Recipes with water

Amish friendship yeast starter, the classic 10-day fermented sweet starter you stir daily, feed with milk, flour, and sugar, then divide to bake friendship bread and share with friends.

Ossi di Morti (Bones of the Dead) Italian cookies flavored with cinnamon and clove oil, baked hard and meant to be dunked in coffee or tea. A traditional Italian All Souls Day treat.

Chicken pot pie meets Thanksgiving leftovers: creamy chicken filling crowned with savory herb stuffing instead of pastry. Easy casserole-style comfort with crispy, seasoned topping. Turkey works great too.

Breaded pork tenderloin medallions pan-fried in butter and olive oil, then topped with a white wine mushroom sauce finished with lemon juice. Classic bistro technique, weeknight timing.

Quick potato and ham bake with a Bisquick crust, hash brown potatoes, cream of mushroom soup, smoked ham, peas and carrots, and melted cheddar. One pan, 40 minutes, dinner done.

Fish brined overnight in soy sauce, white wine, sugar, and spices then smoked over hickory or apple-cherry wood for up to 12 hours. Includes an oven-dried alternative.

A triple chocolate cookie loaded with melted semisweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips, plus a hit of coffee concentrate for deep mocha flavor. Fudgy, chewy, and dangerously good.

Crispy fried rice vermicelli (mee krob) tossed with tangy tamarind syrup, bean sprouts, cilantro, and green onions. Classic Thai sweet, sour, salty noodle dish with shattering crunch.

Stir-fry prawns in black bean sauce: plump shrimp and crisp bok choy, snow peas, shiitake and pepper tossed in a savory fermented black bean, garlic and ginger sauce. A fast, restaurant-style Chinese stir-fry loaded with vegetables.

Beef Brisket in Beer: a 4-pound brisket oven-braised in beer, chili sauce, brown sugar, and onions. Three hours to fork-tender, finished with a thick pan gravy. Serves 11.

Chinese almond jelly dessert with a silky gelatin base of evaporated milk and almond extract, topped with fresh kiwi and strawberries. Light, refreshing, and set in the fridge in minutes.

A great rendition to crockpot-made beans that are best served with bread bowls or hamburger buns.

Pan-roasted rabbit marinated two days in brandy, red wine, juniper berries, and fresh herbs, then braised with chicken stock and served over wilted spinach and beet greens. A classic French farmhouse dish.

Chinese five-spice chicken stir-fry with peaches, snow peas, and a lemon-broth glaze served over rice. A sweet-savory wok dinner ready in 20 minutes.

Ice cream cone cupcakes: chocolate cake batter baked right inside flat-bottom ice cream cones, then swirled with sweet almond buttercream and showered in sprinkles. The kid party showstopper.

Five-ingredient drop cookies made from yellow cake mix with crunchy peanut butter and chocolate chips. Mix, scoop, bake, done. The easiest peanut butter chocolate chip cookies you'll ever make.