Recipe Sifter

Pineapple upside-down cake with a cornmeal batter, fresh pineapple caramelized in Madeira wine and brown sugar, baked in a cast iron skillet. Extra-rich with whole eggs plus extra yolks and a hint of nutmeg.

Grilled chicken breasts stuffed under the skin with blanched garlic and parsley, finished with a quick lemon-butter pan sauce. Bistro-style chicken from a handful of ingredients.

Poached salmon cutlets in white wine with a vibrant pureed basil sauce finished with lemon and butter. An elegant one-dish fish dinner where the poaching liquid becomes the sauce.

Indian sago and vermicelli kheer with golden raisins and cardamom simmered in milk. A creamy, fragrant pudding dessert served hot or chilled.

Sour cream coffee cake swirled with cherry preserves and brightened with lemon zest. A dense, moist breakfast cake with no yeast required, ready in under an hour.

Chicken scaloppine with oregano is a fast Italian classic: thin pounded chicken breasts dredged in flour, pan-seared golden in butter and oil, and finished with oregano and a quick white wine pan sauce.

Classic buttery shortbread squares with unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and a candied cherry on each. Tender, crumbly, and they improve with age stored in a tin.

Jerked pork tenderloin seared then stacked on rice with sautéed portabello mushrooms, all drenched in a spiced cream sauce with allspice, coriander, and Worcestershire. Caribbean heat meets French technique on one plate.

Pan-seared salmon finished in the oven with red wine, fish stock, and dried apricots, glazed with a butter-enriched pan sauce. An elegant French-inspired dish with sweet-savory depth.

Porcini mushroom crostini with shiitake, cream, garlic, and Asiago cheese broiled on Italian toast. A rich, earthy Italian appetizer with deep mushroom flavor from dried and fresh fungi.

Classic French onion soup with caramelized onions simmered in rich beef broth, topped with crusty bread and bubbly melted Gruyere broiled to golden-brown. The bistro favorite, made at home.

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.

Linguine with Brussels sprouts barigoule braises savoy cabbage, leeks, and sprouts in wine, lemon, and thyme, then tosses the whole thing with linguine. A Provencal vegetarian pasta.

Braised escarole with caramelized apples, shallots, and toasted pecans in a cider vinegar pan sauce. A bitter-sweet fall side dish that pairs beautifully with pork, duck, or roast chicken.

Spaghetti carbonara with bacon, beaten eggs, white wine, butter, and grated Italian cheese. The hot pasta cooks the eggs into a creamy, silky sauce right in the bowl.

Ginger crinkle cookies with molasses, cinnamon, and cloves, rolled in sugar and baked until crackled on top. Chewy centers with crisp, sugary edges that shatter on the first bite.