Recipe Sifter

Linda's fruitcake: brandy-soaked dates, citrus peel, raisins, almonds, and cherries folded into a spiced batter with a pineapple jam layer. Wrapped in brandy-soaked cheesecloth to age.

Authentic mole poblano sauce made from scratch with mulato, ancho, pasilla, and chipotle chilies, roasted vegetables, toasted nuts, sesame seeds, and Mexican chocolate. A complex, deeply layered sauce worth every minute.

Luxuriously creamy Colombian avocado vichyssoise with leeks, potatoes, and heavy cream. Serve it hot or cold as an elegant first course before fish. Ready in just 30 minutes.

Hearty broccoli ham hot dish layered with rice, homemade white sauce, and buttered breadcrumbs. A Midwestern casserole classic that uses up leftover ham.

Black Forest ice cream cake: two layers of moist chocolate-coffee cake sandwich a slab of vanilla ice cream, frosted with whipped cream and crowned with cherry pie filling. A frozen showstopper.

A no-bake chocolate-coated date log filled with walnuts, candied cherries, and crystallized ginger. Ground dates kneaded into a roll, coated in melted semisweet chocolate, and finished in chopped walnuts. Old-fashioned confection, no oven needed.

Erbsenpuree, a traditional German yellow split-pea puree with carrot, turnip, marjoram, and thyme, thickened with a butter-flour roux and beaten until fluffy.

Peanut butter and carrot cookies hide shredded carrot and bran flakes inside a classic fork-pressed peanut butter cookie. High-fiber lunchbox cookies kids actually finish.

Layered ground beef casserole with sliced potatoes, corn, carrots, green pepper, and melted cheddar baked under tomato sauce. A complete one-dish dinner with 15 minutes of prep.

Moroccan tagine of okra and tomatoes uses a clever string-the-okra technique to keep pods whole while poaching in spiced tomato sauce. A vegetarian Maghreb classic served hot or warm.

Crispy cornmeal-fried soft shell crab sandwiches on sourdough with smoky chipotle adobo mayo and a citrus bell pepper slaw. A restaurant-quality seafood sandwich you can make at home.

Hazelnut oatmeal pancakes made with buttermilk-soaked rolled oats and toasted hazelnuts for a nutty, hearty breakfast. Crispy edges, tender centers, and extra fiber from the oats.

No-yeast whole wheat bread with buttermilk, molasses, raisins, and chopped nuts. A quick bread that mixes in one bowl and bakes into two hearty loaves in under an hour.

Old-fashioned candied figs, apricots, or tomatoes preserved in sugar syrup over several days, then sun-dried and sugar-dredged. A slow, sweet, heritage preserving project.

Vegetarian grain burgers made with brown rice, oatmeal, cornmeal, and wheat germ, pan-fried in a crispy flour coating. Hearty, nutty, and satisfying.

Sweet potato pie with nutmeg and margarine in a simple 5-ingredient filling. A no-fuss Southern classic that comes together fast with boiled sweet potatoes.