Recipe Sifter

Mocha cake is a spiced coffee loaf studded with raisins, currants, and citron. Brewed coffee, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice create a warmly spiced fruitcake for any occasion.

Variation: Peas, hard-cooked eggs, artichoke hearts, olives, pimientos or many other foods may be used in place of the mushrooms. Swiss, Muenster, Monterey Jack, Tilsit. Mozzarella or any other cheese may be substituted for the Cheddar cheese.

Orange poppy seed layer cake soaked in fresh orange syrup and frosted with vanilla cream cheese frosting. A stunning two-layer celebration cake with citrus flavor in every bite.

Mr. Food's bistro supper soup throws diced tomatoes, French onion soup, smoked sausage, corn and picante sauce into one pot. Six ingredients, ready in 10 minutes.

Mash-up casserole layering chili beans, green chiles, pimento olives, and roasted red peppers under a fluffy egg-and-cheese custard. New Orleans muffaletta meets Tex-Mex chiles rellenos.

Cream of mushroom soup with nearly two pounds of fresh mushrooms, dry sherry, thyme, milk, and heavy cream. Rich, chunky, and homemade in 40 minutes.

Mushroom soup concentrate is a homemade replacement for canned condensed mushroom soup, built from fresh mushrooms, butter, onion, celery and broth. Use it in casseroles or thin with milk for a quick bowl.

Pressure cooker saffron brown rice with mushrooms, leeks, carrots, and fennel seeds. A one-pot vegetarian side that cooks hands-off in 25 minutes.

A light, airy baked cheesecake made fluffy by folding in whipped egg whites, with tangy sour cream, cream cheese, lemon, and vanilla over a graham crust. The dessert worth saying yes to.

Old-school lard pie crust with egg, vinegar, and a touch of brown sugar. One batch yields four disks for double-crust pies. The flakiest crust comes from cold lard worked into the size of tiny peas.

Pasta rabe with steamed broccoli rabe tossed with fresh linguine, sauteed garlic, mushrooms, onion, olive oil, and grated Parmesan. A simple Italian weeknight pasta in 30 minutes.

New Delhi spiced chicken with turmeric, curry, coriander, and ginger-coated chicken breast stir-fried with tomatoes, peppers, raisins, and a splash of sherry. Indian-inspired and ready in 40 minutes.

New England beans: canned pork and beans dressed up with real maple syrup, ketchup and chunks of ham, then simmered into a sweet-savory side in about 15 minutes. A fast shortcut to classic New England maple baked beans.

West African peanut soup with chicken broth, peppers, and chunky peanut butter creates a rich, spicy bowl ready in 30 minutes for easy weeknight dinners or meal prep.

Low-fat brownies made with cottage cheese instead of butter, egg whites instead of whole eggs, and real unsweetened chocolate. Fudgy and rich with far less guilt.

Pantry linguine with clams, marinated artichoke hearts and black olives in a garlicky olive oil sauce. A 30-minute Italian-style pasta built entirely from cans and jars, finished with grated pecorino and red pepper flakes.