Regional Cuisine Recipes

When I have abundant seasonal vegetables, I love making this vegetable casserole, and most of the time I just enjoy it with a loaf of good bread. That is all you need for a good meal.

Homemade picante sauce with canned whole tomatoes, fresh jalapenos, onion, apple cider vinegar, and garlic. Simmered 15 minutes and served chilled with chips for a chunky, spicy Texas-style salsa.

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.

Usal is a spiced Indian mung bean curry with cumin, turmeric, coriander, ginger, and garlic simmered in tomato. Vegetarian, high-protein, and ready in 40 minutes. Serve with rice or flatbread.

Easy homemade kimchi with cabbage and daikon, salted, spiced, and left to ferment to your taste. A simple, vegan Korean side dish with no fish sauce, as tangy and funky as you care to make it.

Homemade strudel dough from scratch with just five basic ingredients. Kneaded until elastic, rested, then hand-stretched tissue-paper thin the traditional way.

Mock haggis: an easy, accessible version made with beef and beef liver, toasted oatmeal, and suet, steamed in a basin with no stomach casing needed. Serve it with neeps and tatties, or slice and pan-fry the leftovers.

Tender pork stir-fried with carrots and celery in tangy-sweet plum sauce. This Cantonese classic is packed with ginger flavor and ready in just 30 minutes.

A great bread machine recipe that makes a very crusty bread that tastes great plain, or toasted.

Deluxe jalapeno cornbread bakes whole corn kernels, chopped jalapeno, buttermilk, and pimentos into a moist, tangy skillet bread topped with melty sharp cheddar. Southwestern bread with backbone.

Russian beet and potato salad with cooked beets, potatoes, green peas, carrots, hard-boiled egg, and scallions in a tangy yogurt and cider vinegar dressing. A lighter take on classic vinegret.

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.

Adolph Frey owns one of the few Michelin-rated 2-star restaurants in Germany. He made this dish at the lodge for Carl's birthday celebration one year. Quenelles are poached fish and egg mounds traditionally made with pike.

Advocaat is nothing like the eggnog here in America. It is thick and creamy---not foamy at all. This delicious Dutch drink is actually eaten with a spoon!

Minced chicken and mushrooms baked under a bubbling layer of swiss and feta cheese. Nutmeg and sour cream add warmth to this quick Ukrainian-style gratin that's ready in under an hour.

Chicken liver stroganoff: quickly seared livers, sauteed mushrooms, and sweet softened onions in a tangy soured cream and yogurt sauce. A rich, economical twist on stroganoff over rice or pasta.