Recipe Sifter

Sweet, rich and delicious...a decadent ending to a light meal or, just as a snack. The kiddies will love these.

No need for a double boiler with this quick and easy recipe. Its delicious lemony burst is wonderful on scones, English muffins and just about anything you want to give a little zing to.

Oven fried pork chops coated in herb-seasoned stuffing mix for shortcut breading with built-in seasoning. Egg washed and baked on a buttered sheet pan for a crisp crust without the splatter of skillet frying.

Just 3 ingredients and one hour in the oven. Tender spaghetti squash strands tossed with golden shallot butter make an easy low-carb side dish the whole family will love.

Butter in India is called makkhan. Clarified butter, instead of being called makkhan ghee, is called usli ghee (usli means "real" or "pure," which in this context refers to the real or original fat of the ancient Indians). Clarified butter or usli ghee is essentially French brown butter with the brown residue strained off. Usli ghee has a light caramel color and a heavenly aroma. Since there is no moisture present, it keeps well covered, at room temperature, for several months.

Shrimp saute with orzo: garlicky butter-poached shrimp finished with white wine, lemon, capers, and parsley over al dente orzo. Restaurant-style dinner ready in 25 minutes.

Garlic prawns sauteed in butter with shallots, then simmered in champagne and fresh lemon juice with dill. An elegant 20-minute seafood dinner served over rice or pasta.

Osso bucco in bianco, the white Milanese version braised in white wine without tomato. Veal shanks go fall-off-the-bone tender, finished with fresh lemon zest and parsley gremolata.

Miniature pumpkin soup served in hollowed roasted pumpkin shells with sage, onion, and Parmesan. Dramatic individual-portion fall starter that doubles as edible tableware.

Buttermilk biscuits in miniature form with a flaky butter crust and tender buttermilk crumb. A small-batch recipe perfect for two-person households or fancy hors d'oeuvres bases.

Rum and raisin are a classic combination. Use both of them to give these popcorn a tasty twist. Make sure that you make enough, there will be lots of people who comes for a second or a third one...

Adapted this recipe from Foodnetwork magazine, I made a few changes to make it a little healthier but still taste decadently delicious.

Texas BBQ beef brisket: seven pounds of brisket smoked low and slow with paprika rub and wood chips, finished with a tangy homemade sauce built from the pan drippings.

Easy Boston cream pie made the no-bake way: a split yellow cake layer sandwiched with silky vanilla pudding, then crowned with a glossy chocolate-cream topping spiked with almond extract.

Classic Oysters Rockefeller baked on the half shell under a buttery spinach topping spiked with Pernod and anchovy, layered with crisp bacon and a browned breadcrumb crust. The New Orleans appetizer, done right at home.

Dark chocolate sea salt cookies, intensely cocoa-rich slice-and-bake sables studded with bittersweet chocolate and flecked with fleur de sel. Slightly underbaked for a soft, fudgy center and a salty-sweet finish.