World of Design: Favorite Recipes From Food Lovers Around the Globe

Normally on Houzz you find interiors inspiration and renovation advice in our stories, but this is a bit different, as we’re sharing recipes for good eats rather than beautiful rooms in this ideabook. And what treats there are in store. From spicy lentil soup in Spain to a marinated mackerel supper in Paris, here are 11 delicious dishes from around the globe for you to try at home.

Read about the food lovers who shared these recipes and get their cooking tips

1. Steamed Veggies and Tofu Wrapped in Banana Leaves
Serves 2

Cook: Nahji Chu
Location: Sydney, Australia

Ingredients
2 long banana leaves, wiped down with a damp cloth
½ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms
½ pound enoki mushrooms
1 brown onion, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
6 whole okra
3 sprigs of snake beans (Chinese long beans), chopped
½ bunch dill, chopped
1 clove garlic
3½ ounces fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 sprig fresh peppercorns
5½ ounces silken tofu, cut into chunks

For the sauce:
3 tablespoons shaohsing wine
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Method
1. To make the banana leaves malleable so they don’t break, run each leaf over a flame or hot plate to soften it. Place each softened leaf on a large piece of baking paper.

2. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir.

3. Place the veggies, tofu and non-sauce seasonings in the center of each banana leaf and drizzle the sauce over the top.

4. Wrap it all up so the baking paper completely surrounds the outside, like a parcel.

5. Steam for 25 minutes and serve with steamed sticky rice.





2. Bigoli With Duck Sauce
Serves 4

Cook: Lucas Mignorelli
Location: Vicenza, Italy

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 carrot
14 ounces duck meat, minced
1 cup red wine
1 cup broth
Fresh thyme or rosemary, to taste
1 bay leaf
Salt, to taste
4 tablespoons heavy cream or mascarpone cheese
1 pound bigoli (thick spaghetti)
Grana Padano cheese, to taste

Method
1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a pan and brown the onion, garlic and carrot. Add the duck meat and mix thoroughly.

2. Pour the red wine and the broth over the mixture and add the herbs. Allow the liquid to evaporate, then salt to taste. Add the cream or mascarpone.

3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it, put it in the pan with the sauce and toss.

4. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with grated Grana Padano.


3. Chocolate Beet Cake
Serves 6 to 8

Cooks: Minna, left, and Julia Torstensson
Location: Near Norrtälje, Sweden

Ingredients
¾ cup plus 5 teaspoons sunflower oil
¾ cup plus 5 teaspoons maple syrup or runny honey
3½ ounces dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
Heaping cup of grated raw beets
3 eggs
1⅔ cups spelt flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of sea salt


Method
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Heat the oil very slowly in a pan over a low temperature. Add maple syrup or honey and chocolate and let it melt gently. Remove from heat. Add the grated beets.

3. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the chocolate mixture.

4. In another bowl, mix the spelt flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Gently fold into the melted chocolate mixture.

5. Grease a cake pan and pour in the mixture. Cook for about 25 minutes. Let cool before serving.

This recipe is inspired by the fantastic cooks at Green Kitchen Stories.





4. French Baguettes
Makes 5 baguettes

Cook: Alexander Udalov
Location: Krasnodar, Russia

Ingredients
6¼ cups flour
3½ teaspoons fresh yeast
2½ cups water
3¾ teaspoons sea salt

Method
1. Put the flour and yeast in a large bowl and add the water. Knead for 5 minutes, then add the salt and knead for another 5 to 7 minutes to make a supple dough that doesn’t stick to the fingers.

2. Form a ball, put the dough in a bowl and cover with a damp towel. Place in a warm spot without draughts for about 20 minutes. The dough will rise in the bowl. Repeat this procedure four times.

3. After the fourth round, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge (lower shelf preferably) for 8 to 12 hours.

4. Take the dough out of the fridge, let it rest in a warm place for about an hour, lay it on a dusted surface and divide into 5 pieces. Form a small baguette from each piece, then lay them on a cloth (thick linen) dusted with flour. Form some pleats on the cloth between the baguettes. Cover the baguettes with a damp towel and put them in a warm, draft-free place for about an hour. The dough should double in size.

