Russia, Brazil, the Levant – when dinner becomes a mini grand tour

Three courses, three continents, no boarding pass: we’re combining a Russian summer soup, a Brazilian bean stew and a spiced cinnamon bread from the Levant into a menu that needs no passport. Here’s the step-by-step guide you can cook tonight.

In spring 2021 international travel was out of the question. So we turned the kitchen into a runway and assembled three dishes, each representing a different culinary culture. What began as a lockdown substitute has since proven itself as a winning concept for an evening with friends. The idea is simple: instead of serving one country, you chart a mini route across three continents.

Russia: Okroshka, the chilled soup to kick things off

Okroshka is considered a Russian national dish and is the country’s most popular summer soup. Served cold, it’s made with fermented dairy products-classically buttermilk or kefir. It may sound unusual, but it’s precisely when the weather is warm and no one reaches for a hot soup that this dish shines. You can prepare it in the morning and serve it in the evening; a few hours in the fridge only improve the flavour.

For four servings you’ll need:

• 400 g waxy potatoes
• 4 eggs
• 2 spring onions
• 0.5 cucumber
• 8 radishes
• 1 bunch chives
• 1 bunch dill
• 3 tbsp coarse mustard
• 250 g crème fraîche
• 1 l buttermilk
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt, pepper

Here’s how to make it:

1. Boil the potatoes and eggs, cool, then peel.
2. Finely chop the spring onions, cucumber, radishes, garlic, chives and dill. Slice or dice the potatoes and eggs.
3. Whisk the mustard, crème fraîche and buttermilk into a soup and season with salt and pepper.
4. Fold in the chopped ingredients. Reserve some dill and chives for garnish.
5. Chill for at least two hours before serving.

Brazil: Feijoada, the hearty stew for the middle

Feijoada is Brazil’s national dish and carries a serious history: originally a bean stew eaten by enslaved people on plantations, it was made from the leftover cuts of butchery. Today it’s celebrated nationwide, traditionally on Fridays or Saturdays when families and friends gather. That convivial spirit makes it the perfect centrepiece for a cosy evening at home.

From the poor man’s fare of the plantations, the dish has become a weekend ritual that brings entire families together.

Set aside plenty of time-the pot simmers for hours with almost no attention from you. For four servings you’ll need:

• 250 g black beans
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 l water
• 300 g beef goulash
• Pepper
• 100 g smoked pork sausage (mettwurst)
• 100 g spicy sausage, such as chorizo
• 100 g pork belly
• 200 g rice
• 1 orange

Here’s how to make it:

1. Rinse the beans thoroughly and soak overnight.
2. The next day, drain and rinse again. Peel and slice the onion and garlic, then sauté. Add the beans and bay leaf with 1 litre of water and bring to a boil.
3. Season the beef generously with pepper and add to the pot.
4. Simmer for about 1.5 hours. Meanwhile, slice the spicy sausage, add it to the pot and let it cook for a further 1.5 hours.
5. Dice the pork belly, render in a pan and add the fat and meat to the pot. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
6. Cook the rice, wash the orange and slice.
7. Add a splash of water if the stew is too thick.
8. Serve with rice and orange slices.

Middle East: cinnamon-fried bread to finish

The sweet finale is a cinnamon-fried bread that echoes French toast, drawing its flavours from Levantine dessert traditions. There, the “bread of the palace” (Aish el Saraya) and its relatives transform stale loaves into festive treats. Our version is the quick route: dip in egg custard, fry in butter, roll in cinnamon sugar.

For four servings you’ll need:

• 1 baguette
• 2-4 eggs
• 500 ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Butter
• 120 g sugar
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• Nutmeg

Here’s how to make it:

1. Cut the baguette into 2 cm slices.
2. Beat the eggs, then stir in the milk and vanilla.
3. In a second bowl, mix the cinnamon, sugar and a pinch of nutmeg.
4. Dip the bread slices in the egg-milk mixture and fry in butter until golden.
5. Toss immediately in the cinnamon-sugar mix. Serve with fresh fruit if desired.

How to turn three recipes into an evening

The order takes care of itself: the okroshka is already prepped and chilling in the fridge, the feijoada simmers away for hours, and you only slide the cinnamon bread into the oven once your guests are already seated. Stay relaxed and skip the three-pot juggling act. Cooking for yourself also puts you back in control of the nutrition-something our sister magazine also highlights in its post-workout meals after exercise. A similar idea from our archives makes a good companion piece: if you prefer to stay within one region, our seasonal autumn recipes offer plenty of inspiration, and if you miss eating out, read our note on mindful dining at Munich’s Ahimsa.

What in 2021 was a stand-in for cancelled travel now serves a different purpose: a home-cooked three-country menu is more personal than any restaurant and costs a fraction of the bill. The world is open again, yet the plate remains the quickest route to somewhere new.