Recipe Sifter

Old-fashioned steamed persimmon pudding with cinnamon, rum, walnuts, and raisins. A dense, moist holiday dessert steamed for 2 hours in a pudding mold for a rich, spiced fruit pudding.

Molded vegetable salad sets crunchy cabbage, carrots, and celery in tangy orange diet gelatin with celery seed. A retro low-calorie potluck classic.

Red wine pot roast braised low and slow with 24 cloves of garlic, carrots, celery, and thyme. Fork-tender beef with a rich, butter-finished pan sauce strained from the vegetables.

Pumpkin cream roll with a spiced pumpkin sponge cake wrapped around whipped cream, pumpkin puree, and toasted pecans. An elegant fall dessert chilled until firm.

Mini cherry cheesecakes with vanilla wafer crusts and homemade tart cherry topping. Single-serving cream cheese desserts baked in muffin cups, ready for any party tray.

Homemade whole wheat bagels with honey-sweetened dough, boiled then baked the traditional New York way and finished with sesame seeds. Chewy crust, tender interior, no preservatives.

Cocoa bread made with yeast, cocoa powder, and eggs for a soft, lightly sweet chocolate loaf. A unique homemade bread with deep cocoa color and subtle chocolate flavor.

Make-ahead freezer bread sticks shaped, frozen unbaked, and stored for up to 4 weeks. Thaw, rise, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, and bake fresh whenever you need them.

Pateles are Puerto Rican green banana tamales: grated green banana and potato dough wrapped around achiote-spiced pork in banana leaves, then boiled until tender. Holiday tradition across the Caribbean and beyond.

Italian focaccia studded with olives, pine nuts, and roasted red peppers, finished with fresh basil and cracked pepper. A puffy, dimpled flatbread perfect for antipasto boards and sandwich bases.

Brown rice side dish using a 6-hour soak method for faster, more even cooking, then finished with slivered almonds and bright lemon zest. A simple, diabetic-friendly low-fat recipe.

Grilled leg of lamb with currant-bell pepper chutney: red wine and curry-marinated lamb grilled over mesquite, served with a sweet-savory port and currant chutney.

Whole grain batter bread with whole wheat flour, oatmeal, Wheateena cereal, maple syrup, and rice or soy milk. A no-knead vegan yeast bread that rises in the pan.

Shrimp and scallop kabobs marinated in soy, lemon, garlic, and crystallized ginger, then grilled with pineapple chunks and zucchini. Surf-and-sweet skewers for summer cookouts.

Peppered farmhouse pate with pork shoulder, liver, veal, green peppercorns, and brandy, wrapped in stretched bacon and baked in a water bath. A rustic French-style terrine for entertaining.

Tuscan-style white bean and potato pie: garlic-pureed navy beans topped with caramelized onions, potatoes, and Parmesan, baked into a golden rustic torta. Vegetarian Italian main dish.