Recipe Sifter

Oysters in champagne sauce: plump shucked oysters cloaked in a silky butter-champagne sauce, broiled just until golden on a bed of rock salt. An elegant appetizer for New Year's Eve or any holiday table.

Raisin orange polenta cookies fold Cointreau-soaked raisins, bright orange zest, and a scoop of cornmeal into a buttery Italian-style drop cookie. Golden, subtly crunchy, and citrus-bright.

Silky strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream made with real strawberry puree, whipped egg whites, and butter. Light, not too sweet, and naturally pink without a drop of food coloring. Pipes beautifully on cake or cupcakes.

Garlic chicken breasts stuffed with a frozen butter-herb pat, dipped in buttermilk, then rolled in crushed cornflakes for a shatteringly crisp crust. A retro Chicken Kiev twist.

Makkhani murghi (butter chicken) with tandoori-style chicken in a creamy tomato sauce with garam masala, ginger, roasted cumin, and fresh green chile. India's most beloved curry sauce.

Orange-glazed bananas baked in fresh orange juice, Grand Marnier, butter, and brown sugar with toasted walnuts. A 15-minute warm fruit dessert. Spoon over vanilla ice cream.

Almond orange chocolate biscotti: toasted slivered almonds, orange zest, and chocolate chips folded into a buttery twice-baked Italian cookie dough with a splash of amaretto. Perfect with coffee.

Greek Pasta Flora with a Cognac-butter pastry crust and a rich filling of stewed apricots, dried figs, raisins, apricot jam, and orange zest. A traditional Athenian lattice tart.

Black currant tea brownies layer cassis-infused fudge squares with a glossy berry preserve and a silky black currant tea ganache. A boozy, perfumed showstopper.

Brown butter blackberry charlotte with ladyfingers, eggs, and vanilla baked until crusty on top and custard-smooth inside. A French-style dessert that freezes beautifully for up to 4 months.

Refined split pea soup with fresh sorrel, ham hock, lemon, and cream, puréed silky smooth and strained. Serve it piping hot in winter or well chilled as an elegant summer starter.

Peach cheesecake built on a cottage-cheese filling for a lighter, less dense bite, with a vanilla wafer pecan crust and a sour cream topping crowned with sliced peaches.

Award-winning shortbread with just butter, sugar, flour, and salt pressed into thick cutouts: crisp edges, melt-in-your-mouth crumb, adorable sheep shapes with chocolate eyes optional.

This is a very easy dish to put together, just a matter of mixing all the ingredients together and baking for 30 minutes. The sauce needs to be reduced at the end of the cooking, but that only takes about 5 minutes. I suggest that you serve it with a Saag aloo and rice.

Layered banana bread pudding soaked in a rich egg custard with fresh nutmeg, baked golden, and drizzled with a buttery brown sugar rum sauce. Pure indulgence for 6.

Banana Cake with Brow Sugar Frosting and Cream Cheese Glaze recipe