Raisin

This would be a hot contender for South Africa's national dish! The recipe was selected for an international recipe book published in 1951 by the United Nations Organisation. Bobotie is a Cape-Malay creation, and they spice it up even more with cumin, coriander and cloves. A similar dish was known in Europe in the middle ages after the Crusaders had brought turmeric from the East. When our first Dutch settlers arrived, Holland was largely influenced by Italian cooks, and a favorite dish was a hashed meat backed with curried sauce, spiked with red pepper and 'sweetened with blanched almonds.' There are many local variations, but the idea is that the mince should be tender and creamy in texture, which means long, slow cooking. Early cooks added a little tamarind water; lemon rind and juice is a more modern adaptation.

Geelrys (yellow rice) is great with bobotie and curry. Its other name, begrafnisrys (funeral rice) comes from the fact that it was always part of the meal served after funerals, a tradition of both the Dutch and the Cape Malays.

This recipe originally accompanied bobotie. Before we learned to make our own chutney from ingredients as diverse as apricots, dates, quinces and raisins, blatjang was imported from Java, made from sun-dried prawns and shrimps, which were pounded with a wooden pestle and mortar; and shaped into masses resembling large cheeses. Blatjang is the pride of Cape Malay-cuisine, and the recipe is one of the oldest around. The name comes from one of the constituents of the Javanese sambal blachang. Early food writer; C Louis Leipoldt, described it as 'bitingly spicy, pungently aromatic, moderately smooth and a very intimately mixed association of ingredients.' There is nothing quite like blatjang to add zest to curries or braaied meat. Adjust the amount of chilli to suit your preference. Blatjang may be stored for up to a year; but refrigerate once the bottle has been opened.

Mango Chutney is the one we think of as the "original" and most traditional of all chutneys. It goes well with curries, chicken, pork, lamb, and game.

(Topfenstrudel) Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Rick Rodgers's book Kaffeehaus: The Best Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. Rodgers also shared some helpful cooking tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page. To read more about Austrian cooking, click here. Not every café has a full-time baker. At many, it's just Mama in the kitchen and often Mama doesn't feel like (or doesn't have enough counter space for) hand-pulling strudel dough. This classic recipe layers store-bought filo dough with a Topfen filling in a pan to make a deep-dish dessert. Thanks to Gerda Hofer for this recipe.

Donald D. Wilson of Sidney, British Columbia, writes: "Your recipe for coffee fruitcake ("The Way We Were," October 2005) reminded me of something our family calls Aunt Maggie's Boiled Raisin Cake. My wife, Frances, claimed she could make the cake just as well as her Aunt Maggie. Frances and I have been married for over 55 years, but guess who has made the cake during all that time?" Raisins, currants, and candied orange peel bring bursts of sweetness to this rich coffee-flavored cake.

Loaded with dried fruit, toasted almonds, and bittersweet chocolate, these blondies combine the best of a brownie with what you wish fruitcake could taste like. A terrific addition to any holiday cookie platter, they are also a satisfying stand-alone dessert.

Peppers from the valley of La Vera, in Extremadura, are used to produce a deliciously smoky paprika. There are three kinds of pimentón: sweet, bittersweet (called agridulce), and hot. We prefer agridulce in this recipe.

With its slight bitterness, broccoli rabe takes well to assertive flavors. The classic Italian recipe calls for sautéing it with plenty of garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. But for Thanksgiving we've opted for something mellower, choosing sweet raisins, pine nuts, and a bit of sherry.

Tastier than coleslaw and healthier, too. Double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd. Can be made ahead? Yes. The day before. Cover and refrigerate.
Can be frozen? No.
Can be doubled and tripled? Yes
Good for leftovers? Yes. Covered and refrigerated, it will keep 4 to 5 days.

Fredricka Schwanka of Terryville, Connecticut, re-created her grandmother's recipe for these pastrylike cookies. This dough is extremely tender — if at any time during the filling process it gets too soft to work with, chill it on wax paper on a large baking sheet. You will have leftover filling, which is wonderful spread on toast or an English muffin.

Agrodolce, an Italian sweet-and-sour sauce, combines vinegar and sugar. For tender results, be sure to peel off any leathery outer layers from the shallots.

(Hot Scandanavian Christmas Punch)