Recipe Sifter

Just 3 ingredients: dried California figs simmered in pure Vermont maple syrup until thick and luscious. Spoon it over ice cream, pancakes, waffles, or warm biscuits.

This Eastern European compote simmers dried apples, pears, prunes, and raisins in apple cider with honey and warm spices. A make-ahead fruit dessert that improves over two weeks in the fridge.

Warm sauteed apples, pears, and onion rings in a honey-sherry-vinegar sauce served over fresh spinach. A warm-cold salad with sweet fruit and tangy dressing that wilts the greens.

Tangy cabbage relish simmered in red wine vinegar with tomatoes, Dijon mustard, turmeric, and warm spices. Makes ahead beautifully and keeps for 5 days.

Bean lovers will love this delicious crockpot dish that tastes great with bread bowls or crusty bread.

Vegetarian black bean burritos packed with corn, bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, and smoky spices. Rolled in tortillas and baked until hot, a meatless Mexican-inspired weeknight dinner.

Sausage-stuffed mushrooms: caps filled with hot Italian sausage seasoned with fennel and red pepper, bound with a creamy bechamel, studded with olives and topped with Parmesan, then baked until bubbling and browned. A standout party appetizer.

Biscotti Napoletani: traditional eggless Italian almond biscotti with whole and ground almonds, sweetened with corn syrup. Twice-baked Neapolitan cookies built for dunking in espresso or vin santo.

Silky chilled fennel soup, fennel simmered with shallots and garlic, pureed with lemon and dill, then blended with cool yogurt. A light, tangy, anise-kissed soup served cold as a refreshing starter.

Hot three pepper relish made with sweet bell peppers, apple cider vinegar, and pectin for a thick, jam-like spread. A sweet-hot condiment that's perfect for canning and gift giving.

Glazed rack of lamb for two basted with a honey-soy-sherry sauce spiked with ginger, garlic, and mustard. A romantic dinner centerpiece with an Asian-inspired sticky glaze.

Pillowy soft buttermilk drop cookies baked until pale golden get frosted with sweet buttercream and sprinkled with colored sugar for nostalgic treats.

Posole Don Federico: a soul-warming Mexican pork and hominy stew, built on pig's feet and pork shanks for a rich broth, with green chiles, garlic, and beer. Garnished with cilantro and scallions.

These cheesy and delicious cheddar and onion buns will be a hit at any occasion.

Dead-simple homemade bread with just 5 ingredients: flour, water, yeast, salt, and honey. No kneading required. Mix it, ignore it, bake it. Fresh bread for people who think they can't bake bread.

This is an old Ruthenian peasant dish, very popular in the Carpathian Alps, as well as here in Fair Oaks, CA. Great for warming the tummy on a cold winter day. This is easy to prepare, and good as a luncheon dish served with salad, or as a first course soup prior to a lighter entree.