Milk Street's Best Travel Recipes

Turkish Date-Filled Semolina Cookies

During a recent visit to Türkiye, we became fans of kömbe, buttery, pastry-like cookies made with spices and semolina, filled with nuts or dates and imprinted with delicate patterns or designs. Similar to Middle Eastern ma’amoul, kömbe are a specialty

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 1, 2024

Portuguese Sponge Cake (Pão de Ló)

Portugal's famously airy, eggy cake with a gooey layer underneath a thin withered crust.

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 5, 2021

Palestinian Upside-Down Chicken and Rice (Maqlubeh)

A streamlined version of impressive Palestinian upside-down rice.

By Courtney HillDecember 18, 2019

Basque Leek and Potato Soup

This rustic soup, called porrusalda, takes a few humble ingredients and transforms them into a light but satisfying vegetarian meal. Leeks’ many layers tend to trap dirt and sand, so make sure to thoroughly rinse the sliced leeks, then drain them well

French Apple Cake

This simple French cake is more apples than cake, held together with a light crumb and thin golden crust.

Thai Rice Soup (Khao Tom)

One of our readers’ favorite recipes, this pork soup showcases almost magical layers of aroma and flavor.

By Diane UngerApril 2, 2018

Saffron Risotto (Risotto alla Milanese)

In Milan, at Trattoria Masuelli San Marco, our editorial director J.M. Hirsch tried a saffron-flecked risotto that “lingered in taste memory” so much that he cancelled his dinner plans the following night.

By Julia RackowAugust 6, 2018

Spaghetti with Lemon Pesto

This zesty, lightly perfumed lemon pesto is inspired by the world-famous lemons of Amalfi, Italy.

By Courtney HillDecember 14, 2020

Fettuccine Alfredo

In Rome, fettuccine alfredo is totally unlike gloopy American versions—silky-smooth, buttery, and light.

By Diane UngerJune 11, 2021

Georgian Chicken Soup (Chikhirtma)

This pearly Georgian chicken soup (chikhirtma) is incredibly satisfying to make—while relatively hands-off—with all of the components are built from scratch.

Dutch Oven Beef Birria Tacos

Slow-cooked, succulent meaty stew in a thick, chili-rich sauce.

By Diane UngerAugust 9, 2021

Thai-Style Coconut and Chicken Soup

This fragrant Thai soup is rich with coconut milk, awoken with chili heat, lime, and lemongrass, and studded with meaty chicken and mushrooms—and its electricity depends on that deep, coconutty backdrop. Ersatz homemade coconut milk provides the rich

By Courtney HillJanuary 21, 2024

Colombian Potato Soup with Chicken, Corn and Capers (Ajiáco)

Loaded with potatoes, a corn cob, and avocado slices, this chicken soup (ajiáco) is creamy, hearty, and fresh all at once.

By Rose HattabaughAugust 12, 2022

Cantonese Sweet-and-Sour Pork

In Hong Kong, we sought out true Cantonese sweet-and-sour pork, predecessor of the gloppy, overly sweet versions served in many Chinese American restaurants. After sampling dozens of versions, we created our recipe by combining the attributes of the b

By Courtney HillOctober 9, 2024

Broken Phyllo Cake with Orange and Bay

The soaking syrup we use in this pudding-like citrus cake is infused with warm spices for added dimensions of flavor and fragrance.

By Rose HattabaughJanuary 5, 2022

Thai Cashew Chicken

[T]his not only is unlike any cashew chicken I’ve ever eaten,” writes J.M. Hirsch, “it’s also wildly better.”

By Courtney HillDecember 6, 2022

Meringue-Topped Cake with Cherries

Romanian prăjitură cu rubarbă is a simple, rustic rhubarb-studded cake that is covered with a snowy cloud of meringue after baking, then slid back into the oven. A few minutes later, the two-layer treat emerges with a crown of golden swirls and peaks—

By Rose HattabaughJune 27, 2024

Muhammara

Muhammara is a spicy-tart dip for flatbread made from walnuts and roasted red peppers. The name comes from the Arabic word for reddened, and the dish originated in Syria, where it often is served alongside hummus and baba ganoush. Aleppo pepper is mad

Turkish Skillet Kebab with Charred Peppers and Tomatoes

A Turkish-style skillet of juicy meats, tomatoes, and peppers, sopped up with warm flatbread.

