Recipe Sifter

Fresh strawberry pie piles whole ripe strawberries into a baked shell, all bound in a glossy homemade strawberry glaze and topped with whipped cream. A no-fuss summer pie that lets the berries shine.

Homemade water bagels with just five ingredients: flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and water. Shaped by hand, boiled, then baked for that chewy, dense New York-style crust.

Vegetarian nori rolls (murreita) wrap brown rice, mung sprouts, carrot, cucumber, daikon, and umeboshi plum in toasted nori. A macrobiotic-style sushi roll with no fish required.

This brown sugar angel food cake swaps plain white sugar for molasses-rich brown sugar, giving each cloud-soft slice a deep caramel flavor. Light, fat-free, and whipped to tall, airy perfection from a dozen egg whites.

Yeasted waffles with a lemon-scented buttery batter, cooked golden and crisp, then sandwiched with piped sweetened whipped cream. European-style brunch elegance.

Homemade plum brandy infused with fresh plums and sugar in gin. A 3-ingredient fruit liqueur that steeps for 3-4 days and strains into a smooth, sweet sipper.

Smoked and grilled pompano with a raw smoked-tomato and balsamic vinaigrette. A two-stage seafood main that builds wood smoke into the fish and a bright tomato dressing.

Entertain those guests you're having over for dinner tonight with this delicious side dish that's really easy to make.

Tom's jerky stew: a Native-American style stew of beef or buffalo jerky simmered with hominy, onion, and potatoes. The frontier survival meal that turns dried meat into deeply savory comfort food.

Savory bite-sized biscuits stuffed with sautéed mushrooms, shallots, and ham, then topped with herb cream cheese. The buttery dough chills overnight for flaky layers. Makes 2 dozen party-ready appetizers.

Stuffed pork tenderloin birds: pounded pork loins rolled around a sage-bread stuffing, marinated in honey, soy, and cinnamon, then grilled and basted until glazed. A showstopper grill dish.

Elegant braised squab nestled in buttery cabbage and bacon, unmolded in a mosaic of turnips, carrots, and broccoli with a rich veal jus. A showstopping French-inspired centerpiece.

Overnight French toast soaks rich challah in a cinnamon-vanilla custard so it fries up golden and custardy in the morning, no fuss. Served with a homemade cinnamon cream syrup you can make a week ahead.

Rhubarb and melon fruit salad with rhubarb melted in white wine and sugar, then chilled with fresh melon balls and mint. A Scandinavian-style summer dessert salad.

Grilled steak and peppers vinaigrette stacks sirloin over butter-braised leeks and tops it with charred Cuban peppers in a Dijon-red wine dressing. A bistro-style three-layer plate.

Hot fudge sundae cake that bakes its own chocolate sauce underneath the cake layer. Pour hot water over the batter before baking, and the oven creates a fudgy pudding sauce beneath a light chocolate cake.