Recipe Sifter

Chili cheese cubes are a vegetarian Tex-Mex appetizer of baked egg, Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar, and green chiles cut into bite-sized squares. Equally good hot or cold.

Pecan crispies made with brown sugar, butter, and shortening for thin, crunchy cookies with caramel-like flavor. A simple drop cookie recipe that bakes up crisp every batch.

Pompano en papillote: New Orleans classic of Gulf pompano baked in foil packets over a sherry-spiked béchamel studded with shrimp and crab. Antoine's-style fine dining at home.

Greek pork braised with celery in a silky avgolemono sauce of egg yolks, lemon, and butter-flour roux. A tangy, comforting classic from the Aegean home kitchen.

Pork Normande for one with tenderloin braised in apple juice, sliced apples, and onion, finished with brandy and yogurt. A classic French single-serving dinner.

Quick coq au vin delivers the classic French chicken-in-red-wine stew in 40 minutes using boneless thighs, cremini mushrooms, carrots, and Canadian bacon. A weeknight-friendly version of the traditional braise.

Roast leg of venison, no marinade required, larded with salt pork and garlic, rubbed with thyme butter, and roasted to rare with a quick pan gravy from the drippings.

Rugelach roll flaky cream cheese dough around apricot preserves, cinnamon-brown-sugar, walnuts, and raisins into bite-sized crescents. A classic Jewish bakery cookie for Hanukkah and Christmas alike.

Fish in horseradish sauce -- This recipe is the first of the 12 dishes that make up the traditional Polish Christmas-eve meal, which is eaten after sundown on Christmas eve.

Sarazener is a traditional German game liver dish with elk or deer liver sauteed in lard with onions, broth, and spaetzle. A hearty hunter's meal with tangy vinegar finish.

Homemade beef gravy mix from scratch using flour, beef base, cornstarch, and ketchup. A DIY replacement for store-bought gravy packets with pantry staples.

Spicy apple raisin muffins made with raisin bran cereal, wheat germ, apple pie spice, and fresh chopped apples. A lighter bake using egg whites and apple juice.

Buttery shortbread bites rolled in paprika, cayenne, curry powder, and cumin. A savory, spice-crusted appetizer that's totally unexpected and completely addictive.

Sole fillets stuffed with salmon, poached in white wine, and topped with a creamy mushroom sauce. An elegant microwave method that keeps the fish perfectly tender.

Crispy garlic-butter bread rolls stuffed with chicken, shrimp, and mushrooms in a rich Swiss and Parmesan cream sauce. Pure Louisiana comfort food.

A fluffy folded omelet topped with a creamy chicken sauce loaded with mushrooms, green pepper, pimentos, olives, and chives. Dinner-worthy eggs ready in 20 minutes that turn leftovers into something elegant.