Recipe Sifter

Homemade siopao steamed dumplings stuffed with a savory shrimp, ground pork, and water chestnut filling. Makes 30 pillowy buns from scratch, street-food style.

Simply delicious salad that can be served with any main course.

An air-dried roast duck glazed with Scotch, soy, honey, ginger, and brown sugar marinade until the skin turns deep mahogany. A Peking-duck-inspired showstopper for a special-occasion dinner.

Homemade chipotle sauce with rehydrated dried chipotles, bacon, tomatoes, beef stock, and fresh cilantro. A smoky, spicy Mexican sauce with customizable heat level.

Butterflied leg of lamb marinade with olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and dry mustard. Overnight soak, then grill to medium-rare.

Italian rabbit saddles boned, rolled around a garlic-olive-rosemary stuffing, then seared and braised in fresh tomato sauce. Rustic Tuscan cooking at its most honest.

Chicken and vegetable lo mein in 30 minutes: stir-fried chicken breast tossed with noodles, snow peas, frozen stir-fry veg, and crunchy roasted peanuts. A quick weeknight wok dinner.

Applique cookies stack contrasting chocolate-pepper and sugar cookie doughs, cut in different shapes and glued with egg white before baking, then drizzled with chocolate. A striking two-tone decorating technique.

Louse Ma Thoom is a Lebanese mushroom and almond pate: earthy sauteed mushrooms, garlic and thyme ground with toasted almonds into a rich, vegan spread for crackers, pita and crusty bread. A meatless meze star.

Low-fat ricotta cheesecake with ginger and nutmeg on a Grape Nuts crust, set with agar instead of eggs. A no-bake, lighter cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries.

Hot Southwestern roll-ups stuffed with roast beef, cheddar, salsa, and mayo, then microwaved into warm handheld lunches in one minute. School-lunch lifesaver.

Blanched asparagus shocked in ice water to lock in bright green color, then drizzled with peanut oil and finished with minced shallots and parsley. A 15-minute healthy vegetarian side dish.

Cold soups make for excellent summer fare. The best vichyssoise I ever had in my life was at a French restaurant during a Montreal summer. Humor me. Try the soup in the traditional manner but then, if you must heat it up, (sigh), go ahead.

Pork with red chili sauce, braised cubes of pork shoulder simmered with chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic, and a whisper of honey. Tender Tex-Mex taco filling for warm tortillas with rice and beans.

German red cabbage salad with a warm bacon fat, vinegar, and wine dressing poured over shredded cabbage with caraway seeds and crumbled bacon. A tangy, smoky side dish served at room temperature.

Rosemary's root beer tonic: a traditional herbal decoction made with sassafras, dandelion, burdock, ginger, cinnamon, and orange peel. Old-fashioned homemade root beer.