Global Table Adventure

Recipe: Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Sweet Honey Figs

May 17, 2012 By Sasha Martin 2 Comments

Today I'm taking you to a special place where family and friends gather around the dinner table with happy hearts. Silverware is optional, but bread is not. Settle into this sacred space, where tagine of lamb meets chestnuts, figs, cinnamon, honey, and orange blossom water. Pause for a moment to celebrate this crazy wonderful combination, to feel the hot air blow through your hair, then dig in and scoop up the glory with a handful of bread. When you're done, cozy up to an evening of conversation … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Gluten Free Adaptable, Meat, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Morocco, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Technique Thursday

Menu: Morocco

May 16, 2012 By Sasha Martin 17 Comments

This week we're trying three completely different recipes which all use one magical Moroccan ingredient: orange blossom water. Have you ever used it? The perfume-like water lends a dreamy flavor to ordinary ingredients. While almost impossible to describe, I'd say that each splash of orange blossom water makes the food taste "prettier" which, of course, inspired me to splash a little behind my ears. Whether or not this is normal, I was happy as can be, walking around, smelling like … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Menu Wednesday, Morocco

About the food of Morocco

May 15, 2012 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

Ziz River, Morocco. Photo by Jerzy Strzelecki.

Ohh, ok. Here we are. This is Morocco week at the Global Table (and the crowd goes wild!). To be honest I was pretty nervous about this week. As far as I'm concerned, Morocco is a culinary giant. This comes from growing up in France, where delectable Moroccan dishes make regular appearances on Parisian menus. As I got to reading, however, I quickly realized that the food - although filled with intensely fragrant, glorious spices like cinnamon, cumin, saffron, and ginger - can be wonderfully … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Morocco, Travel Tuesday

Monday Meal Review: Montenegro

May 14, 2012 By Sasha Martin 11 Comments

I'm at the grocery store, eyeing shelf upon shelf of neatly stacked packages of noodles. There are about 25 brands - each boasting some variation of regular, whole wheat, gluten-free, or loaded-with-spinach pasta. Three feet over there's another 5 brands sitting pretty in the chiller. These are the fresh pastas. The ones that taste like you made them yourself. The ones that cost $10 for two servings. Hello. I feel my anxiety mounting. Deep breath. It's just pasta. It's just pasta. How … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Monday Meal Review, Montenegro

Recipe: Chilled Buckwheat Noodle Salad with Feta & Cracked Black Pepper

May 13, 2012 By Sasha Martin 1 Comment

It only seems natural that we eat something black during our week at the Black Mountain (a.k.a Montenegro). But here's the thing - nothing in life is black and white. There are all sorts of shades of gray (that's where the beauty is - somewhere in the muddled middle). So, in the spirit of variety, we're adding a few shades of gray to our pasta. We've got black pepper, white feta, and charcoal grey buckwheat noodles with a bit of sparkle from pools of golden olive oil. This is simple as … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Gluten Free Adaptable, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Montenegro, Pasta, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetarian

Recipe: Balkan Burger (with poll)

May 11, 2012 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

You don't have to know how to pronounce it to enjoy eating it. Pljeskavica. If this long, meandering string of letters makes you stutter, just clap your hands, because that's what Pljeskavica means - the sound of hands clapping as the "Balkan burger" patties are formed. And this is not just a big word. This is big food. This is the original "super-size." Not only are the patties large enough to cover a small plate, they contain as many as 6 cuts of meat from three different animals. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Fun Friday, Grilling, Meat, Montenegro, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Recipes, Sandwiches/Wraps/Packets

Recipe: Ajvar, Roasted Pepper Spread

May 10, 2012 By Sasha Martin 11 Comments

Some days I dream about reinventing myself - pulling myself up, out of the ordinary into the wildly wonderful. On these ornery-sorts-of-days, I imagine myself strutting around in a bold color I've never worn before, like mustard yellow. On really good days I actually make these dreams happen. I become a mustard-wearing queen. Other days I just end up wearing mustard. Literally. That's the way life goes: sometimes change works, sometimes it doesn't. The fun is in the trying. Are you willing … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Dips, Europe, Gluten Free Adaptable, Grilling, Montenegro, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Sauces & Dressings, Technique Thursday, Vegan, Vegetarian

Menu: Montenegro

May 9, 2012 By Sasha Martin 9 Comments

I might be a little ahead of myself this week. I can't help it. People have been asking me when the pools open. Women are wearing sun dresses and sunglasses. On Sunday Ava said "my head is crying," with a look of astonishment, as beads of sweat dripped down her head after a good play session. You see, way back in April the weather spiked straight up, into the 80s and 90s. It might be May, but we might as well be in the heart of summer. I'm ready to kick off my shoes, run through the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Menu Wednesday, Montenegro