Recipe Sifter

Beef brisket slow-cooked in the crockpot with chili sauce and beer until meltingly tender. Slice it thin, spoon the cooking liquid over the top, and serve with wild rice.

Here's a recipe for pumpkin soup. It comes from Jon Gatewood, the executive chef of Emma's restaurant in the Silas Griffith Inn in Danby, Vermont.

A tasty and succulent pasta dish made with parmesan cheese and a rich and delicious vodka sauce.

Whole wheat date and almond bread machine loaf: hearty oat, whole wheat and bread flour base studded with sweet chopped dates and toasted almonds. Healthy breakfast bread, hands-off.

Beef barley soup made from braised short ribs, canned tomatoes, pearl barley, and a load of carrots, celery, and bell pepper. The ribs simmer first to render rich beef flavor before the vegetables and barley go in.

Thai crab fried rice with fish sauce, scrambled eggs, and green onions, finished with fresh lime and fiery nam prik sauce. Wok to plate in 5 minutes of cooking.

Joyce's Indonesian fried rice (nasi goreng): the classic Southeast Asian fried rice with shrimp paste, tamarind, and ketjap manis, loaded with shrimp, chicken, and barbecued pork. Dinner for four in 45 minutes.

Toasted bagels topped with sweet roasted red bell peppers, caramelized red onions, and a smear of cream cheese. A quick open-faced breakfast or lunch ready in 40 minutes.

Classic peanut butter cookies with crunchy peanut butter filling sandwiched between. Fork-pressed cookies bake golden in 8 minutes, then get paired with creamy powdered sugar peanut butter frosting.

A hearty bundt cake packed with oats, sesame seeds, raisins, and mixed nuts. Warm spices, rum, and brandy give it deep, earthy flavor that lives up to its name.

Spicy bran muffins loaded with Thai chilies, jalapeño, and habanero rings, plus dried fruit, walnuts, and warm spices. Bold breakfast baking for heat seekers.

Holiday charlotte with ladyfinger-lined mold filled with silky chocolate mousse and crowned with fresh fruit glazed in apple jelly. A showstopper no-bake holiday dessert.

Spiced pound cake soaked with a fragrant orange-basil syrup. The warm syrup is slowly drizzled into the cake so it soaks deep into every slice, creating a moist, citrus-scented loaf with a hint of fresh herb.

Vegetarian garbanzo bean burgers spiced with cumin, coriander, and chili powder, bound with cottage cheese and wheat germ. Served in whole wheat pita with tomato, sprouts, and yogurt.

Minted orange salad with blood oranges, mandarin segments, sweet bell pepper, and fresh mint on red lettuce. Dressed with olive oil and mandarin juice for a bright, refreshing side.

Baked beans with four types of beans and turkey sausage in a sweet-tangy sauce of brown sugar, molasses, tomato sauce, and apple cider vinegar. A lighter take on a cookout classic.