Recipe Sifter

Bert Greene's peppered chili layers ground beef and beef shoulder strips with three different chiles (mild ground, caribe, fresh serrano). Slow-baked three hours with red wine, fresh tomatoes, and herbs. Kidney beans go in last. A serious cook's chili.

Whole wheat spice muffins with cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger sweetened with honey. A warming, low-fat breakfast muffin that smells like the holidays.

Cincinnati 5-way chili: cinnamon and allspice-spiced beef chili ladled over vermicelli, then crowned with beans, onions, and cheddar. Greek-influenced Midwestern original.

The combination of black beans and sweet potato gives these brownies a moreish, moist quality. These are great for kids as they contain no added sugar or trans-fats (you may wish to omit the coffee and substitute cacao powder if serving to youngsters, though).

Dense, buttery pound cake infused with apple cider and warming fall spices gets drizzled with a simmered buttermilk glaze. This autumn dessert feeds a crowd and slices beautifully for gatherings.

A delicately thin, not too sweet, yummy spicy cookie.

Green tomato relish turns end-of-season unripe tomatoes into a tangy-sweet preserve spiced with allspice, cloves, mustard, and celery seed. Salted overnight to draw water, then simmered with brown sugar, vinegar, and lemon. Cans up beautifully.

Veal brisket braised with Marsala wine, button mushrooms, dried porcini, and 8 cloves of garlic until fork-tender. A make-ahead main that improves over 3 days in the fridge.

Cranberry catsup simmers fresh cranberries with onion, vinegar, and warm spices into a tangy crimson condiment. A holiday alternative to traditional ketchup, perfect with turkey or pork.

Homemade German-style mustard from whole yellow and black mustard seeds with cider vinegar, cinnamon, allspice, and tarragon. Soak, blend, age, and jar your own.

Layered pumpkin walnut pie hides a buttery brown-sugar walnut praline beneath a creamy, cream-cheese-rich pumpkin custard in a shortbread crust, crowned with baked pastry leaves. A Thanksgiving showpiece.

Magenta millet pilaf pressure-cooked with beets, then finished with fresh orange juice, orange zest, and mint. A vibrant vegan whole grain side dish.

A fruity, yet scrumptious chicken dish that will have you licking your lips just waiting for it to finish cooking!

Introduce your family a new type of dessert with this scrumptious cake made with prunes and armagnac.

This flavorful beef stew is alway a winner at our place. Marinating makes the beef tender and full of flavor. The bouquet garni has lots of spices and vegetables, which add extra deliciousness and textures into the stew. It's a great winter dish in a cold day.

Traditional Canadian tourtière with seasoned ground pork, mashed potatoes, nutmeg, and allspice in a flaky double crust. Makes two pies. A Québécois holiday classic.