Recipes with water

Louisiana-style roasted duck rubbed with a vinegar-salt-pepper paste, stuffed with aromatics, and slow-roasted until tender. A Cajun family recipe with old-school technique and deep flavor.

Sauteed shrimp and rice with fresh corn, white wine, basil, and thyme cooked in one pan. Summer weeknight seafood dinner ready in 40 minutes, equally good cold the next day.

Haymaker's switchel with molasses, brown sugar, ginger, and vinegar stirred into cold water. This colonial-era farmhouse thirst quencher predates modern sports drinks and tastes like a complex, grown-up lemonade.

Broiled polenta shapes with reconstituted chipotle peppers and sun-dried tomatoes folded in. Smoky, savory cornmeal cut-outs that crisp up under the broiler for an elegant appetizer or side.

Sour cherry fruit slump: tart cherries and summer berries bubbling under tender buttermilk dumplings, finished with cinnamon sugar. An old-school stovetop dessert that's faster than a pie.

Chocolate mousse cake with semisweet chocolate, orange liqueur, and whipped egg whites folded into a rich batter. Part one covers the cake layers with a thin, flaky crust.

Perfection salad is a vintage molded gelatin salad with shredded cabbage, celery, green pepper, and pimento suspended in a tangy lemon-vinegar aspic. A retro potluck classic that chills until firm.

Watercress salad with a Chinese-style bean curd cheese and tahini dressing. Blanched watercress tossed in a creamy, savory fermented bean curd dressing with chili flakes and lemon.

Cheesy stuffed cucumbers bake hollowed cucumber halves filled with radish-bread crumb stuffing, topped with Swiss cheese, then set in a savory custard. A vintage vegetable side worth rediscovering.

Oil-free curried vegetables cooked in a non-stick pot with apple juice, curry powder, onions, and garlic. A quick vegan weeknight side dish ready in 20 minutes.

Microwaved artichokes transform into edible bowls filled with tangy yogurt-dill sauce and crowned with tender poached shrimp for an elegant appetizer that looks restaurant-fancy but cooks in 45 minutes.

Blueberries are always good selection in a cheesecake, try this cream cheesecake, you must love it!

Lamb and pine nut stir fry: quick microwave stir fry with thinly sliced lamb, bok choy, mushrooms, and oyster sauce. Toasted pine nuts on top for crunch. Ready in under 30 minutes over rice.

Lamb and pine nut stir fry: quick microwave stir fry with thinly sliced lamb, bok choy, mushrooms, and oyster sauce. Toasted pine nuts on top for crunch. Ready in under 30 minutes over rice.

Red Hot Salad is a vintage molded gelatin salad with cherry Jell-O, Red Hots cinnamon candies, crushed pineapple, and applesauce. A sweet, spicy-cinnamon holiday side that jiggles and shines.

Gingerbread baked in jars makes individual spiced molasses loaves perfect for gifting. The jars seal as they cool, keeping the gingerbread fresh for weeks. A clever holiday project.