Recipe Sifter

Homemade jalapeno breadsticks with buttermilk, sauteed onion, and fresh peppers on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet. Chewy yeast breadsticks with real heat and golden, crispy edges.

Chicken liver pate with brandy, dry sherry, and unsalted butter, finished with a hint of marjoram and optional truffles. Silky smooth and served chilled as an elegant appetizer.

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.

Lebanese Baklawa Be'Aj features phyllo squares shaped into lily petals around an egg-white walnut and almond filling, soaked in rose water and orange blossom syrup. A showstopper pastry for special occasions.

Veal and crayfish stew in a sherry cream sauce with mushrooms, nutmeg, and lemon. Tender braised veal meets sweet crayfish tails in this elegant French-inspired dish.

Fresh pineapple upside-down cake with Madeira wine caramel, cornmeal batter, and extra egg yolks. Baked in a cast iron skillet for a crisp, buttery edge.

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.

Junior's cheesecake delivers the iconic Brooklyn-style dense, tangy cream cheese cake with a graham crumb base and golden brown top. Cornstarch keeps the crumb tight, vanilla and heavy cream lift it silky.

Gingered rhubarb crisp with crystallized ginger folded into tart rhubarb under a buttery crumb topping. Baked until bubbling and golden, served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Divine Southern decadence cake: chocolate wafer and toasted coconut crust, dense fudgy chocolate-cashew filling with espresso and hazelnut liqueur, finished with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Hollowed oranges stuffed with brown rice, chickpeas, and raisins dressed in an orange-tahini sauce with cumin and paprika. A stunning vegetarian main or side.

Shiitake mushroom and potato galette layers russet slices around earthy shiitakes and parmesan, pressed under a brick and baked into crisp wedges. Broiled to golden brown on both sides.

Upside-down rhubarb cobbler with the biscuit batter on the bottom, sugared rhubarb piled on top, and a buttery streusel crown. The cake rises up through the fruit during baking.

Almond fortune cookies are crisp homemade Chinese-American cookies with almond extract, hand-folded around paper fortunes while still warm. Bake one sheet at a time for fresh, customized messages.

Louisiana roast cuts deep pockets into the meat and stuffs them with the Cajun trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper bound with garlic and butter. Baked low and slow so the seasoning melts into every slice.

Pasticcio di Maccheroni, the Greek baked pasta casserole layered with spiced ground beef, macaroni, grated cheese, and a rich béchamel crown.