Spicy Sichuan-style pork with peanuts, a fast wok stir-fry of cubed pork tossed in a fiery soy, rice wine, and chili sauce with toasted peanuts and dried chilies. Big heat, deep crunch, restaurant flavor at home.
Cherry pie with a cinnamon crumb topping made by crumbling a frozen pie crust over sour cherry filling. A clever shortcut that uses two frozen crusts in completely different ways.
Cardamom wedding cookies: buttery shortbread balls rolled in powdered sugar with cardamom, citrus zest, and ground almonds. A fragrant twist on traditional Mexican wedding cookies.
Praline cream pie with a graham-praline crust, silky vanilla custard folded with crumbled pecan pralines, and pillowy whipped cream on top. A New Orleans dessert through and through.
Italian osso buco with veal shanks braised in white wine, French onion soup, tomato, and lemon, served with potatoes and carrots. Northern Italian comfort with melt-off-the-bone tenderness.
Spiced pork and apples is a quick stir-fry of thin-sliced pork tenderloin tossed with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and white pepper, then simmered with apples in a tangy apple juice glaze. Ready in 30 minutes over rice.
Flank steak stir fry with bell peppers, onion, celery, and fresh ginger in a soy-cornstarch sauce. Thin-sliced beef stays tender with a quick two-stage cook.
Pan-seared perch fillets with savory Chinese black bean sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, and sake. Restaurant-style Asian fish dinner in under 30 minutes.
Big-batch hot salsa for canning with fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, banana peppers, Vidalia onion, and oregano, thickened with cornstarch. Makes 13 pints of thick, spicy salsa for year-round pantry stocking.
Chicken apple sauté pan-fries chicken strips with apple, peppers, and celery, glazed in a sweet-tangy apple juice and soy sauce reduction. Quick weeknight stir-fry in 35 minutes.
Peach and raspberry pie pairs juicy summer peaches with tart raspberries in a flaky double crust. The fruit juices are reduced to a syrup first, so the filling sets thick and glossy instead of runny.
Homemade peach barbecue sauce with pureed peaches, maple syrup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and cinnamon. Sweet, tangy, and ideal for grilled chicken or pork.
Crispy pan-fried catfish with a silky fermented black bean cream sauce made with sherry, ginger, and garlic. A refined fusion dish that bridges Southern fried fish and Chinese flavors.
Mushrooms and tofu simmered in white wine, tamari, ginger, and sesame oil. A vegan Chinese-French fusion braise to spoon over noodles with toasted almonds on top.
Mom's German meatballs: hearty egg-sized meatballs seasoned with celery seed, mustard seed, and garlic water, rolled in flour and pan-browned. Old-world German-American home cooking.