Recipe Sifter

Left-Over Soup, an old-fashioned thrifty kettle soup that turns beef roast bones, baked apple, and dinner scraps into a deeply flavorful stock.

Danish leveropostej: a classic pork liver pate with anchovies, onion, allspice, and clove, wrapped in pork fat and baked in a water bath. Served sliced on smorrebrod or as a first course.

Lighter banana bread made with egg whites, buttermilk, and vegetable oil instead of butter. Nutmeg and cloves add warm spice to this lower-fat loaf that stays moist for days.

Halloween gag cookies rolled in Grape-Nuts and served from a clean litter box with a scoop. Chocolate and gingerbread dough logs shaped like, well, you know. Harmless fun.

Master Chef stewed chicken braises a whole bird with fire-roasted bell peppers, tomatoes, red wine, raisins, and olives for a Spanish-Portuguese sweet-and-savory stew. Finished with a flour-thickened gravy.

Melomakarona are classic Greek Christmas cookies, olive oil dough spiced with orange zest and cognac, soaked in honey-cinnamon syrup, then sprinkled with toasted almonds. Holiday tradition perfected.

Mititei are traditional Romanian skinless beef sausages seasoned with garlic, rosemary, cloves, and baking soda for a tender bite. Grilled until crisp and brown on the outside.

Moghul masala spice blend ground from whole cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, nutmeg, and cardamom. A warm, aromatic Indian spice mix for curries, rice, and meat dishes.

Chewy molasses oatmeal cookies with pecans, raisins, cinnamon, and cloves, drizzled with melted chocolate. Three cups of oats give these a hearty, old-fashioned chew.

Mole de guajolote is a traditional Mexican turkey in mole sauce made from scratch with ancho, mulato, and pasilla chilies, chocolate, sesame seeds, peanuts, and warm spices.

Curried shrimp in coconut milk with a freshly toasted and ground spice blend of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and dried chiles. Poblano peppers and tomatoes round out this aromatic, from-scratch curry.

Greek oil cake (gliko tapsiou me ladi) is a dairy-free, egg-free spice cake made with olive oil, orange juice, walnuts, and raisins. Naturally vegan and Lenten-friendly.

Orange spice muffins with whole wheat flour, sour cream, fresh orange zest, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Topped with cinnamon sugar for a warmly spiced holiday breakfast.

Oyster house apple pie with a flaky butter-shortening crust and a pre-cooked spiced apple filling. Old-tavern recipe with a glossy clove-and-cinnamon glaze.

Pepparkakor, the thin and snappy Swedish spice cookies layered with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg over deep molasses. Sliced from chilled logs and baked crisp. A classic Scandinavian Christmas treat.

Pepper poached pears simmer in white wine with black peppercorns, ginger, cinnamon and a whisper of chili heat, then chill in a syrup reduced from the poaching liquid. An elegant, lightly spiced dessert.