Salmon mousse with brandy-flambeed mushrooms and shallots, set with gelatin and folded with whipped cream, served sliced with a fresh watercress-mayonnaise sauce.
Soft drop cookies made with mashed cooked carrots and shredded coconut, topped with a bright orange butter icing. Makes 4 dozen, great for holiday cookie trays and bake sales.
Loaded chicken soup with two whole chickens simmered for rich stock, then bulked out with potatoes, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, herbs, and broken spaghetti. A nearly stew-thick bowl that freezes well.
Indian carrot salad with cumin, cinnamon, lime juice, and garlic, served chilled and garnished with wheat sprouts. A light, spiced vegetarian side dish.
Homemade kimchi with napa cabbage, daikon, cucumber, and turnip seasoned with garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Salt-brined overnight and fermented in the fridge.
Paper-thin pork tenderloin marinated in soy sauce, sherry, and ginger, then stir-fried with broccoli, mushrooms, and carrots. Lean, colorful, and on the table in 30 minutes.
A succulent pork dish that is simmered to perfection in apple juice and a variety of spices.
Vegetarian rice nut loaf packed with brown rice, sharp cheddar, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. Sliceable and served with spaghetti sauce.
Honey-baked chicken stuffed with a sauteed squash, zucchini, pecan, and whole wheat breadcrumb dressing, basted with apple juice and honey glaze. A lighter roast chicken with a vegetable-packed stuffing.
French Canadian date doughnuts (beignets) with chopped dates, nutmeg, and lemon extract, dropped by the spoonful into hot oil and fried golden in 3 minutes. From the Quebec kitchen tradition.
Louisiana seafood gumbo with shrimp, crab, and okra in a deep brown roux, simmered with the Cajun holy trinity, tomato, and a hit of Tabasco. Served over rice for a true Gulf Coast supper.
Chinese-style pork ribs marinated in five-spice, soy, and sesame, then deep-fried until crispy and glazed with a sweet-savory tomato-laced sauce. A takeout classic worth making at home.
Chocolate malt ice cream sandwiches pair slice-and-bake chocolate cookies with a homemade malted chocolate ice cream lightened with skim milk and egg whites. A nostalgic, from-scratch frozen treat.
Flour-dusted chicken pieces browned in butter, then simmered with mushrooms, olives, garlic, tomato purée, and sherry. A classic Italian cacciatore that's on the table in 40 minutes.
Mousseline of redfish Nantua, a classic French seafood mousse from New Orleans master chefs. Silky puréed fish bound with egg white and cream, baked in a water bath and crowned with crayfish-rich Sauce Nantua.
Chili-dusted pan-seared pork chops served with a fresh corn, black bean, and tomato salad tossed in lime juice and cilantro. A colorful, protein-packed weeknight dinner ready in 35 minutes.