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.

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.

Homemade vanilla wafer cookies bake up crisp, golden and buttery with a full tablespoon of vanilla in every batch. The pantry essential for banana pudding and trifles.

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.

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

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

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 cherry cake is studded with almonds and candied cherries. My husbands favorite.

Egg-free and dairy-free carob cake made with whole wheat flour, honey, and a splash of apple cider vinegar for lift. Naturally sweet, moist, and ready in under an hour.

A smooth, puréed Norwegian cauliflower soup thickened with a light roux and skim milk, finished with white pepper and a dusting of nutmeg. Cozy, low-calorie comfort in a bowl.

Monkfish with Garlic and Herb Butter (Irish) recipe

A very tasty pasta dish in a rich and creamy sauce flavoured with Asiago cheese. Easy to upgrade from an appetizer to main dish with the addition of your favourite seafood.

Rich, fudgy chocolate bars loaded with chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and a gooey sweetened condensed milk layer. Makes 36 bars with a cocoa crumb crust that's ready for game day snacking.

Buttermilk corn oil biscuits use yeast plus baking powder for double leavening and a refrigerator-friendly dough that keeps a week. Pull off only what you need and bake fresh biscuits any morning.

Cheesy ham and potato gratin layers cooked potatoes and diced ham in a sharp cheddar cream sauce, finished with a whisper of nutmeg. A no-fuss casserole built from leftover ham.