Recipe Sifter

Old-fashioned cranberry conserve with raisins, diced orange pulp, and chopped nuts simmered until thick and jammy. A generous holiday preserve for gifting or spreading on toast.

Orzo with vegetables, a one-pot Mediterranean pasta with zucchini, carrots, onion, and eggplant simmered in vegetable broth. A light, vegetarian weeknight dinner in 30 minutes.

Homemade curry powder toasted in the oven with fenugreek, cardamom, coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, cloves, and cinnamon, then ground with turmeric, mace, and cayenne.

Ratatouille with cinnamon basil served inside hollowed-out eggplant shells. A stunning vegan side dish with zucchini, plum tomatoes, red pepper, and two types of fresh basil.

Pasta al pesto with homemade basil and pine nut pesto, tossed with steamed carrots, sauteed zucchini, and snow peas. A fresh, vegetable-loaded Italian pasta dinner.

Wespennester (wasp nests), a rare traditional German fried pastry from the Oberallgau region. Batter layers are built on wooden spoon handles and filled with honey.

Caramelized ripe plantains pan-fried in butter with a sprinkle of sugar until golden and sticky. Just 3 ingredients and 20 minutes for a sweet Caribbean-style side or dessert.

Ice water pickles, classic homestead cider-vinegar pickles with cucumber spears, onions, and mustard seed. The ice-water soak gives them crisp snap that lasts in the jar.

Spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and arugula tossed in a quick shallot and garlic sauce with red pepper flakes. A peppery, vegan pasta dinner ready in under an hour.

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.

Batter Fried Sage Leaves (Salbey Zu Backen) recipe

Berry banana smoothie blended thick and frosty from frozen banana, mixed berries, orange juice, and a spoonful of vanilla yogurt. A naturally sweet, no-milk breakfast or after-school drink kids love.

Classic New Orleans bananas Foster: halved bananas caramelized in brown sugar and butter, flambeed with rum, and spooned over French vanilla ice cream tableside.

Vietnamese vegetable spring rolls (cha gio chay) with cellophane noodles, tofu, shredded potato, tree ear mushrooms, and leeks wrapped in crisp rice paper. Fried shatter-crisp on the outside, tender and fragrant inside.

Lentil fatta salad with soft-cooked lentils, cubed pita bread, scallions, fresh lemon juice, and olive oil. A warm Middle Eastern salad with hearty texture.

Mexican almond red sauce with ground toasted almonds, tomato, onion, garlic, paprika, and dried chiles. A quick 15-minute sauce that uses almonds as a thickener for rich, nutty heat.