Global Table Adventure | 2012 February

Menu: Mali

February 29, 2012 By Sasha Martin 5 Comments

Question: What does Supergirl, a tea party, and gluten free food all have in common? They all make an appearance during this week's Malian Global Table. That's pretty epic. And oddball. The perfect combination, if you ask me. I kept things simple this week, as I'm still recovering from last week's surprise birthday celebration for my mom. What sounds good to you? Recipe: Mali's Gluten-free "Pancake Donuts" (Maasa) [Recipe] Made with millet and rice flours and topped with a flurry of powdered … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Mali, Menu Wednesday

About the food of Mali

February 28, 2012 By Sasha Martin 11 Comments

Mali is a dusty daydream away, down a lazy river, where dotted villages slip by, one by one, until forever. Of course, my first encounter with Mali wasn't nearly so romantic, once I dug into the details. You see, I was watching a video on YouTube. When I read the caption I about fell over. Here is what it said: "This footage was taken on a 3 day trip from Mopti to Timbuktu on a cargo pinasse. No stopping. No toilets. No beds. You should try it." Wowzers. Talk about a challenge, considering … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Mali, Travel Tuesday

Monday Meal Review: Maldives

February 27, 2012 By Sasha Martin 9 Comments

THE SCENE I'm not sure words can really do this past week justice. So I'm going to give you a visual presentation of my mother's surprise birthday weekend in Florida, which just so happened to coincide with the week we ate sunny, tropical Maldives. First, of course, there was the surprise. And, boy, howdy. Mom sure was surprised. She knew she was flying in from Boston to visit her son Keith, but she had no idea her three other children would be there (including me), plus three … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Maldives, Monday Meal Review

Recipe: Maldivian Sliced Custard (Bis Haluvaa)

February 26, 2012 By Sasha Martin 10 Comments

Let's capture sunlight in a pan... and pretend it's all the way from Maldives. You only need three ingredients: ghee, sweetened condensed milk, and eggs. A pinch of salt is nice, if you're feeling adventurous. Whisk the eggs and condensed milk together... and cook over a double boiler until very hot and thickened. This will take several minutes (about 15-20 for me). Melt in the ghee and continue whisking until thick and pulling away from the sides of the pan and resembles mashed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, International Recipes, Maldives, Sweets, Vegetarian

Recipe: Yummy Lomi Lomi (with poll)

February 24, 2012 By Sasha Martin 13 Comments

I almost can't believe how easy it is to chat with people from around the world now a days - to get to know each other - to learn from each other - to celebrate each other. To raise a glass to each other. Sometimes I get recipe ideas from books. Sometimes readers email me recipes. But today's recipe for "Lomi Lomi" comes from an altogether different place. And it sparkles like the ocean on a sunny day. Last week I knew nothing about this poolside sipper. In fact, had I not begun a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Asia, Cold, Fun Friday, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Maldives, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetarian

Recipe: Roasted Whole Fish from the Maldives (Fihunu Mas)

February 23, 2012 By Sasha Martin 15 Comments

You should have seen my brother's face when I told him we were going to make whole fish for our Maldivian Global Table. His eyes about popped out of his head. In fact, my entire family - both brothers, my sister, mom, niece and nephew - was wary of the idea. While eating the whole fish is rare in the United States, we knew from experience that our family was in for a treat. We ate this meal in Florida, as part of a celebration of my mom's surprise 70th birthday, so I had a bounty of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Grilling, International Recipes, Maldives, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Seafood, Technique Thursday

Menu: Maldives

February 22, 2012 By Sasha Martin 3 Comments

My mother's surprise 70th birthday party has been in the works since this fall, maybe even as early as this summer. Well, it finally happened ... and thank goodness because none of us could stand to keep the secret one second longer. We all flew to Florida, at my brother's house. There was cake. There were cookies. And, under the palm trees, there was a spread from Maldives. All week I felt as though I was in the real place, soaking up the sun, sand between my toes, and smiling all the way from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Maldives, Menu Wednesday

About the food of Maldives

February 21, 2012 By Sasha Martin 4 Comments

Male, the capital of Maldives. Photo by Shahee Ilyas.

The Republic of Maldives is a sunbathed group of islands southwest of India, dotted along the Indian ocean. Fish - specifically tuna - coconut, rice, and fresh fruit are the most popular tidbits from the region. Want some dried, crusty fish? They have it! Maldives Fish is a regional specialty of boiled tuna which is then sun-dried until rock hard. This sort of fish is often pounded and then integrated into coconut fish balls, curries, and sauces. Other fish, as well as with most meats, are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Maldives, Travel Tuesday