Eastern European

A cross between brioche and challah, this bread is a lightly sweetened, egg-glazed cylinder, often baked in a coffee can to make a tall loaf. The kulich would sit proudly in the center of the family Easter basket, surrounded by meats, cheeses, butter, and eggs. It's a central part of the Easter meal, served with sweet paskha cheese or unsalted butter.

This ultra-rich dessert is inspired by the classic Rigó Jancsi cake, named for the legendary Hungarian Gypsy violinist. Make it one day ahead to allow the flavors to meld.

Shullie Neumark of Rancho Palos Verdes, California, writes: "I like cooking but I'm a little bit impatient, which is why I make dishes that can be done ahead of time — and quickly. I hate being rushed before meals, especially when guests are on their way over. Those guests are usually good friends or members of our large family. Often I'll prepare some of the Russian and Lithuanian recipes passed down from my relatives." Shullie's lighter take on the classic dish features tomato sauce instead of sour cream.

The homey and hearty dishes of Louis Szathmáry—a splendidly mustached man who was the chef-owner of Chicago's well-known Hungarian restaurant The Bakery—are the inspiration for this dinner. Of course, chef Louis cooked using lots of butter and cream, but with just a touch of fat we've retained many of the same earthy flavors that he loved. Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 1‚ hr

A quintessential Polish comfort food, pierogies can be stuffed with potatoes, cheese, sauerkraut, or wild mushrooms. Here, dried porcini are combined with cremini mushrooms, adding a woodsy depth to the filling. Served with golden sautéed onions and sour cream, these dumplings make a delicious main dish.

Pureeing half of the soup (including the meat) gives it a denser consistency. While most Hungarian cooks do not top goulash with sour cream, go ahead; it adds a nice creaminess and tang.

Originally this dish consisted of topfenpalatschinken (Hungarian cheese crêpes) baked in a rich custard. This variation skips the time-consuming process of making blintzes. Double the recipe and bake in a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Elarji (Adapted from The Georgian Feast) This very cheesy cornmeal pudding, made here with grits, is a perfect accompaniment to Georgian Pork Stew. The surprise is that ordinary supermarket mozzarella works better than fresh as a substitute for the Georgian sulguni cheese for which this recipe was designed.

Gulisa's Ajika This lively condiment goes nicely with grilled meats and fish as well as with pork stew.

Gefilte fish is one of those recipes where touch and taste are essential ingredients. A basic recipe goes this way:"You put in this and add that." If you don't want to taste the raw fish, add a bit more seasoning than you normally would. What makes this recipe Galicianer (southern Polish) is the addition of sugar. For some reason the farther south in Poland, the more sugar would be added. A Lithuanian Jew would never sweeten with sugar but might add beets to the stock. I have added ground carrot and parsnip to the fish, something that is done in the Ukraine, because I like the slightly sweet taste and rougher texture. If you want a darker broth, do not peel the onions and leave them whole.

Classic Hungarian chicken paprikash is reimagined as a bright pasta dinner, with ground chicken, aromatics, and a dollop of sour cream swirled in for richness.

A quicker version of Ukrainian holubtsi, with cabbage, pork, and rice—no rolling required.

This psychedelic purple sauce has all the earthiness and tang of sour-cream-topped borscht.

These stuffed buns start with a sour cream dough, then put frozen veggies toward the hearty filling.

These stuffed buns are everything frozen pizza pockets dream of being.