Recipe Sifter

Hearty mushroom barley soup with fall-off-the-bone short ribs and fresh dill creates a soul-warming one-pot meal for cold evenings.

You will be singing Christmas carols after enjoying this decadent cake made with candied cherries and pecans.

Empanadas, Latin American hand pies filled with seasoned ground beef, hard-boiled egg, raisins, and green olives, wrapped in flaky pastry. Fried or baked, perfect for parties and lunchboxes.

Wild mushroom beef stew, a hands-off slow cooker braise of flour-dredged beef chuck, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes in a savory paprika-spiked broth. Hearty, rich, and tender after a long, slow cook.

Lemon icebox cookies with cornmeal and cardamom, sliced from a chilled log and baked golden, finished with tart lemon icing and chopped pistachios. Makes 6 dozen.

Americanized version of Maggie Beer's recipe I saw on Masterchef Australia 2011 the other day.

Anything made with pumpkin,to me,is the all time best.These cookies are very good and be warned you cannot eat just one,so make them small.

Passover bagels made with matzo meal instead of flour, using a choux-style dough of boiled water, oil, and eggs. Kosher for Pesach and surprisingly chewy inside with a crisp crust.

Danish almond cookies (Mandel Kager) with cardamom and cinnamon, brushed with egg wash and topped with a blanched almond half. A traditional Scandinavian Christmas cookie.

Instead of being hard, dry spice cookies, these are soft, moist spicy cookies with a medium hot disposition. Their heat is derived from ground Jamaican Scotch Bonnet peppers.

Greek-style baked eel with a tomato, red wine, onion, and oregano sauce inspired by Salonika. A traditional Mediterranean seafood dish served with crusty bread.

Chicken breast stir-fried with celery, carrots, and onions in garlic broth, tossed with fluffy rice and soy sauce. A no-fuss homestyle fried rice the whole family will eat.

Elegant apple dessert bars with flaky pastry base, apricot jam layer, and Brazil nut-raisin topping served warm with whipped cream for special occasions.

Caramel apple pie recipe loaded with chopped Jonathan or Rome apples, melted caramel candies, gooey caramel topping, and toasted pecans baked into a buttery crust.

Vegan pierogies made with whole wheat dough and silken tofu, filled with creamy potato or cabbage and garbanzo. Boiled then pan-fried until golden and crisp.

Traditional Polish cwikla: pickled beets layered with fresh horseradish, whole cloves, and caraway seeds in a tangy vinegar brine. Ready after 24 hours.