Recipe Sifter

Kloesschensuppe: German choux-style dumplings with Parmesan and parsley poached in clear beef broth. A light, elegant soup ready in 30 minutes.

The Ark's chicken Marsala: pan-seared chicken breast with garlic and button mushrooms in a Burgundy and demi-glace sauce, finished with butter for restaurant gloss.

Easy creamed spinach: a Pennsylvania-style side made by wilting fresh spinach in its own water, then folding it into a quick nutmeg-spiked bechamel. Seven ingredients, half an hour.

Linguine with olive-clam sauce made from chopped clams in a creamy roux-based sauce with black olives, wine, garlic, and parsley. A rich, briny pasta dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Microwave chicken gravy with mushrooms, made with schmaltz and butter for deep flavor. Smooth, rich, and ready in 15 minutes with no stovetop babysitting needed.

Hillary Clinton's chocolate chip oatmeal cookies made with shortening for extra chewiness. Rolled oats and semi-sweet chips in a crispy-edged, soft-centered classic from the 1992 cookie contest.

Green tomato omelet with cornmeal-dredged fried tomatoes, fresh basil, and scallions. A flat Italian-style frittata that turns end-of-season tomatoes into a satisfying meal.

Sour cream sugar cakes, soft tender drop cookies made with sour cream and half butter, half shortening. Lightly sugared tops, cake-like crumb, a forgotten heartland classic.

Danish-style fried herrings breaded with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs, pan-fried in butter and served with a creamy onion béchamel sauce. A classic Scandinavian comfort dish.

Soft molasses sugar cookies with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, rolled in sugar with a thumbprint filled with extra crunch. Crisp edges, chewy centers, warm holiday spice.

Drop biscuits with cornmeal crunch and pepper jack cheese baked in. Spicy, cheesy, and ready in 20 minutes with no rolling or cutting needed.

Veal fettuccine with oysters and artichokes is a buttery Louisiana-style pasta where seared veal strips, plump oysters, and quartered artichoke hearts swim in a peppery cream sauce built from oyster liquor.

Honey-sweetened flapjacks with grated Pippin apple folded into the batter. Made with apple juice instead of milk for extra fruit flavor. Best served hot with maple syrup or more honey.

Caramel apple dessert with diced apples and crushed pineapple folded into a cooked custard and whipped topping, topped with crushed peanuts. A creamy, no-bake fruit salad with crunch.

Homemade flour tortillas with lard, warm milk, and baking powder. Five ingredients, no yeast, and the lard makes them pliable and flavorful in a way shortening can't match.

Cornmeal crepes with a slight gritty sweetness, spread with apricot jam, folded into quarters, and served with sugared strawberries and vanilla yogurt. A light, fruity breakfast or dessert.