Recipe Sifter

Lobster and roasted corn chowder with bacon, smoked ham hock, and a Southwestern kick from jalapeño and green chiles. A creamy bowl built from a lobster-stock base and pan-charred corn kernels.

Cajun stuffed crabs loaded with claw meat, bell peppers, onions, and celery, breaded and fried until golden and crunchy. A Louisiana seafood classic ready in 30 minutes.

Savory bite-sized biscuits stuffed with sautéed mushrooms, shallots, and ham, then topped with herb cream cheese. The buttery dough chills overnight for flaky layers. Makes 2 dozen party-ready appetizers.

Ham and turkey hash with sweet potato, apple, and red bell pepper, blanketed in a peppery cheddar cheese sauce and broiled bubbly. Great leftover ham rescue.

Poulet a l'Intrigue: a Louisiana-style stuffed chicken breast marinated, packed with a sausage-eggplant dressing under the skin, lightly hickory-smoked, and finished with an andouille-pecan cream sauce.

Cajun file gumbo with canned salmon, okra, and the holy trinity simmered down and finished with file powder. A Lafayette-style one-pot supper served over hot rice.

Chicken pot pie with broccoli and Parmesan in a creamy soup-mix sauce, topped with flaky egg-washed pastry baked golden. A cozy one-dish dinner from scratch.

Bow-tie pasta in a cheddar-Parmesan cheese sauce with sauteed broccoli, mushrooms, and red bell pepper. A veggie-loaded mac and cheese made from scratch on the stovetop.

Salmon and basil ravioli: homemade basil-flecked pasta dough filled with canned salmon and curd cheese, poached in fish stock and served with a fresh tomato-pesto sauce.

Cajun chicken sauce piquant with a dark roux, Chablis wine, tomato sauce, stuffed olives, and hot pepper sauce, slow-cooked for hours and served over spaghetti. Big-batch Cajun cooking.

Jamaican beef patties with a flaky shortening crust and a spiced ground beef filling with thyme, scallion, paprika, and hot pepper. Baked golden in hand-held half-moons.

Cajun seafood stuffed flounder filled with shrimp, oysters, bacon, and cheddar, fried crispy on one side and finished in a blazing hot oven. Bold Louisiana flavors.

Microwave-poached sole fillets bathed in a creamy white-wine shrimp sauce. An elegant fish dinner from the 1980s microwave-cooking era, ready in 40 minutes without dirtying a stovetop pan.

Focaccia condita made with durum flour and a slow-rise biga, topped with fresh tomatoes, oregano, capers, and olive oil. Crisp, chewy Italian flatbread baked at high heat.

Savory quick bread loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, provolone cheese, pine nuts, and scallions. A no-yeast buttermilk loaf that keeps for days.

Holiday appetizer quiche baked in a sheet pan with Swiss cheese, ham, scallions, and pimentos in a buttery cracker crust. Cut into 50 small squares for easy party finger food.