324 traditional recipes

Spiced vegetarian mince pie filling with grated apples, golden raisins, currants, candied orange peel, dark rum, and warming spices. No suet, no meat. Two lattice-topped pies of British holiday tradition.

Real Irish stew: traditional Irish country stew of mutton, potatoes, carrots, and onions simmered slowly in water until the meat falls apart. Six ingredients, no shortcuts, pure comfort.

Traditional New Mexican biscochitos with anise seed and cinnamon-sugar topping. These shortening-based cookies are crisp, fragrant, and cut into festive shapes.

Beet kvas is a traditional Ukrainian fermented beet tonic made from grated beets and lukewarm water. Six-day wild fermentation yields a deep red, sour drink with probiotic benefits.

Braune Zucker Platzchen, traditional German brown sugar cookies with cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, raisins, and nuts. Spiced drop cookies that store well in airtight tins.

Pfeffernuesse are traditional German Christmas peppernut cookies, fragrant with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and a hint of black pepper, studded with citron and almonds and a touch of brandy. A heritage holiday cookie.

Traditional Italian anise pizzelle cookies pressed on a pizzelle iron with orange and lemon zest. A huge batch recipe that makes up to 20 dozen crisp, lacy waffle cookies.

A traditional Appalachian stack cake with six ginger-spiced layers sandwiched together with applesauce filling, then left to meld overnight.

Traditional New Year's portzelky cookies are pillowy fried dough studded with plump raisins, dusted with icing sugar for celebration breakfasts.

Traditional fruitcake studded with dates, figs, candied citron, pecans, and brandy-soaked fruits becomes a family heirloom recipe worth making.

Kransekake, a traditional Scandinavian tower cake made from ground almonds, powdered sugar, potato flour, and egg whites. A gluten-free celebration cake for Christmas and weddings.

Polish sourdough rye bread with a 3-day rye starter, cornmeal-dusted crust, and caraway seeds, baked with steam for a crusty artisan loaf. A traditional Eastern European bread.

Pinto beans simmered with potatoes and celery, then folded into peanut oil-fried onions. A traditional West African one-pot dish that's hearty, vegan, and meant to be spooned over rice.

Traditional Sicilian fruit-filled pastries stuffed with figs, dates, chocolate chips, nuts, and warm spices, glazed with a lemon icing. A holiday cookie tray showstopper.

Lincolnshire plum bread, a traditional English yeasted fruit loaf with prunes, currants, golden raisins, cinnamon, and allspice. A buttery, spiced bread that slices beautifully for tea.

Traditional Japanese some oroshi condiment: daikon radish infused with red pepper, grated into spicy little balls, and served with ponzu sauce. The classic sashimi garnish.