Recipes with water

Old-fashioned sweet crispy pickles brined for 14 days then finished in a cinnamon-clove vinegar syrup. A heritage canning recipe that rewards patience with the crunchiest, sweetest pickles you'll ever jar.

Carolina-style polenta made from corn grits cooked creamy and slow, enriched with butter and bouillon, then sliced, coated in cracker crumbs, and pan-fried until golden and crispy.

A scrumptious dish made with bisquik, plain yogurt and cardamom pods.

Hernekeitto (Finnish pea soup) made with dried whole peas and pork leg simmered low and slow with marjoram and mustard. A traditional Scandinavian comfort soup that freezes beautifully.

Coffee cake muffins with a Ghirardelli dark chocolate crumble swirled through. The crumble is spiked with orange zest, cinnamon, instant coffee, and pecans. Egg-washed tops bake up golden and glossy.

Halloween witch's brew punch with cranberry juice, candied ginger, floating grape eyeballs, orange peel worms, and dry ice for a smoking cauldron effect. A spooky crowd-pleaser.

Semi-homemade marble cake with swirls of cinnamon and melted chocolate, drizzled with a glossy cinnamon-chocolate glaze. Starts with a pound cake mix for easy baking.

Frogmore stew is the classic Lowcountry boil: red potatoes, smoked sausage, corn, and shrimp simmered in one Old Bay-spiced pot. Staggered timing means everything finishes just right for a dump-and-feast spread.

Vintage ribbon cake: plain vanilla and spiced molasses batters layered in stripes with a tart lemon-raisin filling between. An old-fashioned American cake worth reviving.

A fun yeast bread shaped like a crab, complete with legs, claws, raisin eyes, and lemon peel antennae. A showstopping centerpiece for seafood boils or beach-themed parties.

Ground beef and elbow macaroni simmered in tomato soup with cream-style corn, topped with melted cheddar and baked until bubbly. A kid-friendly one-dish casserole ready in an hour.

A retro no-bake strawberry parfait pie made with lemon gelatin, strawberry ice cream, and fresh berries in a flaky pie shell. Includes a pineapple variation. Cool, creamy, and ready from fridge to table in about an hour.

Traditional Moroccan couscous with lamb shanks, saffron, pumpkin, turnips, cabbage, and chickpeas served over buttery couscous with raisins. A spectacular North African feast that feeds six generously.

Fluffy puff pasty filled with red plum and almond, after baking it comes out juicy inside and crispy outside, topped with cream and sour cream mixture, giving the extra creaminess!

Mussels steamed over a simmering tomato-white wine sauce with oregano and red pepper flakes, served on pasta and topped with crumbled feta cheese. A Greek-inspired seafood pasta dinner for two.

Mom's best tourtiere is the classic French-Canadian pork pie: spiced ground pork with mace, sage and a little raisin, bound with grated potato in a flaky double crust. A treasured Quebec Christmas tradition.