Recipe Sifter

Hamaguri Shigure-Ni, a Japanese sweet-savory clam appetizer cooked in sake, soy sauce, and sugar. Only 4 ingredients. The sauce reduces to a glossy syrup that coats each clam. Served cool.

Vollkornbrot is a dense German whole grain bread made with 7-grain cereal, whole wheat flour, and molasses. No yeast, no kneading, baked low and slow for 3 hours and keeps 2 weeks.

Homemade herbes de Provence blend with marjoram, thyme, savory, basil, rosemary, sage, and fennel seeds. Mix in minutes and store in jars for seasoning chicken, vegetables, and meat.

Holiday spice cookies roll out paper-thin from a molasses-and-spice dough with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Crisp cookie-cutter cookies for the December tins.

Homemade lamb stock from leftover leg-of-lamb bones simmered with celery, carrot, onion, tomato, and herbs. The kitchen-fundamental that turns a roast carcass into the base for stews, soups, and sauces.

Traditional British honey-cured ham using salt, saltpeter, pepper, and honey rubbed and turned daily for a month before hanging to dry. An old-fashioned whole-ham curing method for serious charcuterie.

Grilled beef back ribs steamed in foil packets then finished over coals with a spicy ketchup sauce spiked with cinnamon, hot sauce, and crushed red pepper.

Slow cooker hot cranberry punch with pineapple juice, brown sugar, and a cheesecloth bundle of whole cloves and cinnamon stick. A hands-off holiday drink that perfumes the kitchen all afternoon.

Hot honey rub combines horseradish, hot paprika, soy sauce, and honey into a 4-ingredient marinade for chicken and pork. Sweet, savory, and just-spicy enough to upgrade the grill.

Angel food cake split into four layers and filled with strawberry and chocolate ice cream. Covered in whipped cream frosting with almonds and chocolate leaves.

Indian-style lemonade sweetened with maple syrup and spiked with fresh ginger and a pinch of cayenne. A no-cook spiced citrus drink made with both lemon and lime juice.

Jicama, cucumber, and orange salad with lime juice, chili powder, and fresh mint. A crisp, refreshing Mexican-style fruit and vegetable salad served cold.

Homemade margarita liqueur infused with orange and lime zest spirals in silver tequila with Cointreau. Sip it straight, over ice, or use it as a pre-mixed cocktail base.

Light-as-air meringue kisses and edible shells made from egg whites, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Fill the shells with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Three-layer mint chocolate candy with dark chocolate on the top and bottom and a green peppermint white chocolate center. No-bake fudge-style squares made with sweetened condensed milk and just six ingredients.

Classic French leeks vinaigrette, poached until just tender and dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. A simple, elegant side dish served warm or chilled.