Recipe Sifter

Santa Maria-style grilled tri-tip marinated 24 hours in red wine, olive oil, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and garlic. Central California barbecue at its finest.

Lon Tao Jiao: a Thai coconut milk and fermented bean sauce dip served with raw cucumber, cabbage, and green beans. A salty-sweet-sour Thai vegetable platter.

If you love banana bread, you will enjoy this scrumptious low-fat version that is perfect for breakfast.

This turns out almost like Snickers bars with the benefit of being "low-fat" and lower sugar than the original candy bar.

A simple and tasty marinade made of italian salad dressing, cider vinegar and lemon juice.

Cantaloupe macerated in dry sparkling wine with orange marmalade and fresh mint. A light, elegant fruit dessert that needs a few hours in the fridge and zero cooking.

Chilled mango ginger lime soup pureed smooth and strained for a silky texture. A no-cook cold soup with just 4 ingredients and a serious ginger kick from 4 ounces of fresh root.

Manhattan Island clam chowder is the tomato-based East Coast chowder: littleneck clams steamed open, then simmered in white wine and fresh tomato broth with pork fatback, potatoes, and cracker crumb thickening.

Barbecue spice rub with paprika, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and a hint of curry for beef steaks like T-bone, tenderloin, and sirloin. Mix once, use all grilling season.

Maple cream pie with sweetened condensed milk, real maple syrup, and a pinch of salt simmered into a glossy filling. Five ingredients, no eggs, no fuss. Classic Vermont-style.

Maple pecan crescent twists made with store-bought crescent roll dough, a cinnamon-nutmeg pecan sugar filling, and a maple powdered sugar glaze. A quick breakfast pastry in 30 minutes.

Marinated fresh mushrooms in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon mustard, and tarragon. A make-ahead appetizer that improves over 1-2 days in the fridge.

Grilled butterflied leg of lamb in a red wine, soy, and rosemary marinade. Smoky, garlicky, and pink at the center, sliced thin for an easy backyard centerpiece.

Marynowane Pieczarki are Polish marinated mushrooms in a peppercorn and bay leaf vinegar brine. Tangy cocktail-hour bites that hold for weeks in the fridge. Pure old-world preserving.

Meatless bulgur tamales wrap a savory filling of cracked wheat, tomatoes, pepper, and brown rice miso inside masa dough and corn husks. A hearty vegetarian Tex-Mex classic with deep umami and no meat required.

Filipino mechado: braised beef with potatoes, carrots, lime, soy, and tomato sauce. Classic Spanish-influenced Filipino comfort food, sliced and served with sauce.