Recipe Sifter

A patriotic salute to classic cheesecake, this party-sized dessert is decked out with blueberry and raspberry stars and stripes.

Oven Barbecued Eggplant salts the slices and rests for 30 minutes before baking with BBQ sauce brushed on both sides until tender but not mushy. A 3-ingredient vegan side dish ready in an hour.

Corn and tomato saute browns sweet fresh corn and shallots, then folds in raw tomatoes and tarragon off the heat so they stay fresh and juicy. A light, 5-ingredient summer side in 20 minutes.

A thick, rustic Italian-style soup loaded with penne, cannellini beans, fennel, zucchini, and summer squash simmered in vegetable broth spiked with dry vermouth. Low-fat, naturally vegetarian, and feeds 8 from one big pot in about an hour.

Bread machine oat carrot bran bread with grated carrots, rolled oats, oat flour, bran, cinnamon, and applesauce. A high-fiber loaf with natural sweetness.

Carthusian dumplings made from stale kaiser rolls soaked in lemon-milk custard, breaded, deep-fried, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. A classic German dessert.

Vegetarian mu shu tofu with shiitake mushrooms, napa cabbage, bean sprouts, five spice, and plum sauce, rolled in whole wheat chapatis. A plant-based spin on mu shu pork.

Competition-style smoked pork ribs with a paprika-heavy dry rub and a from-scratch vinegar-molasses BBQ sauce aged 2-6 weeks. Low and slow over hickory for 5 hours.

A thick, tomato-based Southern Brunswick stew with diced chicken, lima beans, corn, and okra simmered in broth with Worcestershire and a splash of hot sauce. Hearty, no-fuss comfort food that feeds six.

This is really a nice baked brie, especially with jalapeno. Big hit!

Boiled speckled trout poached in a fragrant court bouillon of cloves, allspice, thyme, bay leaf, and dried red pepper. A heritage Louisiana recipe served with drawn butter.

An easy 5-ingredient homemade barbecue sauce is bold, tangy, and sweet. Perfect for brushing onto chicken, steak, or even using as a dipping sauce.

Memphis-style dry rub for ribs with paprika, cayenne, green peppercorns, and Jamaican allspice. A 12-spice blend with real heat and smoky depth. No sauce needed.

Fresh melon and grape salad with cantaloupe, watermelon, and green grapes tossed in a honey-lime-Dijon dressing. A sweet-tangy summer fruit salad with a savory twist.

Crushed red potatoes mixed with buttermilk and scallions, pressed into a skillet, and pan-fried until the bottom turns golden and crisp. Slice into wedges and serve hot.

Brisket with peppercorns marinated 24 hours in soy sauce, crusted with cracked black pepper, broiled until charred, then roasted to medium rare. Served thinly sliced at room temperature.