Recipe Sifter

Pastitsio makaronia me feta: a Greek baked pasta casserole with elbow macaroni, cubed feta, grated cheese, and eggs wrapped in crispy buttered filo pastry. Nutmeg-scented and golden-topped.

Patout's Cajun hot crab dip with sweated trinity vegetables, fresh crab meat, heavy cream, three peppers, and Tabasco. Bayou-style appetizer for parties and game day.

Crispy pecan-potato pancakes topped with cilantro-marinated grilled shrimp, cool cucumber salsa, and a roasted red pepper cream sauce. A restaurant-style appetizer.

Pickled sweet and sour fish marinated in vinegar with peppercorns and allspice. Firm white fish coated in rye flour, pan-fried, then marinated up to 3 days.

Perfectly poached eggs tops artichoke hearts and luscious Bearnaise sauce. You might just think you're in France.

Classic Cantonese siu mai with ground pork, dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and green onions, wrapped in open-top dumpling skins and steamed until juicy. Dim sum at home.

Pork tenderloin medallions with apples braised in apple cider and white wine with sage, thyme, and sweet red onion. A French-inspired one-skillet dinner with a reduced cider pan sauce.

Potage au potiron, a silky French pumpkin soup with onion, white wine, turnip and carrot, enriched with cream and buttery croutons, then served right inside the hollowed pumpkin shell. A showstopping autumn first course.

Baked halibut with a crispy potato flake and cheese crust made from Swiss, Parmesan, mayonnaise, and horseradish. Broiled golden on top for a crunchy, savory finish.

Lemon dill chicken in the Paul Prudhomme style: boneless chicken breasts seasoned with dill, basil and pepper, then pan-seared and simmered in a tangy apple juice and lemon pan sauce. Low-fat skillet dinner.

Handmade pumpkin ravioli with a spiced pumpkin-carrot filling, served in a garlic cream sauce with toasted hazelnuts and wilted sorrel. A showpiece fall pasta.

Quinoa salpicon salad tossed with fresh cucumber, tomato, mint, and parsley in a zesty lime-chile vinaigrette. A bright, protein-rich Latin American side dish served cold.

Spatchcocked roast turkey with cream gravy: backbone-removed bird that cooks in half the time, finished with a rich gravy of turkey stock, heavy cream, and nutmeg.

Red potato colcannon keeps the skins on, steams the potatoes, and mashes them with browned cabbage and onion softened in milk. Irish comfort food done lighter.

Renaissance pizza layers a slow-simmered carrot-onion tomato sauce with sauteed broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms on a rectangular cake-flour crust. Fully vegetarian.

Rice stuffed artichoke cooked entirely in the microwave with a sage-carrot rice filling and a silky lemon-egg yolk sauce. An elegant single-serving vegetable dish.