Recipe Sifter

Fig brownie pudding made with crumbled fig cookies, melted chocolate, chocolate chips, and walnuts baked in sweetened condensed milk. A warm, fudgy dessert served with whipped cream.

Moroccan fish couscous: halibut poached in a golden onion t'faya sweetened with raisins and deeply spiced with saffron, ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon. Served over whole wheat couscous with toasted almonds.

Fish in a fish: a fish-shaped pastry wrapped around flaked salmon and parsley-rice filling, served with creamy shrimp-dill sauce. An impressive Russian-inspired kulebiaka style showpiece for special occasions.

Pan-fried fish fillet strips on a warm blanched cabbage salad with bell pepper, thyme, and lemon vinaigrette. A light, Central European-style fish and slaw supper.

Old-school Italian focaccia built on a two-stage rise, olive oil, and unbleached flour. A chewy, golden flatbread ready for any topping from rosemary to olives.

Caramelized onion focaccia made with bread machine dough, topped with sweet butter-softened onions, garlic, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Golden, cheesy, and irresistible.

Louisiana crawfish etouffee with a dark roux, holy trinity vegetables, tomatoes, and cayenne served over rice. A Cajun classic built on a proper 10-minute dark roux.

Free-form apple tart made with store-bought pie crust, thinly sliced Golden Delicious apples, cinnamon sugar, and a warm apricot jam glaze. Rustic, simple, and gorgeous.

Sardinian fregula with clams, prosciutto, saffron, and chili flakes cooked to a risotto-like consistency in white wine and tomato broth. A rustic Italian seafood pasta.

French lemon pie is a simple rustic tart: a whole wheat butter crust filled with a buttery fresh lemon custard and baked golden. Tart, glossy, and finished in an hour with pantry basics.

French meringue strips with a buttery shortbread base topped with vanilla meringue, cinnamon sugar, and chopped almonds. Elegant bar cookies that yield 8 dozen.

French-style vegetable stew with eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and green pepper simmered in a Dutch oven. A ratatouille-inspired one-pot dish ready in under an hour.

Fresh blueberry cake baked in a springform pan with a buttery batter shell, juicy berry center, and cinnamon crumb topping. A rustic German-style kuchen ready in 40 minutes.

Fresh egg pasta from scratch with just flour, eggs, and olive oil. Hand-kneaded on a wooden board using the classic Italian well method for silky, elastic dough.

Fresh pesto pasta with basil, sauteed garlic, pine nuts, miso paste, and lemon juice. A dairy-free, vegan pesto that gets its umami depth from miso instead of Parmesan.

Fresh tomato, bacon, and onion fettuccine tossed with crumbled bacon cooked in its own drippings, chopped tomato, and basil. Five ingredients, dinner for two.