Regional Cuisine Recipes

Easy taco soup with ground beef, kidney beans, corn, and tomatoes, simmered with taco seasoning for a 30-minute Tex-Mex dinner. Top with avocado, cheese, sour cream, and crushed corn chips.

Vegetarian tomato soup with vermicelli pasta, carrots, celery, and basil in a rich stock. A hearty one-pot soup that comes together in 40 minutes.

Feta and scallion omelet seasoned with paprika and fresh dill, folded soft and fluffy. A quick brunch omelet with a Russian-style salty-cheese filling that comes together in minutes.

German braised red cabbage with bacon, apple, onion, and a sweet-sour vinegar-sugar finish. A traditional side dish that gets better with every reheat.

Argentine-style grilled flank steak with classic chimichurri sauce of parsley, garlic, jalapeño, oregano, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Sliced thin across the grain.

Garlicky falafel from soaked dried chickpeas, ground with onion, potato, and four cloves of garlic. The traditional Middle Eastern street food technique with a crisp exterior and fluffy interior.

Liver dumplings (leberknödel) blend scraped beef liver with lard, breadcrumbs, egg, and parsley, then poach in clear broth. Single-serving Austrian-German soup garnish.

Stacked Southwestern tortilla wedges layered with chicken, guacamole, refried beans, salsa, sour cream, and melted cheddar. A fun shareable appetizer or snack.

Sweet rice dumplings (Japanese ohagi) blend cooked sweet brown rice with raisins and cinnamon, then roll the small balls in coarsely chopped roasted walnuts. A naturally vegan, no-sugar treat.

Spiced zucchini and peas simmered in tomato sauce with turmeric, cumin, and cayenne. A quick Indian-inspired vegetarian side dish ready in 30 minutes.

Achara Zuke: Japanese pickled turnips with kombu seaweed, dried chili, and rice vinegar. A crisp, tangy tsukemono made by slow-curing accordion-cut turnips. Side dish or banchan.

Fresh Mediterranean tomato salad with cucumber, black olives, mint, parsley, and a simple lemon-olive oil dressing. A crisp, herbaceous no-cook side dish ready in 15 minutes.

In other parts of Central Asia this dish is made with red beans and I have it made with beef, horse, camel, chicken, and venison for the meat instead of the lamb. It is excellent anyway it comes.

Crispy deep-fried Chinese vermicelli topped with stir-fried chilli vegetables in a soy, vinegar, and brown sugar sauce. A crunchy, sweet-sour vegetarian noodle dish.

Greek spinach and lentil soup brightened with lemon, cumin, and coriander. A vegan, gluten-free one-pot meal that's earthy, tangy, and ready for a drizzle of olive oil at the table.

Passover-friendly rhubarb cobbler with raspberries and a matzo meal crumble topping. Tart, fruity, and bubbling with a golden, nutmeg-scented crust. No flour needed.