Recipes with water

Tender zucchini and crisp green beans tossed in a vibrant herb sauce packed with basil, capers, and lemon. Serve warm or chilled as a bright summer side.

Brined and roasted pork loin with a pinot noir pan sauce, thyme, juniper berries, and whole grain mustard. An elegant Sunday roast for dinner-party plating.

Homemade pizza dough topped with creamy Brie, silky smoked salmon, red onion rings, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. A gourmet flatbread that makes 2 pies.

Emerald seafood salad with wine-poached scallops, shrimp, kiwi, apple, walnuts, and red onion on fresh spinach. A colorful, elegant main-course salad with a lemon vinaigrette.

Layered chocolate ripple cake baked in a clay pot with a coconut cream cheese swirl through the center and a milk chocolate cream cheese frosting on top. Lightened with egg whites and nonfat cream cheese.

Italian-seasoned chicken breasts slow-cooked in tomato soup and red wine, then finished with rice right in the crockpot. A hands-off weeknight dinner that serves 4 with zero fuss.

Homemade focaccia bread with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and coarse sea salt. Simple yeast dough dimpled by hand and baked in pie pans for three rustic round loaves.

Hearty steak soup with ground beef, carrots, celery, onion, and mixed vegetables in a roux-thickened broth with diced tomatoes. A big-batch crowd-pleaser that freezes well.

Fritto misto: Italian mixed seafood fry with squid, sole, and shrimp in a light, egg-white-lifted batter. Crisp, golden, and ready for a squeeze of lemon.

Hot and Sour Soup with Pork, Tofu and Veggies recipe

Cuban-style black beans with ham bone, green peppers, garlic, and a finishing splash of vinegar. Three green bell peppers and a fresh ham hock build deep flavor in the slow-simmered classic.

Slow cooker chicken and kielbasa simmered with navy beans, tomato paste, red wine, and warm spices. A hearty French cassoulet-style stew from frozen chicken with just 5 minutes of prep.

Bread machine pumpernickel with rye flour, cornmeal, whole wheat, molasses, cocoa, and instant coffee. Dark, dense, and deeply flavored with traditional brotgewurtz spice.

Smoked baby back ribs with a strawberry or raspberry jelly glaze and a brown sugar dry rub. A sweet-savory smokehouse classic with sticky, caramelized berry-glazed bark.

Gingerbread men cookie dough with dark molasses, brown sugar, and four warm spices. Make the dough one day, refrigerate overnight, and cut and bake the next for crisp, spiced cookies.

Louisiana courtbouillon of redfish, the classic Cajun fish stew. Whole redfish or red snapper steaks simmered in a brown roux, holy trinity, tomatoes, herbs, and white wine. Spooned over rice, this is bayou comfort food.