Recipe Sifter

Soft gingerbread cake with lard and butter for tender crumb, spiced with ginger and cinnamon, baked until edges pull away from the pan.

Sole fillets folded around savory bulgur stuffing into elegant turban shapes, then poached in a Provencal sauce of tomatoes, white wine, mushrooms, and garlic.

Hot dog potato soup with sliced frankfurters, corn, carrots, and evaporated milk in a creamy thyme-seasoned broth. A hearty, kid-friendly one-pot soup ready in 40 minutes.

Smooth pureed celery soup with potatoes, onion, and herbs, finished with milk and topped with fresh grated carrot and celery for crunch. A light, nourishing bowl ready in about an hour.

Jalapeno chocolate cream cake with semi-sweet chocolate, Kahlua, ground almonds, and cinnamon. A rich, fudgy, intentionally underbaked cake with a slow jalapeno heat finish.

Sweet Southern honey rice tossed with roasted peanuts, melted butter, cinnamon, and ginger. A warm, fragrant side dish that turns plain cooked rice into something special in minutes.

Creamy Southwestern chicken and corn soup made with skim milk, green chiles, and pimentos. A lighter take on cheesy corn chowder that's ready in 40 minutes.

Your family will never know it's tofu in this healthy scramble loaded with veggies with lots of taste such to satisfy. Low in cholesterol and fat and this quick and easy to make one pan meal.

Layered baked spaghetti casserole with tuna, ham, cheese, and sour cream in a creamy tomato sauce. Comfort food that bakes up bubbly and golden in about an hour.

Sicilian-style spaghetti with eggplant sauce built from salted cubed eggplant, plum tomatoes, anchovies, olives, and capers. A rustic Mediterranean pasta with briny depth and a hint of heat.

Twelve cloves of sliced garlic warmed in extra-virgin olive oil with red pepper flakes, a squeeze of lemon, and fresh parsley over spaghetti. Topped with toasted breadcrumbs for crunch. Done in 25 minutes.

Special lard-based pastry dough for tourtieres (French-Canadian meat pies). A flaky, tender crust that rolls out easily and handles beautifully. Makes enough for multiple pies.

Spiced applesauce cookies with cinnamon and cloves bake into soft, cake-like drops sweetened with thick unsweetened applesauce. Makes 3 dozen tender old-fashioned cookies in 30 minutes.

Spiced gingerbread with cinnamon, mace and nutmeg, brightened with orange zest and brandy, studded with raisins. A moist, dense holiday loaf perfect for Christmas tea trays.

Spiced sirloin steak with roasted pepper couscous rubs sirloin with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and turmeric, then serves it sliced over lemony couscous studded with charred red peppers and green olives. A North African weeknight dinner.

Ethiopian-style mixed vegetable stew (atkilt alicha) built on berbere spice and ghee. Green beans, carrots and potatoes simmered in tomato broth, ready in 45 minutes. Vegetarian, deeply spiced.