Regional Cuisine recipe collection

Ukrainian meat and fish loaf with ground beef, lamb, and milk-soaked herring blended with potato and yogurt. A regional Eastern European baked loaf with goat cheese topping.

Ajvar: smoky Balkan roasted pepper and eggplant spread with garlic, lemon, and olive oil. The 'Serbian caviar' that goes on grilled meats, fresh bread, and cheese boards.

Crispy baked chicken legs served with homemade mango ginger chutney and toasted coconut carrot rice. A tropical-meets-comfort dinner with bold, layered spices.

Never need to order take-out again. I followed the recipe and made the dish for dinner last night, and it was absolutely delicious. My 4-year-old told me that she wanted the same food again tonight :)

A traditional Deccan-style bhurta of pounded meat or fish seasoned with mace, cayenne, and lemon, cooked in butter and served on toast. Anglo-Indian comfort food.

Jamaican chocolate cake soaked in cinnamon rum syrup, coated in melted semi-sweet chocolate, and studded with almonds. A spiced, boozy Caribbean dessert worth the wait.

Ukrainian potato-cheese filling for varenyky made with mashed potatoes, cheddar, bryndzia, and butter-fried onions. A traditional pierogi filling with real depth.

Cream cheese kolache dough made with butter, flour, egg yolk, and sugar. This no-yeast pastry dough chills overnight and rolls out flaky for filled cookies with prune, poppy seed, or apricot.

Medianyk is a traditional Ukrainian honey cake spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Whipped egg whites give it a light, airy crumb despite all that honey.

Meersburger cherry dessert with kirsch-soaked tart cherries layered over ladyfingers, topped with an almond cream cheese mousse and chopped pistachios.

Chicken thighs stir-fried with broccoli and scallions in peanut oil, then finished with grated parmesan and whole wheat croutons. A quick East-meets-West dinner ready in 30 minutes.

Aepfelkratzet: Bavarian-style torn apple pancake from the Allgaeu region, scrambled in butter until golden and dusted with powdered sugar. The rustic German breakfast cousin to Kaiserschmarrn.

If you omit the raw egg, you still get a nice sauce. According to an ancient proverb, "Garlic is as good as 10 mothers." If the latest flu bug has hit your house--and whose has escaped--you may be ready to test claims for garlic's medicinal powers.

This recipe is for a Cuban stew/soup that I used to enjoy con mucho gusto. This version of Ajiaco was prepared by Senora Garcia in her little store front restaurant on Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. Although this is not her exact recipe, it's the closest I could get to it. Ajico del Restaurant Garcia

Serve as an appetizer spread on thick slices of country-style white bread, or flat pita bread, or use as a side dish to accompany grilled or roasted meats.

Homemade gyro meat made from ground lamb and beef, twice-ground for that signature fine, sliceable texture and seasoned with oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and paprika. Baked in a loaf pan, then sliced thin for pita gyros.