5 prodigy recipes

Classic pancakes from a small-batch base of flour, milk, egg and a touch of sugar. Tender, golden discs that hit the griddle in 20 minutes flat. The kind of weekend stack that needs only butter and maple syrup.

Sauerbraten pot roast marinated 4-10 days in malt vinegar and horseradish, then slow-braised with onions. A traditional German sour roast with tangy, fork-tender beef.

Classic eggplant Parmigiana with breaded and fried eggplant rounds layered with homemade tomato-basil sauce, Parmesan, and sliced mozzarella. The Italian-American staple done from scratch.

Cream of mushroom soup with nearly two pounds of fresh mushrooms, dry sherry, thyme, milk, and heavy cream. Rich, chunky, and homemade in 40 minutes.

Hamburgers au poivre take the French steak au poivre treatment and apply it to ground beef patties: black pepper-crusted burgers seared hard, served on a toasted bun with a red wine, Dijon, green peppercorn, and tarragon cream sauce.