Recipe Sifter

Chinese sweet and sour soup with chicken: a quick 30-minute soup of thin-sliced chicken, mushrooms, and beef broth balanced with vinegar and sugar. Served with lemon slices.

Homemade BBQ sauce blends sauteed onion and garlic with ketchup, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, and mustard, thickened with a touch of cornstarch. Sticky, smoky-sweet sauce for grilled chicken, pork, or beef.

Old-fashioned molasses cookies with candied citron, chopped nuts, cloves, and cinnamon. Rolled thin, cut out, and baked crisp. A heritage holiday cookie.

Beef shish kebabs marinated in oil, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, and basil then skewered with mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Grilled and basted for a classic summer dinner.

German lentil soup with frankfurters, bacon, and vegetables thickened with a browned flour roux and brightened with vinegar. A hearty, old-world one-pot meal.

Homemade chili sauce for canning with ripe tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, pickling spices, and vinegar reduced by half. A classic preserved condiment processed in a boiling water bath.

Tangy-sweet rhubarb chutney with fresh ginger, garlic, jalapeno, mustard seeds and currants in a brown sugar vinegar base. A sharp Indian-inflected condiment for grilled meats, cheese boards and curries.

Spiced sweet and sour pickled carrots canned in a vinegar-sugar syrup with mixed pickling spices. Old-fashioned pantry preserves that brighten up any cold meat or cheese plate.

Freezer slaw is a make-ahead cabbage slaw that freezes without going soggy. Salt-cured cabbage, carrots, and peppers in a sweet-tart vinegar dressing. Lasts months in the freezer.

Homemade Italian cheese dressing blended with Parmesan, garlic, dry mustard, celery salt, and white pepper. A creamy vinaigrette made in the blender and chilled to serve.

High-fiber carrot or zucchini bran muffins made with whole wheat flour, honey, molasses, and raisins. Sweetened without refined sugar. A wholesome breakfast muffin with real substance.

French onion soup with a twist: Coca-Cola added to the beef broth gives a subtle caramel sweetness that deepens the flavor of the golden onions. Topped with Parmesan toast.

London broil with a punchy garlic-mustard-Worcestershire marinade, broiled hot and sliced thin against the grain. The classic American budget-cut steak dinner done right.

Homemade vinegar pie crust filled with a creamy custard of eggs, half-and-half, sour cream, Swiss cheese, and spinach (or broccoli) with a surprising kick of horseradish. A versatile quiche from scratch.

Red velvet cake with a tender buttermilk crumb, a hint of cocoa, and tangy cream cheese frosting. The Southern classic with vinegar-and-soda lift for that signature soft texture and deep red color.

Multi-grain seed bread for the bread machine with whole wheat, rye, cornmeal, bran, poppy seeds, caraway, pecans, and raisins. Dense, nutty, and packed with texture.