Recipe Sifter

Finger licking sticky authentic Chinese barbecue spareribs at home. Chinese spare ribs are one of the most popular Chinese restaurant take-out favorites.

Haricot Vert are tender French string beans. Use regular string beans if your supermarket doesn't carry them.

Indonesian sambal ikan transforms tuna into a spicy-sweet coconut relish with shallots, garlic, and candlenuts. Serve hot or cold as a bold condiment or side dish.

French-style pork medallions braised in a classic brown sauce with mustard butter, capers and a bouquet garni. Restaurant-technique dinner served with glazed turnips and potatoes.

Crisp grilled prawns glazed with lemongrass and ginger meet julienned green mango tossed in a tangy Thai dressing. Every bite balances bright lime, crunchy peanuts, and fresh herbs.

Nothing is more fascinating and delicious than eating at the open- air street hawker centers in Asia, particularly in Singapore. Each stall serves a specialty, typically an honest, unpretentious, home-style dish for $1 to $3 a plate. This rice noodle dish is hawker food at its best. If done right, its fragrance will tell you how good it's going to be as soon as it arrives at your table.

Italian spaghetti with sauteed shrimp, white wine, fresh basil, mint, and cherry pepper. A light, herb-bright coastal pasta that comes together in 45 minutes.

Australian-style macaroni salad with green beans, red bell pepper, celery, and shallots tossed in fat-free mayo. A light, crunchy, healthy side that comes together in 10 minutes flat.

Eggplant, mushrooms, asparagus, and red bell pepper simmered in a spicy Thai chili paste and rice milk sauce with fresh basil. A hearty vegan stew for rice or grilled polenta.

Creamy bay scallop stew with shallots, white wine, heavy cream, whole milk, and snipped chives. A velvety, New England-style seafood stew that's pure coastal comfort in 30 minutes.

Pan-seared ling cod fillets deglazed with grapefruit juice, served with warm grapefruit sections and creamy avocado slices. A light, elegant 30-minute dinner.

An easy home-made dressing that adds loads of flavor to a variety of dishes or even just with your favorite greens.

Greek phyllo-wrapped meat loaf with ground veal, cinnamon, tomato, hard-boiled eggs, and mizithra cheese in a crispy buttered filo shell. A show-stopping Hellenic classic.

Crispy pan-seared chicken breasts drizzled with a rich balsamic vinegar reduction made with shallots, fresh marjoram, and butter. A 40-minute weeknight dinner that feels restaurant-worthy.

Lamb Marsala: shoulder chops dredged, browned, and slow-braised in Marsala wine with mushrooms until fork-tender, then served over golden braised winter squash. A rich, cozy autumn twist on chicken marsala.

Roasted cod fillets topped with a warm Mediterranean tapenade of cherry tomatoes, cured olives, capers, shallots, oregano, and balsamic. A Provençal-inspired weeknight fish dinner ready in 25 minutes.