilk crumb with a swirl of cinnamon-pecan-brown sugar streusel through the middle.

Amazing taco pasta salad loaded with black beans, corn, tomatoes, Mexican-blend cheese, and olives in a cumin-lime dressing, finished with cilantro and avocado. A zesty, vegetarian Tex-Mex potluck salad.

Spiced sweet and sour pickled carrots canned in a vinegar-sugar syrup with mixed pickling spices. Old-fashioned pantry preserves that brighten up any cold meat or cheese plate.

Grilled ham steak marinated in ginger ale, orange juice, brown sugar, and warm spices. A sweet-tangy glaze that caramelizes on the grill for a sticky, golden crust.

If each drop of the super-sauce equaled one jalapeno, you would get a greater depth of flavor from including five jalapenos in your dish than from five drops of the sauce.

Moist chocolate zucchini cake packed with wheat germ, cocoa, warm spices, and semi-sweet chocolate chunks. The sneakiest way to use up garden zucchini in a rich bundt cake.

A diabetic-friendly pumpkin cheese pie with a tangy cream cheese layer under spiced pumpkin custard. No added sugar, sweetened naturally for holiday tables that need a lighter dessert option.

Custard-style apple pie with Red Delicious apples in a cream, egg, and cornstarch filling with cinnamon and nutmeg. A double-crust pie dotted with butter.

Honey ginger snap cookies with cinnamon and cloves, rolled into balls and baked until crackled. Chewy centers with crisp, crinkled edges from the honey.

Authentic Mexican refried beans cooked with caramelized onions and garlic, mashed to a creamy puree and topped with crumbled queso fresco. A 30-minute side dish that belongs next to every taco night.

A succulent North Indian-style dish made with cumin, plain yogurt and garam marsala.

Chinese-style roast pork tenderloin marinated in oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, five spice, ginger, and garlic. Roasted at high heat then sliced thin.

Lebanese stuffed grape leaves filled with spiced lamb and rice seasoned with allspice and cinnamon, rolled tight and simmered over lemon slices. A traditional Middle Eastern appetizer.

Yucatan seafood stew loaded with clams, mussels, monkfish, tuna, cod, lobster, shrimp, oysters, and squid in a fire-roasted tomato and lime broth. The Mexican coastal showpiece for a special-occasion table.

A basic, delicious cookie that will satisfy the tastes of butterscotch-lovers everywhere.

Nachos is definitely one popular Mexican food, and it's a perfect appetizer for party, make this luxury nachos to start celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

Packed with almonds, these glazed almond cookie slices make a great snack.

Classic Philadelphia snapper soup made with snapping turtle meat, veal knuckles, dry sherry, and tomatoes. A rich, old-school Pennsylvania tradition simmered for hours.

Rio Grande chili is a no-bean Texas-style chili with ground beef, cumin seeds, green chiles, beer, and masa flour for body. Simmered low for two hours. Bold and authentic.

Roast duck with root vegetables and wine-poached pears in a cranberry-red wine pan sauce. A refined country-style dinner with carrots, parsnips, and a buttery fruit sauce.

Vereshchaka is a traditional Ukrainian pork casserole braised in beetroot rassol with bacon, allspice, and pearl barley. Topped with sour cream and fresh herbs, it's hearty comfort food.

Spiced mashed sweet potatoes form a golden ring around a creamy chicken and water chestnut filling in this cozy low-calorie casserole. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar make the sweet potatoes sing.

Traditional Sicilian fruit-filled pastries stuffed with figs, dates, chocolate chips, nuts, and warm spices, glazed with a lemon icing. A holiday cookie tray showstopper.

Old-fashioned icebox cookies with cardamom, cinnamon, lemon juice, and chopped nuts. Slice-and-bake dough that refrigerates overnight or freezes for weeks. Paper-thin and crispy.

New England-style pot roast braised with whole cloves, cinnamon, and finished with cranberry sauce and vinegar. A sweet-tart twist on classic beef pot roast.

Pork cubes marinated in five spice and sherry, wok-seared, then clay pot braised with brown bean sauce, dried orange peel, ginger, and fresh oysters. Cantonese surf-and-turf at its finest.

Spiced apple butter spiked with brandy, honey, and cinnamon for canning into shelf-stable jars perfect for gift-giving or slathering on toast.

Sambaar is a South Indian vegetable and split pea stew spiced with cumin, coriander, turmeric, and dried chili. Loaded with cauliflower, carrots, eggplant, and cabbage.

Retro tiki-style baked ham glazed with pineapple preserves and surrounded by peaches and bananas, all drizzled with a creamy coconut-chicken soup sauce for Sunday dinner showmanship.

Forbidden City Chicken baked in a soy sauce, curry, cinnamon, and ginger glaze with sesame seeds. A fusion-style roasted chicken with warm spices and bold, salty-sweet flavor.

Egg-free lemon muffins made with silken tofu, applesauce, whole wheat flour, and wheat germ. Bright lemon zest and a cinnamon dusting on top. Makes 24 wholesome muffins in 30 minutes.

A spiced chocolate apple bundt cake with diced green apples, currants, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, finished with a brandy-cinnamon glaze. Moist, warmly spiced, and perfect for fall baking.

Low-fat Dutch apple cake spreads a thin, biscuit-like batter under overlapping cinnamon-sugar apples. Egg whites and skim milk keep it light, more fruit than cake in every slice.

Chicken and dumpling casserole with a savory broth base, green peas, and fluffy Bisquick dumplings baked on top. Hearty comfort food that feeds a crowd in under an hour.

Mexican-style rainbow stuffed peppers with ground turkey, refried beans, corn, rice, and tomatillo salsa in red, green, yellow, and orange bell pepper halves.

Grilled shark steaks marinated in lime juice, beer, cumin, and Dijon mustard, topped with fresh salsa and avocado slices. A bold Mexican-style fish for the grill.

Smoky chicken hash baked in a cast-iron skillet with hash brown potatoes, BBQ sauce, cumin, and chili powder, topped with melted sharp cheddar and jalapeno. A hearty one-skillet meal in 30 minutes.

Ancient Roman coleslaw with boiled cabbage dressed in olive oil, white wine, cumin, caraway, and liquamen. A historical recipe with earthy, aromatic flavors unlike any modern slaw.

Lamb and mushroom korma braised in yogurt with cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, and fresh ginger. A fragrant North Indian curry served with naan and saffron rice.

Fluffy Bisquick dumplings steamed over a warm mandarin orange and cinnamon sauce, all made in the microwave in 30 minutes. A cozy, quick citrus dessert for two that uses pantry staples.

Saddlebag chili with ground brisket, bacon fat, beer, sour mash whiskey, and eight whole jalapeños. A boozy, smoky cowboy-style chili built for the long simmer.

Greek-style vegetarian pastitsio with spiced lentils, fettuccine, and a fluffy egg white topping. Comfort food without the meat.

Crispy oven-baked chicken breasts coated in taco-spiced breadcrumbs with chili, cumin, and oregano. Served taco-salad style with cheddar, tomatoes, and sour cream.

Crispy-skinned roast duck over a smoky black bean sauce with cumin, green chili, and apple puree, drizzled with tangy tamarind jus. A fusion showpiece worth every minute.