Recipe Sifter

Pumpkin cheesecake pie made entirely in the microwave with a graham cracker crust, cream cheese filling, and pecan topping. Lemon and orange zest brighten the rich pumpkin custard.

Minted fruit salad tossed in a citrus syrup of orange juice, lemon, and a whisper of mint extract. Make-ahead friendly, the fruit drinks in the syrup as it chills, turning ordinary fruit into a brunch centerpiece.

Berry chocolate pie: a microwave-easy chocolate ganache layer in a baked shell, topped with sliced strawberries folded into whipped cream. Two layers, fast assembly, all finish.

Homemade apple pie filling cooks down sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon for canning or freezing. Six-pound batch of filling that yields enough for multiple pies.

Spicy pork roast with a sweet-hot rub of sugar, ground chile, and oregano. Slow roasted to a crackling mahogany crust over a tender, juicy boneless pork loin.

Rich homemade eggnog with bourbon, cognac, whipped cream, and beaten egg whites dusted with nutmeg. A classic holiday punch that's thick, boozy, and impossibly smooth.

Containing candied fruit and topped off with frosting, this bread is perfect as a small snack after dinner.

Garlic and sage grilled chicken with a tangy cider vinegar marinade thickened by an emulsified egg-and-oil base. Smoky from indirect charcoal heat, juicy and herby in every bite.

Chow down on this savory dish that is so easy to make, you can use your crockpot!

Classic pot roast rubbed with seasoned salt, onion powder, and garlic, then browned and braised low and slow with onion, green pepper, bay leaves, and thyme. Pan juices thicken into rich gravy.

Chicken Regency salad with artichoke hearts, water chestnuts, green olives, and butter-toasted pecans in Italian dressing. Marinated overnight for deep flavor, served cold on lettuce.

Rich, velvety black bean soup with bacon, ham, brown rice, and eight onions simmered for hours then blended smooth. Finished with white wine and sherry for a luxurious bowl.

Late summer tomato soup with shell beans, seared squid rings, and garlic-rubbed toast. A rustic Italian-leaning one-bowl meal that celebrates peak-season tomatoes and fresh beans.

Beefsteak smothered in onions (filet braise aux ognons): pounded round steak braised for two hours over six sliced onions with vinegar, thyme, bay, and garlic. Classic French-Creole comfort.

Peppermint ice cream pie with creme de menthe, semi-sweet chocolate, and crushed candy in a graham cracker crust. A frozen mint-chocolate dessert that sets in 5 hours.

From-scratch black bean chili with oven-roasted cumin and oregano, jalapenos, and charred red pepper. Served over goat cheese with sour cream and warm tortillas.