Recipe Sifter

Mom's poppy seed bundt cake with canned poppy seed filling, sour cream, and folded egg whites for a moist, tender crumb. Topped with a simple powdered sugar glaze.

Sticky monster beef ribs marinated overnight, hickory-smoked low over a beef broth drip pan, then basted with mesquite BBQ sauce until the bark turns glossy black. Backyard beef ribs done right.

Moroccan lamb stew with chickpeas, sweet raisins, slivered almonds, and warm spices (cinnamon, allspice, cayenne). Tender lamb simmered to spoon-soft over fluffy couscous.

Baked French toast casserole with cream cheese, orange marmalade, and challah bread. A make-ahead overnight breakfast bake thats rich, custardy, and effortless.

White chicken chili with great northern beans, poached chicken, green chiles, cumin, and a full pound of melted Monterey Jack. Served with sour cream and jalapenos for a hearty Southwest crowd-feeder.

An absolutely wonderful apple pie that will remind you of simpler days.

Marinated mushroom and artichoke salad with tarragon vinegar dressing, chilled 24 hours and served on greens. Italian-style cold appetizer with sharp, herbal flavor.

Baked mushroom pate with cream cheese, Italian herbs, and a full pound of fresh mushrooms. A rich, savory vegetarian appetizer served at room temperature with crackers.

Lamb chops marinated overnight in stone ground mustard and red wine, then broiled or pan-fried. Five ingredients, bold flavor, and minimal hands-on work.

Cincinnati five-way chili over spaghetti, layered with kidney beans, raw onions, and a heavy snowfall of shredded cheddar. The Ohio classic with cinnamon, cocoa, and a touch of vinegar in the simmer.

My hearty soup starts with a homemade stock simmered low for hours, then strained and skimmed clean before a load of vegetables, pasta, and pulled meat go in. A from-scratch, stick-to-your-ribs bowl made the old-fashioned way.

Neapolitan mushroom soup with dried porcini and fresh mushrooms, plum tomatoes, marjoram, thyme, and an egg-yolk-Parmesan liaison thickener served over toasted Italian bread.

Three-layer Southern banana cake with mashed ripe bananas folded into a buttermilk batter. Topped with confectioner's sugar frosting and chopped pecans for a true heirloom finish.

Sunshine cake is a tall, lemon-kissed cousin of angel food and sponge cake, leavened entirely by whipped egg whites and yolks with bright lemon zest and juice.

Norwegian kringla are soft pretzel-shaped buttermilk cookies twisted into figure-eights. A traditional Scandinavian coffee-time treat that needs an overnight chill for flavor.

No-bake chocolate nutty bites with cornflakes, hazelnuts, and raisins in a buttery cocoa mixture. Just six ingredients, ready after an hour in the fridge. Great for kids and holiday treat trays.