Recipe Sifter

Garlic shrimp crostini on toasted French bread rounds with a garlicky cream cheese spread, cherry tomato halves, and fresh parsley. Makes 24 bite-sized party appetizers.

Homemade hummus from scratch using dried chickpeas, a pound of tahini, fresh lemon, and a freeze-to-soften trick for ultra-creamy texture. Middle Eastern dip that puts store-bought tubs to shame.

Butternut squash pasta sauce with melted Monterey Jack, vegetable broth, and sun-dried tomatoes tossed with ziti. A creamy, lighter fall pasta without heavy cream.

Hot German potato salad with crumbled bacon, chopped onion browned in bacon fat, and a tangy white wine vinegar dressing. No mayo, served warm, and ready in 30 minutes using the microwave.

Giant prawns stuffed with smoked salmon, bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley, then broiled in white wine and finished with a butter pan sauce. An elegant seafood appetizer for two.

Ratatouille with cinnamon basil served inside hollowed-out eggplant shells. A stunning vegan side dish with zucchini, plum tomatoes, red pepper, and two types of fresh basil.

Hearty meatball chowder with walnut-sized beef meatballs, potatoes, carrots, rice, and Mexicorn in a tomato-beef broth. A big-batch soup that feeds a crowd.

Filete enchocolatado is Mexican beef tenderloin simmered in a white wine and unsweetened chocolate sauce, topped with melted cheese. Savory, rich, and unexpected.

Spinach lasagne with sauteed mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, and fresh wilted spinach folded into a three-cheese filling. A vegetarian Italian lasagna with no jarred sauce needed.

Louisiana shrimp remoulade with Creole mustard, horseradish, and paprika in a sharp, herbaceous olive oil dressing. A classic New Orleans cold appetizer served over lettuce or as a chilled main.

Veal stock built from roasted bones, mirepoix, leek, and tomato, simmered low for hours into a deep, gelatinous foundation. The classical brown stock that anchors French sauces and braises.

Vegetable nut burgers with brown rice, wild rice, lentils, millet, and cashew butter, served with a fresh fennel-tomato-basil coulis. A hearty, vegan patty with serious substance.

Whole chickens stuffed with sausage dressing and smoked over charcoal for 5 hours with a wine-herb water pan. Louisiana-style backyard smoking at its finest. Serves 8.

Turkish-style pizza with a whole wheat crust, Monterey Jack, diced tomatoes, sweet Vidalia onion, and jalapeño. Optional pastrami adds smoky-peppery depth. Baked on a pizza stone for a crisp, golden oval flatbread finished with torn flat-leaf parsley.

Classic chicken piccata pounds boneless breasts thin, dredges in flour, then finishes in a buttery white wine, lemon, and garlic pan sauce. Italian-American restaurant favorite in 35 minutes.

Garden kale dinner with prosciutto, shallots, lemon zest, and chicken stock served over rice with grated Parmesan. A one-skillet weeknight meal that comes together in 35 minutes.