Recipe Sifter

Smoked turkey gumbo turns the Thanksgiving carcass into a rich Cajun-style gumbo with shrimp, crab, and oysters, built on a deep mahogany roux and served over long-grain rice.

Slow cooker rosemary chicken with tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic served over pasta. A set-it-and-forget-it Italian-inspired weeknight dinner.

Slow cooker rice pudding with long-grain rice, half a gallon of milk, raisins, and cinnamon. A hands-off Crock pot dessert that simmers itself into creamy, custardy comfort.

Feather souffle roll bakes an ethereal egg-white souffle flat in a jellyroll pan, then rolls it around a cream cheese shrimp filling with horseradish and sour cream. An elegant sliced appetizer.

Margo Knudson's Chili: a no-bean Texas-style chili with 3 lbs of cubed beef, three chili powders including Gebhardt's and New Mexico, sausage, and an oregano tea steeped into the broth.

Versatile yeasted bread dough that bakes into two loaves or shapes into Parkerhouse and cloverleaf rolls. Make-ahead friendly with overnight refrigeration option.

Broiled cod tossed with black beans, fresh orange segments, and a cumin-lime dressing over romaine. A bright, protein-packed Cuban-inspired salad that chills beautifully overnight.

Lighter honey vanilla cheesecake made with reduced-fat cream cheese, cottage cheese, and fat-free ricotta on a gingersnap crust. Sweetened with honey instead of sugar and baked with steam for a silky, crack-free top.

Chilled avocado soup blends ripe avocados with a lime-and-serrano-spiked stock into a silky, no-cream base, topped with cilantro cream and crisp julienned radishes. A cool, elegant Mexican-inspired starter.

Slow-simmered marinara sauce with roasted garlic, anchovies, Italian plum tomatoes, and a strip of lemon peel for depth. Rich, savory, and worth the wait.

Grandma's chicken and dumpling soup with hand-made broth, cream of chicken and mushroom soups, vegetables, and feathery drop dumplings. A Midwestern comfort-food classic built for big gatherings.

Slow-roasted pork loin coated in Dijon mustard, finished with a sweet-tangy mandarin orange glaze of brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and bell pepper. A retro Sunday roast with a glossy citrus sauce.

Creamy spinach dip with sour cream, mayo, water chestnuts, and vegetable soup mix served in a hollowed pumpernickel bread bowl. A retro party classic that keeps for a week in the fridge.

Grilled shark kebabs marinated in rice wine, dry sherry, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Firm, meaty fish that holds its shape on the skewer and picks up smoky char from the coals.

Texas-style smoked brisket with a spicy chili rub and a beer-based mop sauce. Smoked low and slow over wood chips for tender, smoky bark and pink smoke ring.

Chinese grilled short ribs butterflied into a single accordion strip and marinated in peanut butter, curry, sesame oil, soy, and rice wine. Smoky, tender, unusual.