565 traditional recipes

Greek octopus pilaf simmered in tomato, white wine, and oregano for an hour until tender, served over rice cooked in the braising sauce. A traditional taverna dish.

Lencsefozelek is a traditional Hungarian buttered lentil dish simmered with carrot, cloves, and parsley, then finished with rich melted butter. Serves 6 and pairs beautifully with sausages or game.

Roast goose stuffed with cornbread, Granny Smith apples, dried figs, and savory, then slow-roasted three hours with the fat poured off as it renders. The traditional centerpiece for an old-fashioned Christmas dinner.

Soutzoukos, traditional Greek and Cypriot grape-walnut candy rolls made by dipping strung walnuts into thickened grape must, then drying for days. An ancient, chewy, fruit-leather classic.

Kythoni xysto, a traditional Greek grated quince preserve with cinnamon bark, lemon zest, and toasted almonds. Sets naturally using pectin extracted from the quince peels and cores.

Traditional New Mexican fry bread made with just 5 pantry ingredients. Simple dough kneaded smooth, rolled thin, and deep-fried golden in minutes. Serve with honey.

Traditional lemon barley water made with pearl barley, fresh lemons, and sugar. A soothing, old-fashioned British drink that keeps in the fridge for five days.

Kuemmelkartoffel, a traditional German caraway potato side dish. Boiled potato slices tossed with caraway seeds and finished with melted butter for earthy, aromatic flavor.

Traditional German lebkuchen cookies with honey, molasses, almonds, candied fruit, and five warm spices. Soft, chewy spice cookies brushed with lemon glaze for a classic Christmas treat.

Homemade elderberry wine fermented with fresh berries, sugar, lemon juice, and yeast. A traditional country winemaking recipe that needs just five ingredients and three months of patience.

Swiss gingerbread from Lucerne with pear purée, walnuts, whole wheat flour and a warming mix of star anise, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Traditional Lebkuchen-style holiday bake.

Holderkuechle are traditional German elderberry blossom fritters dipped in pancake batter and deep-fried until golden, then dusted with sugar. A seasonal springtime treat made with foraged elderflowers.

Gluten-free brown rice pie crust made with just two ingredients: cooked brown rice and egg white. A simple, grain-based alternative to traditional pastry crusts.

Rosettes are delicate Scandinavian fried cookies shaped on a decorative iron, crisp like a wafer and dusted with powdered sugar. A Christmas tradition in Nordic and Midwestern kitchens.

Koulourakia, Greek special occasion cookies made with olive oil, cinnamon, brandy, and sesame seeds. Egg-free, dairy-free, and hand-shaped into traditional forms.

Traditional aioli is made only with olive oil and garlic via a mortar and pestle but you can use a food processor.