Recipe Sifter

Candied dill pickles transformed from store-bought dills into sweet-tart spears with sugar, vinegar, bay, and cloves. The Southern grandma trick that turns ordinary pickles into addictive snacking.

Wow, the pot roast came out so flavourful and the gravy was also very tasty. We thinly sliced the leftover, used in sandwiches and wraps. Bravo!

Lamb vindaloo, the fiery Goan curry with vinegar-marinated lamb, toasted whole spice paste, and 14 cloves of garlic. Punchy, tangy, and intensely aromatic.

Venison steak braised in Burgundy wine with tomatoes, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and a bouquet garni, finished with sauteed mushrooms. A rich Southern wild game stew served over wild rice.

Old-school dark fruitcake soaked overnight in brandy and orange liqueur with figs, apricots, currants, walnuts, and pecans. Makes four loaves; ages beautifully.

Diabetic-friendly cranberry raisin sauce simmered with orange juice, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. No added sugar needed in this thick, spiced sauce for ham or turkey.

Green tomato and onion pickles with mustard seeds, allspice, and cloves in a sweet cider vinegar brine. A classic canning recipe that preserves end-of-season unripe tomatoes into tangy, spiced pickles.

Kaha buth is Sri Lanka's golden yellow rice cooked in coconut milk with cardamom, cloves, lemongrass, and curry leaves. Fragrant, buttery, and the centerpiece of any rice-and-curry feast.

A spiced Bundt cake studded with Italian prune-plums and walnuts, laced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, then finished with a mocha-cocoa frosting. A stunning fall dessert.

Heirloom walnut icebox cookies with warm spice blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Make-ahead slice-and-bake cookies that keep frozen for weeks until ready to bake.

Gumdrop fruitcake with white raisins, chopped nuts, and colorful gumdrops in a spiced applesauce batter. A festive, kid-friendly alternative to traditional fruitcake.

Wholesome snack cake packed with wheat germ, applesauce, raisins, and orange zest. Low-fat and diabetic-friendly with minimal oil. Cuts into 16 bars for lunchboxes or afternoon treats.

Cranberry orange bagels made with your bread machine, studded with dried cranberries and bright orange zest. A hint of ground cloves adds warm spice to these chewy, boiled-and-baked beauties.

Tender squid braised in red wine, vinegar, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves, Cyprus style. A Mediterranean appetizer that's equally stunning served warm or at room temperature.

For Chinese New Year, this vegetarian ham is always welcomed.

Spicy pumpkin pie with two teaspoons of cayenne pepper hidden in the warm spice blend, balanced by honey, half-and-half, and ground pecans. A Thanksgiving showstopper that surprises every guest at the second bite.