Recipe Sifter

Homemade gyros with ground lamb, allspice, coriander, and savory threaded on skewers with bacon and broiled crispy. Served build-your-own style in pita with yogurt and tomatoes.

Salsa cruda with fresh tomatoes, tomatillos, Anaheim chiles, and jalapeños in a cumin-lime dressing. A no-cook fresh salsa that improves overnight and keeps for weeks.

Hearty meatless chili with lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, and tomatoes seasoned with cumin and chili powder. A high-fiber, protein-packed vegetarian one-pot meal.

Pickled or corned beef (or venison): a traditional barrel-cure brine for beef or wild game using salt, saltpeter, and molasses. Old-fashioned homesteader method for preserving large cuts.

Pumpkin cheesecake with a praline pecan-graham cracker crust, brown sugar filling, and warm spices. A rich Thanksgiving dessert that chills overnight for clean slices.

Tangerine hens stuffed with fresh tangerine segments, pecans, and mushrooms, basted with honey, soy, and white Zinfandel. An elegant citrus-roasted Cornish game hen dinner for four.

Vegetarian ginger snaps are rolled, cut-out spice cookies deep with molasses, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Egg-free and dairy-free, rolled thin and baked low for a proper crisp snap.

Classic moussaka casserole with layers of fried eggplant, spiced ground beef and lamb in red wine tomato sauce, and a rich bechamel with egg yolks and lemon juice. Topped with a golden Parmesan crust.

Tostado quiche with taco-seasoned ground beef, cheddar cheese, and green chiles baked in a custard-filled pie shell. Topped with fresh guacamole, lettuce, and tomatoes.

This is a classic Japanese dish, first made famous by the chef Nobu Matsuhisa and served in all his Nobu restaurants. Serve with steamed spinach and brown /black rice or quinoa for a simple, but delicious dinner.

Broiled chicken wings marinated in peanut butter, curry powder, fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and lemon juice. A satay-style wing with sticky, nutty, spiced flavor. Great on the grill too.

Port wine blueberry cake reduces ruby port into a syrupy concentrate, then folds it into a low-fat buttermilk cake studded with fresh berries. A sophisticated grown-up dessert.

Vegetarian two-bean tofu chili with black beans, kidney beans, and tofu marinated in soy sauce, red wine, and Dijon mustard. A hearty, meaty-tasting plant-based chili that feeds a crowd.

No-bake oatmeal fudge cookies with cocoa, evaporated milk, butter, and rolled oats. Drop-style cookies that set on waxed paper into chewy, chocolatey rounds. No oven required.

Rich wild duck gumbo built on a dark roux with smoked sausage, the holy trinity, stewed tomatoes, and cayenne heat. Ladle it over rice for a true Louisiana supper.

Crustless Oreo cheesecake with chunks of cookie folded right into the batter and a cookie-crumb top. Baked in a water bath until silky, then flipped so the bottom becomes the top.