Recipe Sifter

Bajan black bean soup from Barbados: dried black beans simmered with a ham hock, fragrant with allspice and lemon, finished with cream and an optional splash of dark rum. Caribbean comfort in a bowl.

A simple chocolate mousse with melted chocolate chips, whipped egg whites, yolks, and whipped topping folded together. Optional marbled finish gives it a streaked, gourmet look.

Indian tacos build hot frybread into open-faced plates piled with stewed anasazi beans, roasted Anaheim chiles, avocado, plum tomatoes, arugula, and red onion. Pueblo and Navajo street-food at home.

No-bake mocha ice cream cake with coffee and chocolate ice cream, Kahlua, crushed toffee bars, and ladyfingers in a springform pan. A frozen dinner party showpiece.

Ozark-style beef stew slow-simmered with chili powder, cinnamon, cloves, and dried red peppers. A spicy, warmly spiced mountain stew with potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes.

Cold spinach dip loaded with crunchy water chestnuts and scallions in a creamy mayo-and-sour-cream base. The retro party classic, served in a hollowed rye bread bowl with chips for scooping.

Light fluffy strawberry frozen yogurt made from strained yogurt cheese, fresh berries, vanilla, and whipped egg whites churned into a cloud-like dessert. Tangier and lighter than ice cream.

Slow cooker halibut steaks in a creamy white wine sauce made with butter, flour, and milk. A hands-off way to cook tender, flaky fish with a rich, silky finish.

Down-home pork ribs slow-baked then glazed with a homemade whiskey-spiked barbecue sauce of ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire. Sticky-sweet Southern weeknight comfort.

Fried cornmeal mush with tomato gravy, sliced from a chilled loaf and pan-fried until golden and crispy. A classic Southern breakfast served with maple syrup or savory tomato gravy.

Fudgy brownie filling loaded with chocolate chips, pecans, and a splash of Kahlua, baked in a pie crust and topped with billowy whipped cream and chocolate curls.

No-bake lemon cheesecake with a coconut cookie crust, tangy lemon gelatin filling, cream cheese, and condensed milk. Bright, creamy, and completely oven-free.

Greek lamb souvlaki with leg of lamb, sweetbreads, and kidneys marinated in olive oil, lemon, wine, and herbs, then grilled on skewers with bay leaves and vegetables. An authentic taverna-style feast.

No-bake eggnog cheesecake with a chocolate pirouette cookie and graham cracker crust. Cream cheese, French vanilla pudding, rum, and nutmeg set into a chilled holiday showstopper.

Beef soup with liver balls: short ribs simmered into a rich, skimmed broth with carrots and tomatoes, then dropped with tender liver dumplings seasoned with marjoram and mace. Old-world comfort in a bowl.

Pizza horns roll bread dough triangles around pizza sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, and green pepper, then bake into golden crescent-shaped pinwheels. Party-perfect handheld pizzas with frozen dough.