Recipe Sifter

Breaded pork chops braised until tender, topped with a warm sour cherry sauce spiked with cinnamon, cloves, honey, and Madeira wine. An elegant but approachable dinner.

Honey glazed grilled chicken with pea-mint sauce pairs sticky-sweet balsamic-honey bone-in breasts with a vibrant spring sauce of fresh peas and mint. A bright, garden-forward dinner off the grill.

Orange and coffee bean cordial: a whole orange studded with coffee beans, sugar cubes, and vanilla, steeped in cognac for two months. Classic French-style homemade digestif, no special equipment needed.

Ham and redeye gravy is the old Appalachian breakfast classic: fried ham steaks with a skillet gravy of pan drippings, brown sugar, and strong black coffee.

Pork chops and twice-baked yams share one pan, both perfumed with orange juice. A paprika-garlic rub on the chops, and yam shells stuffed with apple, onion and celery for a sweet-savory dinner.

Neil Perry's Rockpool Coffin Bay scallops with braised capsicum and tomatoes: pan-seared scallops on a blanched pepper-tomato base, crisped herbs, and lemon-olive oil pan dressing.

Randy Pollak's persimmon salad is a molded gelatin salad with orange Jello, hot grapefruit juice, and strained persimmon pulp. A vintage fruit salad served on lettuce with cottage cheese.

Traditional slow-cooked polenta finished with butter and Parmesan cheese. Stirred low and slow for up to 45 minutes until thick, creamy, and impossibly smooth.

Fried green tomatoes over angel hair pasta with garlic-infused olive oil, Parmesan, and crispy breadcrumbs. A Southern-Italian fusion main that turns unripe garden tomatoes into a proper dinner.

Crepes filled with peaches poached in red wine, raspberry preserves, orange zest, and warm spices. An elegant French dessert using frozen peaches for year-round ease, ready in 25 minutes.

Slow cooker barbecue beef shredded with a wire whisk after 8 hours on high. Chuck roast cooks in a tangy sauce of tomato paste, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and dry mustard.

Thai Kaeng Khua curry paste made with dried chilies, garlic, lemongrass, coriander root, and shrimp paste. A fragrant homemade paste that keeps 3-4 months refrigerated.

Honey and lemon marinated leg of lamb roasted with potatoes, fresh rosemary, thyme, and oregano. One pan, up to a 24-hour marinade, and a beautifully gilded finish.

Classic French vegetable garnish with glazed carrots, buttered turnips, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and peas arranged around a beef platter. Serve with Hollandaise for an elegant presentation.

Warm cranberry apple cider simmered in the crock pot with cinnamon sticks and a clove-studded orange. The holiday party drink that fills the whole house with spice.

Scandinavian beet salad with sliced boiled beets marinated in a caraway-infused vinegar dressing. A traditional Nordic side dish that needs 8 hours to absorb the sweet-tangy flavors.