Recipe Sifter

Double-chocolate shortbread cookies dipped on each end in white and semisweet chocolate. Rich, buttery, and elegant with a tender snap and triple chocolate flavor.

Alsatian choucroute garnie: pork shoulder, knackwurst, Polish sausage, and bacon braised slow in sauerkraut, white wine, and juniper berries. Serve with boiled potatoes and sharp mustard.

French onion soup gratinee slow-cooks sliced onions in butter, simmers in beef stock and white wine, then crowns each bowl with toasted French bread and Gruyere bubbled to golden under the broiler.

Homemade English muffins cooked on a griddle, not baked. Yeast dough rolled, cut, dusted with cornmeal, and griddled into the classic nooks-and-crannies muffins. Freezer friendly.

Chinese beef and asparagus stir-fry with dried mushrooms, snow peas, and oyster sauce in a glossy cornstarch-thickened sauce. Restaurant-style wok cooking at home.

Homemade onion Parmesan bread rolled jelly-roll style with a sauteed onion, Parmesan cheese, and poppy seed filling. A soft yeast bread with savory swirls in every slice.

Irish soda bread made with sour cream, raisins, and currants. A tender, cake-like loaf baked in a casserole dish with no yeast and no kneading required.

Vegan garlic soup with three whole bulbs of fresh garlic, pearl barley, wild rice, potatoes, and mushrooms in a thyme-rosemary broth. A hearty, low-fat soup that improves overnight.

Sour cream coffee cake with a cinnamon-pecan ribbon and a chocolate glaze swirled through the middle. A holiday brunch standout with tender crumb and fudgy chocolate veins.

Onion caviar with black-eyed peas, sweet Vidalia onions, green bell pepper, pimentos, and garlic in Italian dressing. A Southern marinated appetizer or side dish, best made overnight.

Nutty rice loaf: a vegetarian baked loaf of brown rice, zucchini, walnuts, cheddar, and herbs. A meatloaf-style supper that's hearty, sliceable, and adapts to whatever's in the fridge.

Peanut butter mousse made with cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped heavy cream folded together. A rich, no-bake dessert with a fluffy, cloud-like texture.

Pumpkin pie in a buttery walnut crust with a warmly spiced custard of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. The walnut shell adds nutty depth that elevates classic Thanksgiving pie.

Kathi rolls: soft Indian flatbreads stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes, green chiles, and cilantro. The classic Kolkata-style street food, originally from the Nizam restaurant.

Mexican sausage stew braises beef brisket and hot Italian sausage with cinnamon, allspice, beer, and beef stock, then thickens with sweet potato and corn. Topped with melty Monterey Jack and cilantro.

Lemon-ginger marmalade uses whole lemons soaked overnight, simmered with fresh ginger juice and sugar until set. Just four ingredients, water-bath canned, and shelf-stable for up to a year.