Recipe Sifter

Tiny cookie cups filled with a rich pecan-Kahlua topping.

German Kalter Kartoffelsalat: cold potato salad dressed with vinegar, mustard, and dill seed. No mayo, the starchy potato water creates a creamy emulsion.

Japanese pickled asparagus marinated in miso paste and dry mustard for a tangy, umami-rich side dish or appetizer.

This is basically my grandmothers recipe with a few of my own ideas.

No-bake Key lime cheesecake pie with cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and sour cream in a baked graham cracker crust. Tangy, creamy, and sets in the fridge.

Golden Graham drops are no-bake cluster cookies made with melted chocolate chips, peanut butter, crunchy Golden Grahams cereal, and mini marshmallows. Stir, drop, chill, eat. Done in fifteen minutes.

LONGHORN CHILI WITH ANCHO, MOLE AND CUMIN... and Bacon!!!!

Lemon Truffle Pie layers a white chocolate cream cheese base under tangy lemon curd in a baked pie shell, topped with whipped cream and toasted almonds.

Mango charlotte with strawberry sauce: a tropical twist on the classic French molded dessert. Mango mousse set with gelatin, lined with ladyfingers, and served with fresh pureed strawberry coulis.

Maple walnut cream pie with a custard filling cooked in a double boiler using real maple syrup and egg yolks. Topped with whipped cream and crunchy walnuts.

Brightly colored vegetables soak up a tangy vinegar-oil marinade, softening just enough while keeping their crisp bite. Broccoli, carrots, peppers, and zucchini mingle in this make-ahead salad that gets better as it sits and flavors meld.

Maryland crab soup loaded with sweet lump crab meat, Old Bay seasoning, potatoes, corn, green beans, and carrots in a beef and tomato broth. The classic Chesapeake Bay vegetable soup.

Master Coney sauce: the classic Detroit-style hot dog topping with ground beef, tomato, and a warm spice list of cinnamon, allspice, clove, cumin, chili powder, and mint. Simmered low for three hours.

Grilled flank steak rolled with stir-fried cabbage, then wrapped in flatbread with wasabi-ginger cream cheese creates Japanese-fusion pinwheels for elegant entertaining.

Slow cooker BBQ beans with golden raisins, Granny Smith apples, brown sugar, and bacon strips on top. Canned baked beans transformed into a sweet, smoky crockpot side dish.

Menudo estilo norteno with honeycomb tripe, calf's foot, hominy, and toasted ancho chiles simmered for hours. An authentic Northern Mexican hangover soup with deep chile heat.