Recipe Sifter

Garlic stuffed mushrooms with pecans, parmesan, and a folded-in roasted garlic bechamel, baked hot until the filling sets and the tops blush with cayenne.

Pot roast turkey breast simmered with pearl barley, thyme, bay leaves, and a clove-studded onion, served with buttered leeks and cream-enriched barley on a platter.

Roquefort and apple omelet with butter-sauteed apple slices and crumbled blue cheese folded inside. A French-inspired breakfast or brunch ready in 10 minutes.

Potato soup with tender egg dumplings, celery, sauteed onions, and a finishing swirl of sour cream. A Central European comfort bowl for cold nights.

Cajun rice dressing with apples, raisins, pecans, and a cayenne-white pepper seasoning mix. Sweet-savory-spicy side dish cooked in stock until tender and fluffy.

Cajun barbecue sauce with bacon, pecans, honey, and citrus blended smooth. A spicy-sweet sauce with three peppers, orange rind, and Tabasco for chicken, pork, or ribs.

A fiery Cajun shrimp sauce piquant loaded with three types of pepper, jalapenos, the holy trinity, and tomatoes simmered in seafood stock. Spooned over rice, this Louisiana classic brings serious heat and soul.

Vegetable lasagna layered with spinach, broccoli, carrots, and shallots between a parmesan bechamel and a ricotta-mozzarella-egg cheese filling. White-sauce lasagna with no red sauce.

Cajun meat loaf made with beef and pork, loaded with sautéed holy trinity vegetables, three kinds of pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire. A spicy Louisiana twist on a comfort food classic.

Spanish-style butterflied Cornish hens rubbed with crushed coriander and garlic, roasted crisp, then topped with sauteed almonds and julienned bell peppers. Gallina de Cornuallo al Ajillo for a crowd.

This handsome potage has many personalities as it may be presented in a variety of ways: hot, cold, pureed, or country style.

For that definitive French touch, an enriched Bechamel sauce.

Herb crusted chicken breasts with a 7-herb spice crust, pan-sautéed in butter and topped with a make-ahead Dijon and coarse-grain mustard compound butter. Ready in 30 minutes.

Seared monkfish tournedos paired with lobster meat in a Cognac cream sauce finished with homemade lobster butter. A show-stopping French seafood dish worthy of a fine dining experience at home.

Ziti with asparagus, peas, and lemon cream: tender pasta in a tangy reduced cream sauce with spring vegetables, wilted Bibb lettuce, and Parmesan. A bright, elegant springtime pasta in 30 minutes.

Best-ever barbecue sauce in the Cajun style with crispy bacon, dark caramelized onions, honey, citrus, and toasted pecans. A rich, complex Paul Prudhomme-influenced sauce that earns its name.