The Jewish holiday of Purim is a joyous celebration where families eat, drink, and even dress up in costumes! A traditional Purim treat are these hamantaschen, triangle-shaped cookies meant to resemble a 3-cornered hat. Ingredients 1 cup sugar 1 1/3 cups margarine (room temperature) 2 large eggs (room temperature) 6 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups flour (all-purpose) Fillings of choice such as poppyseed, prune (lekvar), apricot, Nutella Steps to Make It Gather the ingredients. Cream together sugar

This torte is named after the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804–1877) who, according to legend, regularly enjoyed the sweet treat with “punsch” for breakfast. Runeberg tortes are typically eaten only in Finland and are generally available in stores from the beginning of January to Runeberg’s birthday on February 5th; however, Porvoo, where Runeberg lived for most of his life, is an exception, as some of its cafés tortes are available every day of the year. Popular legend says that Runeberg’s wife, Fredrika Runeberg,

Kagami mochi is a traditional Japanese New Year’s treat that acts as a decoration in many homes during the first days of a new year. Supermarkets begin selling kagami (“mirror”) mochi in November and December, but why not try your hand at making it at home? The two mochi discs are variously said to symbolize the going and coming years, the human heart, “yin” and “yang”, or the moon and the sun. The two white discs are often topped with

This dish definitely is not for the faint of heart! Growing up with Minnesotan grandparents, I had often heard the word “lutefisk” without any context. Learning that it has its roots in Viking plundering—supposedly the Vikings burned a fishing village who had been drying cod and the water-soaked ashes created a lye slush—lutefisk is rumored to have been brought to America on ships as it could withstand the long journey. Now it has made its mark on Norwegian-American heritage. The

Okay, okay….so maybe the title is misleading. I don’t know for a fact that Robert Plant has signed off on this exact recipe for the starchy Lithuanian national dish, but the name of these meat-and-potato dumplings does stem from their likeness in shape to the airships of yore. Try your hand at these hearty and filling Eastern European delicacies that will stick to your bones all winter long. INGREDIENTS: Dough: 6-7 lbs potatoes | 2 tsp salt | reserved starch

While Americans might enjoy their Thanksgiving leftovers in turkey sandwich fork, their neighbors to the north have a different approach to the day-after carnage. Poutine! This festive twist on the Canadian classic fare will leave your tastebuds wanting more! Ingredients: 1 20 oz. bag sweet potato fries 3/4 cup leftover Thanksgiving turkey 1 cup leftover turkey gravy 1/4 cup leftover cranberry sauce 1/3 cup cheese curds Directions: Cook the sweet potato fries according the to package directions. While the sweet potato

October 4th is Cinnamon Bun Day in Sweden and Finland (Kanelbullens Dag). Why not celebrate with a warm cup of coffee and our favorite Cinnamon bun recipe? Makes 18 buns Dough Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter, divided 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tbsp white sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 3/4 cup milk 1 egg Filling Ingredients: 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tbsp ground cinnamon Frosting Ingredients: 1 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar 4 oz cream cheese,

Mooncakes symbolize the unity of family during the Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival, celebrated throughout Asia this year on October 1st. This recipe forms them into small balls, but you can find the traditional mooncake mold available online or possibly at your local Asian grocery during the festive season. Ingredients: 1/4 cup sugar 2 egg yolks 1/2 cup salted butter 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup strawberry (or your favorite) jam (traditionally red bean paste is used so if you want

Whether it’s Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) or Shabbat, challah is an important cultural symbol in Judaism. Unlike the traditional 6-braid challah presentation for Shabbat dinners, the Rosh Hashanah challah is ring-shaped or round and often includes raisins. This recipe makes three delicious loaves. INGREDIENTS 5 tsp. active dry yeast 1– 3/4 cup warm water 2/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra to grease a bowl 5 eggs, plus 1 extra for an egg wash before baking (6

In honor of Fiestas Patrias (National Day) tomorrow in Chile, we’ve concocted a nonalcoholic version of the Chilean favorite. The name of the drink is Terremoto, which translates to “earthquake” in the Spanish language. It was created at the end of the 20th century after a devastating earthquake hit Chile in 1985. (Don’t worry adults, there’s also a boozy substitution if you’re feeling in the fiesta mood!) Ingredients: 1 bottle sparkling grape juice (750 ml) pineapple ice cream (or sherbert for a non-dairy alternative) grenadine