Recipe Sifter

Santa Maria salsa is the no-cook California barbecue staple: chopped canned tomatoes, celery, onion, and green pepper sharpened with horseradish, vinegar, and Worcestershire. Pour, chill, serve.

Traditional German sauerbraten with bottom round beef marinated 3-4 days in vinegar, then braised with red wine, beef stock, and tomato puree. A tangy, fork-tender roast with rich gravy.

Nothing beats a savory pot roast so try this simple recipe that will bring your family together at the dinner table.

Tender scallops poached in their own cooking liquid, then folded into a velvety mayonnaise sauce flavored with thyme. Served over buttered toast for an elegant brunch or light supper that feels special.

Sawmill cake with no eggs and no dairy, just cocoa, vinegar, and margarine for a moist, dark chocolate sheet cake. The Depression-era one-bowl dessert born from pantry shortages.

Vegan sweet and sour stir-fry with mushrooms, carrots, snow peas, bell pepper, and squash in a ginger-soy-brown sugar glaze. No oil needed. Serve over brown rice.

Crispy stir-fried vegetables glazed in a honey-orange-ginger sauce, stuffed into pita pockets and grilled until sealed. A crunchy, sweet-savory meatless meal in 30 minutes.

Fresh currants simmered with sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves into a sweet-tart spiced relish. This old-fashioned preserve is a natural alongside roasted meats, cheese boards, or warm biscuits.

Sweet and spicy dill pickles made by slicing store-bought dills and repickling them in a hot sugar-vinegar brine with mixed spice and onion. Ready in 24 hours.

Quick herbed brown sauce simmered with chopped onion, parsley, tarragon, thyme, and a splash of vinegar. A savory, tangy pan sauce for chicken or roasted meats in just 15 minutes.

Spicy cranberry pork chops with whole-berry cranberry sauce, raisins, brown sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon. A sweet-tart microwave pork chop dinner.

Spicy Southwestern chili is real-deal Texas chili: chunks of sirloin browned and simmered low in tomato and beef stock with a deep, layered chile blend. No beans, plenty of heat, and big bold flavor for chiliheads.

Uru mus roast is a Sri Lankan spiced pork dish marinated in vinegar with cardamom, cloves, and curry powder, then braised until tender and finished with fried onions and curry leaves.

Fresh spinach wok-tossed with toasted almonds, ginger, and a savory miso-soy drizzle. This 20-minute vegetarian side dish is nutty, earthy, and packed with iron-rich greens.

Old-fashioned stone crock pickles made over 15 days with a salt brine, alum soak, spiced vinegar cure, and sugar layering. A heritage pickling method that produces crisp, sweet pickles that keep indefinitely.

Perfect for the summer, this scrumptious potato salad can satisfy anyone's appetite at lunch.