Recipe Sifter

Chocolate bonbon cookies: a holiday favorite rolled in powdered sugar or frosted and topped with coconut. Rich chocolate-almond cookies that shine on a holiday cookie tray.

Mockamole blends avocado with silken tofu, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley for a lighter, protein-boosted take on guacamole. A 5-minute vegan dip or pita filling.

Flaming bananas (bananas Foster) pan-fried in brown sugar and margarine, then flambeed with rum. A dramatic tableside dessert that's impressive to serve and simple to make.

Rich, fudgy brownies made with real unsweetened chocolate, butter, and pecans, topped with a homemade chocolate icing. Baked in a jelly-roll pan for thin, chewy squares.

Glazed almond cookies rolled in sliced almonds, baked until golden, then drizzled or dipped in amaretto chocolate ganache. A festive nut cookie for cookie tins and holiday trays.

Versatile Czech kolace dough made like pie crust with shortening, egg yolks, and yeast. Chills overnight, then rolls out on powdered sugar for filled pastries in any shape.

Pork cutlets with a crunchy almond and cracker crust, seasoned with cayenne and coriander, dipped in buttermilk egg wash and pan-fried golden in butter.

Cream of veggie soup made with a butter-flour roux, milk, broth, and whatever mixed vegetables you have on hand, pureed smooth and finished with melted cheese.

Halloween Jack-O'-Lantern cupcakes made with pumpkin, buttermilk, and pumpkin pie spice, topped with pumpkin frosting and decorated with black licorice faces and green gumdrop stems.

Pasta alla carbonara made with fettuccine, bacon, onion, eggs, and Parmesan in a silky sauce built from egg yolk and rendered bacon fat. An Italian-American weeknight classic ready in about 40 minutes.

Sirloin strips sautéed with mushrooms, serrano chiles, cumin, and a splash of dry sherry. Wrapped in warm flour tortillas with salsa, avocado, and yogurt. Fajitas in 20 minutes flat.

Rhubarb upside down cake with tightly arranged rhubarb stalks caramelized in butter and sugar, topped with an orange-scented yogurt cake. Best served warm from a springform pan.

Pound cake brownies blend buttery pound cake richness with melted chocolate and chopped nuts. Dense, fudgy bars with a tender crumb, dusted with powdered sugar.

Tuna slaw with red cabbage, oil-packed tuna, anchovies, and a creamy red wine vinegar dressing. No-cook, served at room temperature, ready in 20 minutes.

Black-eyed pea and crab salad with bacon, roasted peppers, and fresh herbs in a bright vinaigrette. A Stephan Pyles-style Southwestern recipe served on gorditas or crisp tortillas.

Italian-style chicken with peppers braised in white wine with garlic, charred red and yellow bell peppers, fresh herbs and a hit of chili. One-pan rustic dinner with deeply caramelized chicken skin.