Recipes with water

Mom's homemade bread rolls with a soft, pillowy crumb from a simple milk and shortening dough. Three rises build deep flavor and airy texture in these old-fashioned dinner rolls.

Honey Bunnies are sweet yeast rolls shaped like rabbits, brushed with a honey-butter glaze, and decorated with raisin eyes. A fun Easter or holiday baking project.

Virginia corn pones made with cornmeal, buttermilk, and shortening, shaped into oblong patties and baked golden at high heat. A classic Southern cornbread with no flour and no eggs.

Praline cookies fold crushed homemade pecan praline candy into giant brown sugar drop cookies, finished with a chocolate drizzle. Bakery-style oversized cookie perfect for gifting.

Mock apple pie (cracker pie) made famous on the back of the Ritz box during the Depression. Ritz crackers, sugar syrup, cream of tartar, and apple spices fool the tongue into thinking it's eating real apple pie.

Pumpkin nut cake baked directly in sealed canning jars for long storage. Warmly spiced pumpkin-walnut cake with cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. A giftable holiday treat.

Homemade fish broth from fish heads and bones sauteed with onions, leek greens, celery, thyme, and tomato paste. A clean, Italian-style base for soups, stews, and seafood risotto.

Boiled fruit cake with raisins, currants, mixed fruit, and warm spices like allspice, cloves, and cinnamon. An eggless, no-butter fruit cake thats dense and deeply spiced.

Simple buttered fiddleheads with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. A quick springtime side dish that highlights the grassy, asparagus-like flavor of fern shoots.

San Antonio chili made Texas-style with coarse ground beef chuck, no beans, no tomatoes. Slow-simmered with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne, thickened with cornmeal.

Roman pepper pastry crust made with lard, coarsely ground black pepper, and egg. A savory, peppery Italian dough for pizzas and savory pies that rests in 30 minutes.

Marinated flank steak with soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, and brown sugar. Scored, soaked 2 to 4 hours, then grilled or broiled and sliced thin across the grain.

Half-raw, half-cooked blueberry pie with fresh berries topped by a glossy cooked blueberry glaze in a pre-baked shell. No oven needed after the crust.

Orange bread machine recipe with fresh orange juice, zest, and egg for a soft, citrus-scented loaf. A bright, lightly sweet yeast bread that fills the house with the smell of fresh oranges.

Oats are a great source of soluble fibre and have been shown to help lower cholesterol levels. Cinnamon is well regarded for its ability to balance sugar levels, thus keeping hunger at bay for longer. Adding flaxseeds or chia seeds boosts the omega-3 oils and adds even more fibre to the dish. The dish can be assembled the night before and left in the fridge for the oats to soften. All that is required the next morning is to add hot milk.

Cream of asparagus soup with a butter-flour roux, fresh dill, and tamari, pureed smooth with whole asparagus tips floated on top. Made from scratch.