Recipe Sifter

Salt cod (bacalao) simmered Spanish-style with tomatoes, pimentos, garlic, dry sherry, and sliced olives. A classic dish that starts with an overnight soak and ends with rich flavor.

Layered salmon pie is a French Canadian classic with salt pork, fresh salmon, potatoes, and onions tucked between flaky pastry crusts. Quebecois comfort food, baked low and slow.

Lamb stew with chestnuts and pomegranate layers tender braised lamb with saffron, cinnamon, ground walnuts, and tart pomegranate juice. A jewel-toned Persian-style stew, sweet, sour, and savory, spooned over saffron rice.

Overnight bacon breakfast casserole with eggs, milk, cubed bread, Velveeta, and crumbled bacon. Assemble the night before, bake in the morning, feed a crowd of 8.

Boston cream pie with two split sponge layers, thick vanilla pastry custard, and a warm chocolate glaze that drips down the sides. The Massachusetts state dessert built from scratch.

Old-fashioned beef and vegetable soup with stewing beef, potatoes, carrots, celery, and cabbage. A rustic two-hour simmer that turns budget cuts into a hearty cold-weather meal.

Moroccan beet salad with boiled beets dressed in lemon, olive oil, cinnamon, sugar, and parsley. Two versions: classic and a spiced variation with orange flower water, cumin, and paprika. Bright cold appetizer.

Classic creme brulee with fresh fruit made using a stovetop double boiler method. Rich egg yolk custard topped with caramelized brown sugar and served with strawberries or peaches.

Make-ahead bloomin' sauce and dip with sour cream, cream cheese, and picante sauce, ready for chips, pretzels, or fried onion petals. Five ingredients, one bowl, eight hours of fridge time to do its work.

Pear and anise skillet tart with caramelized sugar, fresh pears arranged spoke-fashion, and a lemon-anise pastry crust baked on top then flipped. A tarte tatin-style dessert with warm licorice notes.

Classic French blanquette of veal with cauliflower in a velvety white roux sauce finished with sour cream. Slow-simmered tender veal stew, lightly nutmegged. Serve over rice pilaf or buttered noodles.

Cajun prime rib roasted with a thick crust of black pepper, garlic, and onion, then chilled and sliced into steaks for blackening in a screaming hot cast iron skillet. A two-day showstopper.

One-crust apple crumb pie with a buttery brown sugar and nut topping over tart apples spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Freezes unbaked for an easy make-ahead dessert.

Gin marinated chicken cubed and bathed overnight in dry gin, lime juice, and olive oil, then skewered, pan-fried, and finished with leeks, tomatoes, and cilantro.

Classic baked lasagna layered with ground beef tomato sauce, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and cheddar. The kind of hearty, cheesy, from-scratch comfort food that brings everyone to the table.

Tagliatelle tossed with golden pan-fried pumpkin, peppery rocket, lemon zest, and a homemade roasted red pepper chili oil. A vibrant autumn pasta with serious kick.