5. Preheat the oven to 500°F. You can bake your baguettes in special baking forms or put them on a tray or a baking stone, using a wooden spatula. Make 7 diagonal cuts with a blade on each baguette before putting it in the oven. If your oven has a vapor moisturizing option, use it for the first 10 minutes of baking, then turn it off and lower the temperature to 425°F. After another 10 minutes, lower the temperature to 350°F and bake the baguettes for another 5 minutes. Take them out of the oven and leave on a tray to cool. If you don’t have a vapor moisturizing option, spray some water into the oven before putting the baguettes in and follow the same steps.


5. Ayurvedic Lentil Soup With Turmeric
Serves 4

Cooks: Celia Montoya and Kike Keller
Location: Valdemorillo, Spain
Ingredients
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
Oil for frying
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
4 carrots, chopped
Slice of squash, chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 cups red lentils
4¼ cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method
1. Fry the garlic and onion gently in oil, then add the peppers. Stir and add the carrots and squash.

2. Add the curry powder and turmeric. Add the lentils and fry them a bit before pouring in the vegetable stock. Leave on medium heat until the lentils are to your taste. Check the seasoning.

3. Gently pulse with a blender to get a thick soup.





6. Gobi Aloo (Indian-Style Cauliflower With Potatoes)
Serves 4

Foodie: Stacy Sodolak
Location: Austin, Texas, United States

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ginger paste
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garam masala
Salt to taste
1 pound cauliflower
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

Method
1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the cumin seeds, garlic and ginger paste. Cook about 1 minute until garlic is lightly browned. Add the potatoes. Season with turmeric, paprika, cumin, garam masala and salt. Cover and continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Mix the cauliflower and cilantro into the saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cover. Stirring occasionally, continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until potatoes and cauliflower are tender.





7. Pan-Fried Duck Breast in Japanese Dashi Sauce
Serves 4

Cook: Yumiko Shindo
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Ingredients
12 to 14 ounces duck breast
¾ cup plus 5 teaspoons dashi (see note)
3½ tablespoons soy sauce
3½ tablespoons mirin (or a mixture of 1½ tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons sake)
1 negi or spring onion, very thinly sliced
Shichimi-togarashi powder (Japanese mixed chili powder) or wasabi (Japanese horseradish) paste, to taste

Method
1. Stab the skin of the duck with a fork (to get a crispy finish). Combine the dashi, soy sauce and mirin in a saucepan and heat until simmering.

2. Heat a frying pan and put in the duck breasts, skin side down. Fry until golden brown, wiping off grease with a paper towel — this is important!

3. Fry the other side quickly and then soak the duck in the hot dashi mixture. Leave until cool.

4. Slice and serve with the dashi sauce and the spring onion. Sprinkle with shichimi-togarashi or add wasabi.

Note: Dashi is a stock made from dried bonito flakes and kelp. You can also use dashi powder; use double the quantity in the packet instructions for a tastier sauce.


8. Cheese and Nut Scones
Makes 8 large or 16 small scones

Cook: Cynthia Barcomi
Location: Zehlendorf area of Berlin, Germany

Ingredients
2¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons cold butter, diced
⅓ cup cold buttermilk
2 eggs
3 ounces cheese, coarsely grated (I like a cheddar-Parmesan mix best)
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon herbs (tarragon, marjoram and-or thyme)
1 dried chili pepper, crumbled, according to taste


Method
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line your baking sheet with parchment; set aside.

2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the cold butter pieces and mix with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Work quickly — cold butter makes for light and flaky scones!

3. Mix the cold buttermilk with the eggs and add to the flour-butter mixture. Stir until it becomes a dough, but don’t overstir. Add the cheese, nuts, herbs and chili and mix gently.

3. Dump the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and work the dough into a disc about 8 inches across and about ¾-inch thick. The dough will be very dry, but that’s a good thing — a dry dough makes light scones.

4. Quarter the dough, then divide each piece into halves again to create 8 pieces. You may also flatten the dough by hand until it is ¾-inch thick and then cut out circles.

5. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, until the scones are slightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes on a rack before enjoying!


9. Gooseberry and Mint Meringue Pie
Serves 6

Cook: Pip McCormac
Location: London, England

Ingredients
Flour, for dusting
Shortcrust pastry for single-crust pie
2 cups gooseberries, fresh or tinned
¾ cups sugar
2 mint sprigs, chopped
7 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks
Juice and finely grated zest of 2 lemons
2½ tablespoons cornstarch

For the meringue:
4 egg whites
½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry until thin, circular and about 9 inches in diameter; transfer to an 8-inch pie pan. Press the pastry into the dish and seal any cracks. Roll the rolling pin over the top to cut away any excess. Cover the pastry with baking paper and weigh it down with baking beans or dry pasta. Place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the baking paper and weights and bake for another 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. If using fresh gooseberries, rinse and trim them. If using tinned, drain well. Place in a saucepan with the sugar, mint, butter, egg yolks, lemon zest and juice and place the pan over low heat. Once the butter has melted and the mixture has begun to bubble, remove a few tablespoons of the liquid and whisk it in a bowl with the cornstarch until you have a smooth paste. Return this to the pan and stir it all together — be careful, it may spit. Bring to the boil and pour into the baked pastry. Set aside and allow to cool.

3. Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and begin to beat them slowly with an electric mixer, adding the sugar a little at a time. They should become thick and glossy after about 8 minutes — if stiff peaks form when you lift the beaters out of the meringue, then it’s definitely ready. Carefully spoon it over the gooseberries, using a spatula to spread it out smoothly. Sprinkle a little extra sugar over the top.

4. Bake the pie for 25 minutes, until the top of the meringue is pale brown and springy to the touch. Serve immediately with a generous dollop of cream.


10. Chocolate-Dipped Cherries
Makes 15 cherries

Cook: Anne Moltke Dahl
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Ingredients
15 cherries, with stems
7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped 
(I always use Valrhona)

Method
1. Place the chocolate in a shallow bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Make sure the steam doesn’t get into the chocolate.

2. Gently dip the cherries in the chocolate, taking care to coat them as much as possible.

3. Place on waxed paper and chill in the fridge until set.


11. Mackerel Pickled With Seasonal Fruits, Artichoke Basil Mash, Fresh Peas and White Wine Clams
Serves 4

Cook: Yannick Boutit
Location: Paris, France

Ingredients
2 fresh mackerel
Seasonal fruits (apples, strawberries, cherries, nectarines, etc.)
2 handfuls of small clams
1 shallot
3½ tablespoons white wine
Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
½ cup fresh peas

For the marinade:
3½ tablespoons white basil vinegar (or rice vinegar)
3½ tablespoons dry white wine
Juice of 2 lemons
Cilantro (or any other aromatic herb you like)


For the mash:
3 artichokes
1 potato, diced
1 tablespoon cream
6 basil leaves
Salt and pepper
About 2 tablespoons of butter

Method
1. Make the marinade by putting all the ingredients for it into a salad bowl. Dice the mackerel into half-inch cubes and cut the fruits very thinly.

2. 30 minutes before laying your table, put the mackerel and fruits into the marinade; they’ll take all the flavors and will cook in the lemon juice.

3. Prepare the artichoke mash: Take the leaves off the artichokes and boil the hearts with the potato for 25 minutes. Dry the artichokes and potato and mash them and mix with the cream and basil; add salt, pepper and butter.

4. Take the clams and put them in salted water for 30 minutes to wash the sand out. Brown them with the shallot until it is soft. Boil the shells in the white wine and let them open for 10 minutes before adding a pinch of chopped flat-leaf parsley.

5. Shell the peas and keep the pods to decorate the plate. Boil the peas for 5 minutes, then put them in ice water to stop the cooking and brighten the color.
Arrange all the food on plates and serve.

Read about the food lovers who shared these recipes and get their cooking tips

Tell us: Are you passionate about food and cooking? Please share your favorite recipes in the Comments and be sure to tell us where you live.

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