Recipe Sifter

Cherry divinity is the pink church-cookbook candy: hard-ball sugar syrup whipped into beaten egg whites with cherry Jello, then loaded with chopped nuts and coconut. Old-fashioned, fluffy, festive.

Chinese halibut grills thick steaks marinated in fresh ginger, scallion, light and dark soy, rice wine and toasted sesame oil. Charcoal-grilled in under 15 minutes for clean, smoky-savory weeknight fish.

A spiced chocolate apple bundt cake with diced green apples, currants, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, finished with a brandy-cinnamon glaze. Moist, warmly spiced, and perfect for fall baking.

Lighter chocolate caramel cheesecake built on a crispy rice cereal crust with nonfat cream cheese, fat-free sour cream, and egg whites. A gooey caramel layer and chocolate-walnut crumble keep things indulgent without the guilt.

I received this recipe from a friend who knows I love dates. It is an outstanding chocolate square, it is moist, keeps well and freezes nicely.

Homemade Mexican chorizo: coarsely ground pork cured with toasted ancho and pasilla chilies, garlic, vinegar, and warm spices. Bulk sausage that matures in the fridge for three days.

Classic German sauerbraten braises rump roast in a 4-day vinegar marinade, then simmers in gravy thickened with crushed gingersnaps and sour cream. Tangy, rich, fall-apart tender.

Classic French-style turkey soup with golden sautéed vegetables, white wine, and a flour-thickened broth. Elegant yet simple way to use your holiday turkey carcass.

Chocolate bundt cake spiked with Kahlua and instant coffee, made easy with a cake mix and pudding mix shortcut. Drizzled with a coffee liqueur icing that soaks into every ridge.

Smoked Cornish hens stuffed with wild rice and pecans, glazed with lime marmalade and orange juice. Includes charcoal, electric, and gas smoker instructions for 2-3 hours of low smoke.

Two-ingredient cranberry apple sorbet made with Golden Delicious apples simmered in cranberry juice. No ice cream maker needed. Fat-free, dairy-free, and naturally refreshing.

Cream of cauliflower soup with leeks, white wine, tarragon, and heavy cream, pureed silky smooth. Includes a cauliflower cheese soup variation with melted Swiss.

A simple and delicious soup that can easily be made with some help from your slow cooker.

Traditional Irish roast lamb shoulder with a buttery herb breadcrumb crust, roasted over a bed of potatoes, onions, and sliced apple. Sunday dinner the old country way.

Easy bean bake brings together great northern beans, smoky bacon, brown sugar, and molasses in one pot for a sweet and savory side that bakes hands-off in the oven. Classic American baked beans done the slow way.

Easy meatless mincemeat pie made with green tomatoes, apples, raisins, brown sugar, and warm spices. A clever old-farm trick that uses end-of-season tomatoes to mimic traditional mincemeat.