Recipe Sifter

Oven-fried mustard chicken coated in Dijon, garlic, and rosemary, then crusted with crushed bran flakes and Parmesan. Crispy outside, juicy inside, no deep frying needed.

Passover apple cake made with matzo meal and potato starch instead of flour. A fluffy, flourless sponge layered with grated cinnamon apples and lemon.

Pears stuffed with creamy Gorgonzola and butter, pressed back together and rolled in crushed walnuts. An elegant no-cook appetizer or cheese course with just 5 ingredients.

Golden asparagus strudel wrapped in crispy phyllo with sautéed onions and buttery breadcrumbs. Served with a cool yogurt-mint herb dressing. Vegetarian and vegan-adaptable.

Cajun-blackened sea scallops over farfalle tossed in cilantro walnut pesto, drizzled with roasted red pepper sauce. A showstopper seafood pasta with bold layered flavors.

Traditional Greek baklava with layers of buttery phyllo, cinnamon-spiced walnuts, and sweet lemon syrup. This classic nut strudel is crispy, sweet, and utterly addictive.

Pfeffernuesse (German pepper nut cookies) are tiny round spice cookies flavored with cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, and mace, finished with a drop of brandy before baking. A traditional Christmas cookie from Germany.

The reputation of fruitcake has been tarnished but store bought and candied fruitcakes. Using dried instead of candied fruit demonstrates what fruitcake is supposed to be.

Futari: an East African pumpkin and sweet potato stew simmered in coconut milk with cinnamon and cloves. A vegan side dish from Tanzania and Kenya, naturally gluten-free.

Homemade blueberry liqueur infuses crushed berries in vodka with lemon peel and clove for a deep ruby-purple cordial. A long, slow steep delivers a gift-worthy fruit liqueur.

Margarita shrimp with fettuccine: tequila-lemon-marinated shrimp dipped in egg and flour, seared, and served over pasta with a lemon-ginger-wine butter sauce.

Nantucket cioppino is a New England take on the San Francisco classic, loading swordfish, lobster, clams, mussels, cod, and shrimp into a red wine tomato broth. A showstopper seafood stew for a crowd.

Chicken piccata with pounded chicken breasts seared in butter, finished with sherry, lemon juice, and capers in a quick pan sauce. A weeknight Italian classic for eight in 40 minutes.

Elegant apple pie with port wine filling and sharp cheddar pastry crust. Apples simmer in port, apple juice, and lemon zest until just tender. Lattice top shows off the ruby-tinted filling.

A vegetarian black-eyed pea salad tossed in a bold dressing of sambuca, fresh basil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. The anise-kissed liqueur gives this bean salad an unexpected, aromatic twist you won't find anywhere else.

Sea scallops poached in court bouillon, bathed in a Gruyere cream sauce with mushrooms, and piped with a golden mashed potato border. The full classic French presentation.