Global Table Adventure

About the food of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau

May 31, 2011 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

Are you ready? This week is a double hitter; we're discussing two West African neighbors, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Don't be fooled by their names - these countries are quite a bit different. Especially when it comes to the food. Sure they both share a love for typical West African foods, like Groundnut soup (absolutely amazing) [recipe], Batons de manioc (fascinating!) [recipe], Yucca Fries [Recipe], Jollof (a rice dish cooked with tomatoes and spices) [Recipe] and loads of tropical fruit … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Travel Tuesday

Monday Meal Review: Guatemala

May 30, 2011 By Sasha Martin 6 Comments

THE SCENE I was happy. I drank frothy hot cocoa. It was rich and sweet and I could see the sun peeking through the grey clouds. The breeze smoothed my hair back like an old friend. And then I looked. The picnic table was moving - marching, marching, marching. I focused my eyes. Ants. Headed straight for the hot cocoa bars. Ready to carry mountains on their backs. Ready to eat sugar until they were too full to fit into their tunnels. Into the cracks and grass and wherever else … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Guatemala, Monday Meal Review, North America

Recipe: Guatemalan Hot Cocoa (Central America)

May 29, 2011 By Sasha Martin 7 Comments

Serves 1 When I don't have time for a bubble bath, I like to slip my dreams into a steaming hot cup of cocoa. Imagine my surprise (and joy) when I found out Guatemalans don't make their hot cocoa quite like we do here, in the USA. Like their neighbors throughout Central America, Guatemalans make hot cocoa out of bars of pressed cocoa. Dry and crumbly, these hot cocoa bars are nothing like the creamy bars of chocolate we snack on. The good news? You can find them in your local Latino market … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Christmas, Gluten Free Adaptable, Guatemala, Hot, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, North America, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian

Recipe: Pepian Sauce (for Stewed Chicken or Veggies)

May 29, 2011 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

Makes 3 cups Is your blender lonely? Do you want to blast away from boredom? Try pepian, a thick mole-like sauce from Central America and beloved in Guatemala. With a quick whizz-whirr in the blender, this vegan sauce (a.k.a. recado) blends the smoky flavor of roasted, toasted seeds and other goodness with a half stick of cinnamon and dried chili peppers. If that sounds like a lot of different ingredients, don't worry, pepian is so balanced that even the pickiest eaters in your house won't … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Guatemala, International Recipes, North America, Potluck Friendly, Poultry, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Sauces & Dressings, Seasoning Blends & Pickles, Vegan, Vegetarian

In Search of the Guatemalan Sweet Tooth (with poll)

May 27, 2011 By Sasha Martin 25 Comments

Did you know there's a town in Guatemala called El Chocolate? It's true. It's a sign of the times. Guatemalans love, love, love chocolate. They grow it. They drink it. But for some reason, they just don't eat a lot of it. In fact, they drink chocolate way more than they eat the stuff. I have first-hand reports from my pen-pal Audrey (of Uncornered Market), that they had a surprisingly difficult time finding a regular bar of chocolate to eat during their stay in Guatemala. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fun Friday, Guatemala, North America

Interview: Dan & Audrey from Uncornered Market

May 27, 2011 By Sasha Martin 13 Comments

Imagine if this was your view... Imagine if you could be in these places... Imagine if the world was your back yard. You're in for a real treat today - Audrey Scott and Dan Noll from Uncornered Market are here to answer a few questions. They live a life I can only dream about. They explore the world for a living. The world is their back yard. That's right. In 2006 left their corporate desk jobs, got rid of their belongings, and went off to... well, wherever the wind blows them. They … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Interview

Recipe: Homemade Corn Tortillas

May 26, 2011 By Sasha Martin 19 Comments

Makes 16 small or 8 medium tortillas This week's Guatemalan Global Table starts off with a popular treat - the corn tortilla. Store-bought corn tortillas can be so ... stale, dry and yucky. But, take five minutes to throw together a simple dough and you can smoosh out the best corn tortillas in the world - certainly as good as any you can find in Guatemala. Make them thick or thin, big or small - any way you shape them you'll be glad you did. And if you have kids, watch out. You just might need … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breads, Guatemala, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, North America, Technique Thursday, Vegan, Vegetarian

Menu: Guatemala

May 25, 2011 By Sasha Martin 11 Comments

Hello and welcome to our Guatemalan menu, a welcome distraction from the storms that plagued the midwest last night (a.k.a. where I live). Tornado season reminds me, yet again, that I'm a stress eater. Big time. Last night, as the winds whipped and the hail fell, my appetite went through the roof. I may or may not have eaten 9.5 fresh corn tortillas and 139 mugs of hot cocoa, but who's counting...? Let's just say I'm still extremely full. The good news? Our Guatemalan menu is great for stress … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Guatemala, Menu Wednesday, North America