364 traditional recipes

Traditional German Surbraten: pork brined for three weeks with juniper berries, garlic, and onion, then roasted until the outside is crackling-crisp. An old-world curing project for the patient and adventurous cook.

A traditional Korean clear spinach soup (Malgun Sigumchi Kuk) with ground beef, garlic, scallions, and soy sauce. Simple, nourishing, and on the table in under an hour with just a handful of ingredients.

Pasta z jaj is a traditional Polish egg and ham spread with sweet paprika. Ground (not pureed) hard-cooked eggs and baked ham create a chunky, hearty sandwich filling ready in 5 minutes.

Michaelmas broth is a traditional Irish chicken and rice soup served on the Feast of Saint Michael in late September. Whole chicken simmered with mirepoix, then strained and finished with long-grain rice.

Quick coq au vin delivers the classic French chicken-in-red-wine stew in 40 minutes using boneless thighs, cremini mushrooms, carrots, and Canadian bacon. A weeknight-friendly version of the traditional braise.

Stuffed eggplant pickles filled with minced cabbage, red bell pepper, garlic, and dill, tied with softened celery ribs and fermented in vinegar brine. A traditional Middle Eastern style pickle ready in 2 to 3 weeks.

Traditional Welsh Rarebit is an open-faced grilled cheese. A thick slice of whole-grain bread is topped with a delicious cheese sauce made from beer, cheese, butter, mustard, and broiled to bubbly perfection.

Chuck roast marinates in a bright lemon-onion bath before roasting until tender in this citrus-forward pot roast where fresh lemon slices and marjoram create unexpected flavor that breaks from traditional brown gravy.

Holdermus is a traditional German elderberry mush thickened with milk and flour or a roux, finished with honey and clarified butter. A rustic farmhouse dessert served straight from the skillet with toasted bread cubes.

Karrysalat is the Danish curry herring salad with pickled herring, macaroni, cucumber, and mushrooms in a curried sour cream and mayonnaise dressing. A traditional Scandinavian smorrebrod topping with a unique East-meets-North flavor.

Skirlie is a traditional Scottish side dish of toasted oatmeal and fried onions cooked in beef drippings or butter. Served alongside neeps and tatties or roast meat. Crisp, savory and ready in 25 minutes.

A whole chicken cut up and steamed in a wok with sliced Chinese pork sausage, light soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. A simple, traditional Cantonese steamed chicken with just a handful of ingredients.

Traditional Mexican barbacoa: whole lamb slow-roasted in a maguey leaf-lined earth pit for hours. This ancient communal feast from Mexico City feeds 24 and delivers smoky, fall-apart tender meat like nothing else.

Zlicni rezanci are traditional Croatian drop noodles made from a simple egg batter spooned into boiling broth. Just four ingredients, 15 minutes, and you have tender homemade noodles for soup or a buttery side dish.

Whole fish wrapped in a banana leaf with garlic, tomato, cilantro, and achiote, then roasted on a comal or dry skillet. A traditional Central American pachay recipe that's simple and full of smoky, earthy flavor.

Appetizers have long been a part of the culinary tradition in Europe, but they're relatively new to America. One of the first to appear in American cookbooks, at the turn of the century, was shrimp cocktail.