348 mostly recipes

Duck pilaf that makes the most of leftover roast duckling: rice toasted golden, simmered in stock with celery, then baked with diced duck and sweet dried apricots. A smart, savory-sweet second act for last night's roast.

Reduced-fat carrot cake swaps most of the oil for prune purée, then layers three moist spiced cakes with light cream cheese frosting. Toasted walnuts, grated carrots, and crushed pineapple build full carrot cake flavor with less fat.

A vibrant green puréed soup with russet and sweet potatoes, peas, lettuce, and dill. Serve it hot or chilled, make it 3 days ahead, or freeze it for months. One of the most versatile soups in your rotation.

A show-stopping 4-layer banana cake with stiff meringue folded into the batter, filled with vanilla custard, and frosted with a silky cooked flour-butter frosting laced with almond extract. This is banana cake at its most dramatic.

My Italian husband uses this filling to make tortellini at home, and it's by far the most delicious filling. He does change the meat around, and we love them all! It's freezer friendly, so we usually make a bunch.

Oxtail is one of the most economical and most flavorful cuts of meat, and one that takes well to marinating for days in a hearty mixture of red wine, herbs, and vegetables. The longer you marinate the mixture, the more flavorful it will be, but be sure it marinates at least 3 days. Oxtail is also a fatty cut -- give yourself plenty of time to allow the stew to cook and then cool, so all the fat can be skimmed off. Serve this with thick noodles in warmed soup bowls, accompanied by a tossed salad, and of course, a robust red wine.

It's like a combination of cinnamon buns and sheet cake, and it was buttery and delicious. Made a large bunch, cut into squares and frozen most of the cake. Perfect for breakfast or snack with a cup of coffee or tea.

A rich creamy chowder with corn and sausages -- This chowder is a variation on a family recipe from an old roommate of mine. (She makes it without the sausage, and with more water). It goes very well with most seafood.

A comforting, easy-to-make casserole using mostly pantry staples like canned vegetables, pasta, and a creamy sauce. Tender marinated chicken is combined with rigatoni, mushrooms, green beans, and onions, then baked with a cheesy topping for a family-friendly meal.

New Orleans' most popular sausage, a type of country sausage made with pork, or pork and beef. It's not really smoked, but has a fine smokey flavor that makes it an ideal seasoning meat for our favorite bean dishes, gumbos, and jambalayas. We also like it pan grilled as a breakfast or dinner sausage.

In my opinion, this is the most decadent, rich and scrumptious pasta dish and one of my all-time favorites (I originally got this recipe from a Bon Appetit magazine many, many years ago). Very easy to prepare and always a hit.

Vodka can be made from a variety of grains. Barley and wheat are the most common but corn and rye can be used as well. It can also be made from potatoes and beets. Grain vodkas are generally considered to be the best.

Thursdays at The Dove's Nest means Potpie Day, and our customers start calling early in the morning to reserve one in case we run out before they get seated. Most tell us that it's the best chicken potpie they have ever tasted.

A very light, almost water-like batter that creates the most intensely moist chocolate cupcakes you will ever taste. This cake recipe has NEVER disappointed. It literally will melt in your mouth. The icing is a basic butter and cream cheese frosting.

Nutritionally boost your day with this chilled cucumber and wood ear mushroom salad, it’s an effective way of getting flavour and nutrients rolled up into one meal. Eating cucumber, a chilled one especially, not only thaw any encumbrances in the digestive tract, but also goes flavourfully on the tongue. Wood ear mushroom, commonly sold in Asian markets, is a dear ingredient-mate of the cucumber in the cooking of this tantalizing salad. If you’re struggling to find wood ear mushrooms then Oyster mushrooms would be an excellent replacement. Furthermore if you don’t have access to Japanese cucumber, then the ordinary type of cucumber would be perfectly fitting too. Also if you’re buying them fresh, then instead of boiling, blanch them by dropping the oyster mushrooms into boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute at the most, then submerge them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. The glossy look of this salad is not only pleasing on the eye, but contributes perfectly to a balanced diet. Wood ear is known for its ability to reduce cholesterol in the body, aid blood circulation, and improve melanin and keratin efficiency too. Cucumber will not be left behind as it can also help in weight loss, hydration, is good for eyesight, among other benefits. And if you take a look at the other ingredients, sesame seed, ginger, lime etc. you should definitely add this to your recipe book! Let us get into its preparation without further ado. Shall we….

Pepsi-Cola cake with broiled peanut butter frosting: a Southern sheet cake made with a cup of Pepsi and melted marshmallows in the batter, topped with a bubbling brown sugar peanut butter frosting toasted under the broiler. Retro comfort baking at its most over-the-top.