Recipe Sifter

Light, airy cheesecake with whipped egg whites folded into the cream cheese filling, baked on a graham cracker crust and topped with sweetened sour cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Pizza crust made in the food processor with flour, cornmeal, yeast, and olive oil. Quick to mix, easy to handle, and yields two 12-inch crusts with a slightly crisp, slightly chewy bite.

Vegetarian black bean chilaquiles layered with oven-crisped tortillas, rough-mashed spiced beans, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Low-fat, high-protein comfort food.

Pan-fried crab cakes with dry mustard and egg yolks, served with a creamy tomato dill sauce. Golden-crusted on the outside, tender flaked crab on the inside.

Warm baked blue cheese dip with cream cheese, bacon, garlic, and chives, topped with chopped smoked almonds. The party appetizer everyone fights over the bottom of.

Restaurant-style penne in a rich coconut-curry cream sauce with crab and broiled scallops, finished with spiced tomato chutney and fresh basil. A showstopper fusion dish.

A simple but succulent chicken dish that can be served with pasta, rice or a crusty bread.

New Orleans-style French Market beignets cut into squares, deep-fried golden, and buried in powdered sugar. Make-ahead yeast dough that chills overnight and improves over a week in the fridge.

Northern white beans slow-simmered with pancetta, bratwurst, and chicken in chicken stock with thyme and bay leaves. A hearty one-pot bean stew with real depth.

Yogurt-marinated chicken breasts rubbed with toasted coriander, cumin, ginger, and cayenne, then broiled until charred and tender. Served on crisp julienned radishes with fresh scallions and lime.

Silky, bright lemon soup made with fresh lemons, carrots, celery, and chicken broth, finished with cream. Serve hot or chilled for a refreshing starter that wows at any gathering.

Rustic Italian focaccia topped with roasted red peppers, slow-cooked onions, tomatoes, and fresh basil. Garlic-infused olive oil dough hand-kneaded and dimpled for crispy edges.

Red cabbage apple casserole braised with onions, butter, and white wine, then baked with nutmeg. A German-Polish style side dish for pork roast, sausages, or holiday roast goose.

Super lemonade pie blends frozen lemonade concentrate with sweetened condensed milk and whipped topping for a no-bake summer pie. 4 ingredients, 2 graham crusts, ready in two hours.

Slice-and-bake cream cheese cookies sweetened mostly with fructose for a lower-sugar treat. Tender, lightly sweet refrigerator cookies that bake up in 10 minutes.

Persian peaches recipe with sliced ripe peaches macerated in orange juice and honey, then brightened with finely chopped crystallized ginger for a chilled summer dessert.