Recipe Sifter

Savory honeydew melon tossed with rice vinegar, fresh chile strips, and torn cilantro. A four-ingredient cool fruit salad that turns sweet melon into a Thai-inspired brunch starter.

Orange hot and sweet mustard made with dry mustard, fresh orange and lemon juice, honey, and cinnamon. A bold homemade condiment that keeps for a month.

Blended dried fruit pudding made with peaches, apricots, dates, and pineapple soaked in lemon juice. A naturally sweet no-cook dessert with no added sugar.

Blueberry-peach meringue shell filled with almond cream custard and topped with fresh sliced peaches and blueberries. A light, elegant, show-stopping summer dessert.

Steamed ground turkey dumplings (shu mai) with ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and scallions in wonton wrappers. Served with a tangy fish sauce, vinegar, and chili dipping sauce. Makes 40 bite-sized gems.

Classic French country pate with ground pork and veal marinated overnight in white wine and brandy, lined with fatback, and baked in a water bath until firm. A make-ahead appetizer.

Colombo de giraumon: a Caribbean curried pumpkin stew with tomatoes, sultanas, cloves, and red chili. A fragrant vegetarian side dish from the French Antilles that pairs with rice and grilled meats.

Irish potato stew with coarsely chopped potatoes, onion, and bacon smothered in a roux and simmered in boiling water. A simple, three-ingredient comfort stew that's ready in 25 minutes.

Five-grain bread baked in terra cotta flower pots with cracked wheat, rye, whole wheat, oatmeal, and rice. Honey and malt extract add natural sweetness to this rustic multigrain loaf.

Traditional Spanish almond soup from Castilla la Vieja: ground almonds blended into rich consomme, ladled over toast strips, broiled with Parmesan, and scattered with toasted almonds.

No-bake rum pineapple pie with vanilla pudding, sour cream, and crushed pineapple in a graham cracker crust. A boozy, creamy chilled dessert that sets in 3 hours.

Use frozen bread dough in this ham, pepperoni, eggs, and cheese Stromboli-like recipe that fits the bill for a quick, hearty, and satisfying main dish that can be prepared in advance and served warm or at room temperature.

Soft shell crabs seared in clarified butter meet brown butter sauce spiked with sherry vinegar, toasted hazelnuts, and sweet sugar snap peas. Elegant springtime seafood in under an hour.

A no-bake vanilla wafer crumb crust made with just three ingredients. Press into a pie pan, chill, and fill with your favorite pudding, cream, or fruit filling.

Tender buttermilk muffins bursting with tart rhubarb and topped with cinnamon-brown sugar crumble. A spring breakfast treat that makes the most of garden-fresh stalks.

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.