Recipe Sifter

Classic Italian lasagna al forno with homemade tomato sauce, bechamel, ricotta, and mozzarella. A three-sauce layered lasagna with red wine in the tomato sauce and nutmeg in the bechamel.

Hot dog stew with hunks of potato, onion, and bell pepper in a roux-thickened broth. A frugal one-pot supper from the pantry, ready in under an hour.

Golden baked crab calzones stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella, cream cheese, scallions, and olives in a soft yeast dough. Makes 10 hearty hand pies from one batch.

Hungarian peasant soup with chicken, turkey legs, and stewing beef simmered with kohlrabi, parsley root, leeks, and whole peppercorns. A two-course meal from one pot.

Italian chili with ground beef, pepperoni, kidney beans, mushrooms, and crushed tomatoes in Italian seasoning. A pizza-meets-chili mashup for the stovetop or crock pot.

Orange and spice pot roast braised with orange juice, stewed tomatoes, cinnamon, whole cloves, and bacon drippings. A warmly spiced chuck roast with homemade pan gravy.

Slow cooker flank steak braised in sauterne wine, beef broth, and soy sauce with sliced mushrooms. Fork-tender beef with a rich, glossy mushroom gravy.

A delicious variation of calzone made with chicken breasts, spinach and a variety of cheeses.

Beef and green bean stir-fry with thin-sliced flank steak and a creamy peanut-soy-sesame sauce. Asian-inspired weeknight dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Pasulj: Balkan white bean and kielbasa soup thickened with a paprika-oil roux (zaprška). Slow-simmered with onion, garlic, and smoked sausage. A Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian comfort classic.

Kale gratin with pancetta blanches hearty greens and folds them into a rich garlic cream sauce with crispy pancetta, then crowns with golden Parmesan breadcrumbs. A holiday-worthy alternative to creamed spinach.

Kare Ikan, an Indonesian fish curry simmered in coconut milk, tamarind and a fragrant spice paste of lemongrass, turmeric, ginger and chili. Finished with cool cucumber and fresh mint.

Masala Vangi: baby eggplants stuffed with toasted coconut, coriander, and cayenne, then simmered and drizzled with tangy ginger-tamarind sauce. A vegetarian Indian classic.

Homemade German-style mustard from whole yellow and black mustard seeds with cider vinegar, cinnamon, allspice, and tarragon. Soak, blend, age, and jar your own.

Cuban-style black beans simmered with green pepper, garlic, cumin, and oregano, finished with a splash of red wine vinegar. Simple, saucy, and full of sofrito flavor.

Salmon scampi seared in bacon drippings and finished with marsala wine, butter, garlic, and herbs. A pan-to-oven main course served over rice.