Recipe Sifter

Old-fashioned 1850 blackberry pie with five ingredients. Berries baked into a single crust under a flour, sugar, and milk custard for a rustic 19th-century farmhouse pie that sets into a soft, jammy slice.

Red velvet pound cake baked low and slow in a tube pan with cocoa, shortening, and seven eggs for a dense, velvety crumb. Topped with cream cheese icing.

Prize winning shepherd's pie made with ground roast beef, mushrooms, red wine, and a splash of cognac. Slow-simmered filling under egg-washed mashed potatoes, baked golden. The cottage pie elevated.

Classic crabmeat au gratin baked in a buttery cream sauce with sauteed vegetables, egg yolks, and a golden cheddar crust. Rich, bubbly, and pure Louisiana comfort.

Sawdust salad layered jello dessert with lemon-orange gelatin, pineapple custard, and cream cheese whipped topping. Vintage church potluck dish that’s sweet, light, and ready in stages.

A succulent dish made with savory pork, chopped onions and juicy tomatoes.

James Beard's persimmon bread folds ripe persimmon puree into a spiced quick-bread batter with cognac, mace, raisins, and walnuts. Legendary holiday bread adapted for the bread machine.

Tagalong cheesecake turns the peanut-butter-and-chocolate Girl Scout cookie into a dessert. A Tagalong cookie crust, peanut butter cream cheese filling, glossy chocolate ganache and crushed peanuts.

Mincemeat muffins with brandied fruit filling, chopped walnuts, and apple juice. Warmly spiced, fruity holiday muffins that bake up tender and studded with nuts.

Steamed persimmon pudding with brandy, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg, flambed at the table and served with whipped cream. An old-fashioned holiday dessert with spectacular presentation.

Pineapple oatmeal cookies with crushed pineapple, rolled oats, toasted almonds, and raisins. Soft, fruity drop cookies with a cinnamon-spiced chew.

Traditional baked Christmas pudding with candied fruits, pecans, molasses, and warm spices, served with brandy sauce. A festive holiday dessert with an optional flambé presentation.

Crunchy chocolate chip cookies loaded with pecans and crisp rice cereal, flavored with almond extract and brown sugar. Makes 5 dozen crispy-edged treats in 30 minutes.

Rustic skillet hash with leftover roast beef or venison, chunky potatoes, and onions browned in bacon drippings, then simmered in beefy gravy with a touch of chili powder.

This is an authentic family recipe that my mother taught me in 1950 in New Orleans. It makes a great dinner party main dish. Like chinese food, it is long on chopping and assembling, but goes together and cooks rather quickly.

Love this casserole. It has everything that I need in a meal that tastes great and is also loaded with feel-good ingredients.