Regional Cuisine Recipes

Ukrainian kutia is a traditional Christmas Eve grain dish of buckwheat, ground poppy seeds, honey, and walnuts. The first of 12 dishes served at Sviata Vecheria, eaten cold and symbolic of family unity.

Smoky roasted eggplant mashed with fresh tomato, garlic, and a splash of red wine vinegar. This Odessa-style eggplant caviar is a rustic Russian appetizer that's just as good spread on pita as it is on dark rye bread.

Homemade Tibetan momo wrappers from scratch with just flour, water, salt, and a pinch of baking powder. Roll thin, pleat, and steam for authentic momos with a tender, slightly chewy bite.

Transform herring fillets into tender, tangy pickled bites with this simple two-day marinade. A classic Polish holiday tradition that takes minutes of hands-on work.

Syrup-soaked semolina cake made with yogurt, toasted almonds, and butter, drenched in chilled lemon syrup while still hot. A beloved Middle Eastern dessert that serves 20.

Beef bones simmer with beets, cabbage, and carrots in a tangy tomato broth sweetened with garlic and lemon juice, creating a hearty Russian-Jewish soup that's rich, sweet, and sour in every spoonful.

Yemenite haroset with dates, figs, raisins, walnuts, and almonds blended with sweet wine, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon. A richly spiced Passover tradition from Yemen.

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.

Pseftokeftedes are Santorini tomato fritters mixing chopped Roma tomatoes, scallions, garlic, mint, and oregano into a pancake-style batter, fried crisp in olive oil. Vegetarian Greek meze.

Cold chewy noodles with shredded chicken and silky egg strips in spicy Sichuan dressing. This make-ahead Chinese salad is perfect for hot summer nights, ready in an hour.

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.

While Schwartz describes the name for this Israeli dish as slightly pretentious, he notes that it won a cooking competition and found its way onto the menus of five star hotels. He recommends serving it over a bed or bulgur pilaf.

These pancakes are low in fat and loaded with protein from the lentils AKA dhals. Not to mention quite tasty.

This sautéed babaganoush skips the grill and cooks cubed eggplant with onions, garlic, cumin, and coriander in a wok. Mashed with tahini and fresh lemon, it's a smoky, chunky dip served with warm pita.

Almejas Guisadas: Basque-style steamed cherrystone clams in white wine, garlic, olive oil, and parsley. A simple one-pot Spanish seafood dish ready in 30 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread.

Homemade papaya chutney simmered with fresh and ground ginger, honey, cilantro, and warm spices. A sweet-tangy condiment for curries, grilled meats, and cheese boards.