Recipe Sifter

Vintage stuffed date drops from the 1950s: pecan-stuffed dates dipped in sour cream cookie batter, baked into tender little drops, and finished with a browned-butter golden glaze.

Classic oatmeal raisin cookies with pecans and cinnamon. The secret is soaking raisins in beaten eggs and vanilla for an hour, producing plump fruit and extra-chewy cookies.

Beer-braised round steak baked low and slow with onions, garlic, beef bouillon, and thyme. A fork-tender braised beef served over noodles or rice.

Aebleskiver are Danish pancake balls cooked in a special dimpled cast iron pan, with stiffly beaten egg whites folded into a sweet cream batter. Serve dipped in sugar or jam.

Fruitcake baked and sealed in canning jars for long-term storage up to a year. A spiced quick bread with your choice of fruit, raisins, and nuts, vacuum-sealed straight from the oven.

Italian almond butter cookies rolled in powdered sugar, made with just 5 ingredients and no eggs. Tender, crumbly, and nutty with a snowball-style coating.

Green tomato cake with cinnamon, ginger, raisins, and walnuts baked into two moist loaves. A Southern garden classic that puts end-of-season tomatoes to sweet use.

Almond slices are loaded with chopped almonds in an oil-based dough and sliced warm. A pareve mandelbrot-style cookie that travels well, keeps for weeks, and gets better with time.

Bordelaise sauce is the classic French red wine reduction with shallots, bouquet garni, bone marrow, and veal stock. The mother sauce companion to a perfect steak. Restaurant-grade in 30 minutes.

Pepperoni onion quiche with slow-cooked Vidalia onions, Swiss cheese, and a creamy egg custard made with half-and-half and yogurt in a pre-baked pastry shell.

Banana pineapple pecan cake (Southern hummingbird-style) with crushed pineapple folded right into the batter, finished with a pineapple buttercream. Moist, fruity, and a potluck winner.

Eggnog chiffon pie in a flaky homemade crust with a light, airy filling of custard, whipped cream, rum extract, and nutmeg set with gelatin. A holiday dessert classic.

Garlic chicken breast pan-seared golden and simmered in a tangy balsamic vinegar sauce with chicken broth. A quick weeknight dinner with a glossy, rich pan sauce.

Crispy golden seafood croquettes with a creamy, nutmeg-spiced filling rolled in bread crumbs and fried until crunchy. Freezer-friendly and served with tomato mayonnaise.

Saganaki: Greek flaming kasseri cheese pan-fried in butter, deglazed with lemon juice and cognac, and lit at the table for an "Opa!" tableside appetizer.

Old-fashioned mace cake baked in a bundt pan with butter, five eggs, and a full teaspoon of mace for a warm, nutmeg-like flavor. Simple and elegant.