Recipes with water

When the outfit got back after months out on a cattle drive, the headquarters cook took over. He had a lot more fixin's to work with, and after a lot of mixin' and tastin' he'd serve up a smooth, thick chili the cowboys could really dig into.

Aloo matar mushroom curry (Masalewali Alu Mattar Khumben) with potatoes, peas, and mushrooms in a garam masala and turmeric sauce. A vegetarian Indian dry curry cooked in ghee.

Fruity Mary punch simmers red wine with brown sugar, apple, orange, pineapple, and star anise, then finishes with a splash of orange curaçao. A warm holiday mulled wine served in heat-safe mugs.

Poached salmon steaks for two, simmered in an aromatic bay-dill-peppercorn broth and served with a cool yogurt-cucumber sauce. Light, elegant date-night dinner.

Chocolate chip snack cake with cream cheese pockets: a no-egg, no-butter chocolate cake topped with dollops of sweetened cream cheese, chocolate chips, and walnuts. The retro depression-era "crazy cake" upgraded.

Ranch-style slow cooker beef braises stewing beef and whole small onions in a brown gravy spiked with red wine vinegar, cloves, bay, and thyme. Set it and forget it for fork-tender results.

Curried shrimp in coconut milk with a freshly toasted and ground spice blend of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and dried chiles. Poblano peppers and tomatoes round out this aromatic, from-scratch curry.

Southern chicken and okra gumbo with salt pork, fresh tomatoes, and hot pepper, served over fluffy white rice. A slow-simmered Plains-style gumbo with deep, smoky flavor.

Jack-o-lantern cookie pops made with spiced molasses dough cut into pumpkin shapes on lollipop sticks, decorated with tinted ornamental frosting. A fun Halloween baking project for kids.

Brussels sprouts a la Greque tossed with lemon zest, red wine vinegar, fresh parsley, and pimento. A bright, tangy Greek-style side with no butter or oil.

Homemade English muffins griddle-cooked with cornmeal crust. A simple yeast dough rolled, cut into rounds, and browned slowly on a hot griddle for nooks-and-cranny texture.

Old-school chopped chicken liver with caramelized onions, garlic, hard-boiled eggs, and butter. Kept chunky, not smooth, for the real deli-style texture. A classic Jewish appetizer.

Pressure cooker chicken stock: a golden, flavor-packed homemade broth in 15 minutes of pressure time. Chicken parts, onion, carrot, celery, and a splash of sherry make stock richer than any carton.

Stir-Fried Shrimp & Vegetables with Crisp Noodle recipe

Baked rice souffle with a creamy milk-cooked rice base, whipped egg whites for lift, and a homemade raspberry sauce. A light, elegant French-style dessert with a golden top.

Chocolate snowy cake with a fluffy whipped cream filling between a cocoa sheet cake and a poured chocolate frosting. An eggless cake base with vinegar for lift.