Recipe Sifter

Twelve cloves of sliced garlic warmed in extra-virgin olive oil with red pepper flakes, a squeeze of lemon, and fresh parsley over spaghetti. Topped with toasted breadcrumbs for crunch. Done in 25 minutes.

Fresh cucumber rounds hollowed out and filled with roasted eggplant paté blended with almonds, garlic, and parsley. A cool, elegant vegetarian appetizer that looks as good as it tastes.

Baked whole apples glazed in cinnamon-citrus syrup, opened like flower petals, and topped with vanilla ice cream and homemade chocolate liqueur sauce.

Lemon-paprika tilapia with potato rutabaga mash pairs paprika-dusted fish with a buttery Yukon-rutabaga mash, finished with a wine-shallot cream sauce laced with lemon peel.

Spanakorizo is a classic Greek spinach and rice dish simmered with tomato, onion, fresh mint, parsley, and a whisper of nutmeg. Vegetarian, comforting, finished with hard-cooked eggs and lemon.

Ziti with asparagus, peas, and lemon cream: tender pasta in a tangy reduced cream sauce with spring vegetables, wilted Bibb lettuce, and Parmesan. A bright, elegant springtime pasta in 30 minutes.

Rhubarb punch made from fresh rhubarb juice strained through cheesecloth, sweetened with sugar, and brightened with orange and lemon juice. Finished with soda water.

Roasted whole chicken stuffed under the skin with a pecan-goat cheese spread, baked on a bed of onion and lemon slices with white wine and broth for rich pan gravy.

Mexican shrimp cocktail with lime-poached shrimp, avocado, jalapeno, tomato, cilantro, and carrots in a concentrated lime-garlic broth. Served chilled on lettuce.

Concord grape pie with 3 pounds of fresh grapes, skins and all, baked in a double crust with lemon zest. A fall harvest pie with intense grape flavor you can't get from a jar.

Grilled flank steak marinated in lemon and garlic, served with grilled zucchini, fresh basil tomatoes, and toasted Italian bread. A complete summer meal off the grill.

County fair banana pie with a chocolate chip layer on the bottom, rum-spiked banana cream filling, and whipped cream with chopped pecans. A blue-ribbon worthy layered banana cream pie.

Roasted tomato and rice salad chars tomatoes over an open flame, then tosses with warm rice, olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and parsley. Smoky Mediterranean side dish.

Sauteed squid and shrimp with eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, and garlic in olive oil with a squeeze of lemon. Served over golden-browned eggplant slices for a light, Mediterranean-style seafood dish.

Pan-fried sole fillets in a quick rice wine and ginger sauce, brightened with lemon and finished with toasted pine nuts and scallions. A light, Asian-inspired fish dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.

Tart apple cake brightened with lemon and a splash of rum, baked in a springform with halved apples crowning the top. Light, lemony, European-style coffee cake with dusted sugar.