Global Table Adventure

Monday Meal Review: Djibouti

January 3, 2011 By Sasha Martin 2 Comments

I ladled the thick batter into the pan and pushed it around. Sizzle-sounds swizzled through the air. A few moments later air bubbles sluggishly began to push their way through the batter. Pop. Pop.... pop. Mr Picky walked over and sniffed the batter. "What is this stuff? It smells weird." "Laxoox, from Djibouti, but I'm not sure how to pronounce it. It's got yeast in it. Like, for bread." "Oh," he said, perking up at the word bread. We leaned against the counter and watched as the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Djibouti, Monday Meal Review

Recipe: Skoudehkaris

January 2, 2011 By Sasha Martin 18 Comments

Serves 4 Suffering from 1 digit weather? Ice, snow, and rain? What about sleet? Let's warm things up with Skoudehkaris. Known as the national dish of Djibouti, this heavy stew is a spicy, comforting treat. The bonus? It'll make your house smell amazing. Ingredients: 1 lb lamb, cubed 1 onion, chopped 1-2 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil 1 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp cloves 1 tsp cardamom 1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste) 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes 1 cup water, plus extra as … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Djibouti, International Recipes, Meat, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Rice

Recipe: Laxoox

January 2, 2011 By Sasha Martin 16 Comments

Serves 4 Have ten minutes? Mix up a batch of Laxoox for breakfast tomorrow. This yeasty, tiny-bit-tangy flatbread is a lot like Injera. The people of Djibouti enjoy Laxoox for breakfast with butter and honey. In the evenings they use it to dip and scoop and enjoy all manner of stews and sauces. Sounds great to me. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup wheat flour 1/4 cup millet flour (aacceptable substitutes include rice flour or sorghum flour) 1 1/2 tsp yeast 1 tsp salt 1 … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Breads, Breakfast, Djibouti, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

A Little Perspective from Djibouti (with poll)

December 31, 2010 By Sasha Martin 6 Comments

I don't know about you, but I cook standing up. I never gave it any thought until today. It's just what I do in my daily cooking routine. To add some pizzaz to my routine I even bought an apron. It has a sage green floral print and makes me look very tidy. Until you look down and see that I'm wearing fuzzy slippers (shh, don't tell Fly Lady). So, what does this have to do with Djbouti? Just the other day, American blogger "Djibouti Jones" had a friend over for dinner. A Djiboutian … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Djibouti, Fun Friday

Recipe: Rainbow Rice Palau (Dyed Rice)

December 30, 2010 By Sasha Martin 7 Comments

Serves 6-8 I could confetti dozens (hundreds!) of newlyweds with all the rice we've made for our Adventures around the world. While they've all been incredible, I'm here to tell you that Rainbow Rice takes the cake for beauty, novelty, and fun factor. Want your own festival on a plate? Here are 5 important tips to making perfect Rainbow Rice: Only use one or two colors to dye the rice. Any more becomes a bit... chaotic. Make a theme out of it - pink for a baby shower, red and green for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Djibouti, Gluten Free Adaptable, Holidays, Independence Day, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Rice, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Technique Thursday, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: colored rice, dyed rice, Eid, kid's rice, Somali

Menu: Djibouti

December 29, 2010 By Sasha Martin 7 Comments

Food coloring fun, one-sided "pancakes," and one pot wonders... we've made it to Djibouti. This east African country really has a way with flavors - rich, bold, and warmly spiced - yet so simple to put together. I mean, what cook wouldn't love a whole grain "pancake" that you don't have to flip? I'm officially in love. Even Mr. Picky wasn't so picky this week. And that's a good thing. Rainbow Rice Palau (Dyed Rice) [Recipe] Brighten up the dinner table with the vivid colors of Rainbow … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Djibouti, Menu Wednesday Tagged With: injera, Lahooh, laxoox

About the Food of Djibouti

December 28, 2010 By Sasha Martin 11 Comments

Djibouti: if you're pronouncing the name of this African country right, English-speaking people will raise their eyebrows. Try it out - "dja booty." The word has had endless inappropriate puns associated with it. But let's move past the unusual name... to the unusual food situation. According to doctor's without borders, less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the small, arid landscape can be farmed. As a result, most food is imported and expensive. I've read accounts of eggs costing seven … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Djibouti, Travel Tuesday