By Diane UngerFebruary 1, 2023

Yucatecan Citrus-Marinated Pork Tacos

Our editorial director J.M. Hirsch considered himself a “toppings guy” until poc chuc: citrus-marinated pork taco meat which takes taco meat to a new level.

By Courtney HillAugust 9, 2023

Turkish Hummus

A shock of red oil and a garden of toppings defined an incredible, silky-smooth hummus that Chris Kimball was served in Istanbul.

By Courtney HillJanuary 21, 2024

Cacio e Pepe

Cacio e pepe is the simplest of dishes, but achieving creamy, silky perfection took us years of attempts. We did it. And you will too.

By Rose HattabaughFebruary 12, 2024

Spanish Garlic and Bread Soup

Taught to us by chef José Andrés, this “end of month” recipe transforms simple odds and ends.

By Chris Kimball & Matthew CardNovember 11, 2022

Cinnamon Sugar Yogurt Doughnuts

Light, lemony donuts—adapted from Irina Georgescu’s recipe for gogoși rapide—that come together in no time and disappear just as fast.

By Diane UngerDecember 6, 2022

Romanian Crème Fraîche Cake (Lichiu)

During a trip to Transylvania, we tasted lichiu, a sweet yeasted dough spread with a creamy, lemony, semolina filling and a custard upper layer made with crème fraîche and egg yolks. The semolina and custard fuse during baking, resulting in a deliciou

By Hisham Ali HassanSeptember 5, 2024

Tangerine-Almond Cake with Bay-Infused Syrup

Adapted from a recipe in Yotam Ottolenghi’s “Jerusalem,” this fragrant tangerine-almond cake infuses the crumb with a bright, delicate soaking syrup.

By Dawn YanagiharaApril 28, 2017

Tomato-Olive Focaccia

The world’s best focaccia comes from Bari, Italy, where oozing buckets of dough bake up into an impossibly airy, tender crumb.

By Diane UngerJanuary 21, 2024

Turkish-Style Flaky Flatbreads

Lavishly flaky and buttery, these skillet flatbreads, katmer, come together with just four ingredients.

By Diane UngerFebruary 1, 2023

Pour-in-the-Pan Pizza with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

This focaccia-pizza hybrid represents the culmination of Chris Kimball’s lifelong quest for the perfect pizza dough.

By Diane Unger & Chris KimballApril 16, 2020

Yogurt and Olive Oil Flatbreads

Incredibly delicious and soft, these flatbreads from chef Marianna Leivaditaki make smart use of a short ingredients list.

By Rose HattabaughAugust 9, 2021

Moroccan Semolina Flatbreads (Harcha)

For years, Chris Kimball reminisced about a Moroccan breakfast at which he was served harcha—like a “particularly delicate variety of cornbread married to an English muffin.”

Chicken and Orzo Soup with Garlic and Paprika

This bright red chicken and orzo soup gets rich, Turkish-inspired flavor from tomato paste, garlic, sweet paprika, and a touch of dried mint.

By Julia RackowApril 13, 2020

Korean Hand-Torn Noodle Soup with Chicken (Sujebi)

Rustic hand-torn wheat noodles are the star of sujebi, a hearty, brothy Korean soup. In Seoul, we learned there are countless ways to make the dish, but for our version, we combined our favorite elements of the recipes we learned from home cook Insook

By Courtney HillJanuary 19, 2024

Shaved Zucchini and Herb Salad with Parmesan

Raw zucchini gets the spotlight it deserves in this elegant, nuanced salad with handfuls of herbs, crunchy hazelnuts and plenty of Parmesan.

Almond-Coconut Cake with Cherries and Pistachios

A Milk Street fan favorite, this cake adapted from “Honey & Co.: The Cookbook” mixes rustic Middle Eastern flavors—fruits, nuts, spices, and coconut.

By Rose HattabaughApril 9, 2021

Baked Feta and Ricotta with Mint

An abundant-yet-light skillet full of cheese with briny feta flavor, ricotta creaminess, and a minty lift.

By Diane UngerOctober 1, 2021