Global Table Adventure

Monday Meal Review: Lebanon

December 5, 2011 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

THE SCENE: I am five minutes into mashing and squashing an entire head of garlic, when I realize I am not really sure what people mean when they say "I cook with my heart." My kitchen is littered with garlic peels. The papery petals stick to my fingers when I try to scrape them up. This is my second head of garlic for the day. Earlier, I roasted an entire head of garlic for the baba ghanoush. Two heads of garlic is a lot for one single, solitary meal. For the 2.5 of us. I laugh. How … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Lebanon, Monday Meal Review

Recipe: Mountain Gnocchi (Maakroun)

December 4, 2011 By Sasha Martin 6 Comments

Gnocchi is always associated with Italy. Gondolas. Striped shirts. Butter and sage. But take a trip southeast, across the Mediterranean, to the old mountain villages of Lebanon and you'll encounter something very similar. It's called Maakroun - a thick homemade pasta that is either fried and served sweet, or boiled and served with an intense garlicky lemon sauce called toum. While Maakroun is not made with potatoes, the shape is nearly the same - a little longer perhaps. I would have never … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, International Recipes, Lebanon, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Pasta, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Technique Thursday, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Kiss your Mother Garlic-lemon Sauce (Toum)

December 3, 2011 By Sasha Martin 11 Comments

Adding a handful of spices to a pot of sauce can be cause to say "Bam." Or so I've heard. But how about making sauce with an entire head garlic? Raw garlic? Raw garlic with nothing but a heap of lemon juice and olive oil to thin it out? They do it in Lebanon. And it's fabulous. Just one thing ... No one will ever kiss you again. Except your mother. Bam! NOTE: Use sparingly. Especially on hot days, when your pores are likely to sweat out the scent of this intense pasta … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Lebanon, Potluck Friendly, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Sauces & Dressings, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Baby-mama’s Spiced Tea (Ainar)

December 2, 2011 By Sasha Martin 2 Comments

I drink a lot of tea, so I would have thought I'd seen it all. Apparently not. Introducing Ainar, the tea brewed especially for baby mama's and the guests who stop in to dote on their pretty newborns. In case you didn't know, Mamas need lots of things after having a baby. Rest. Love. Good, warm food. And this tea. The cool thing about Ainar is the treat at the bottom of the cup. Nuts. After cooking a bunch of warming, fragrant spices like cinnamon, caraway, anise, and nutmeg … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Asia, Fun Friday, Gluten Free Adaptable, Hot, International Recipes, Lebanon, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Baba Ghanoush with Roasted Garlic

December 1, 2011 By Sasha Martin 9 Comments

When I'm at parties I like to dip, dip, dip. You'll recognize me immediately - I'm the one in the corner, filling up on dip before the meal ever comes. And if, for some reason, I'm not? Just know that's where I really want to be. When it comes to dips, baba ganoush is everything I never thought it would be. Roasted eggplant, far from bitter, transforms into a smoky and smooth treat , able to fill my belly in just the right sort of way - without that greasy, pop-out-my-bellybutton feeling … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Dips, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Lebanon, Potluck Friendly, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Menu: Lebanon

November 30, 2011 By Sasha Martin 12 Comments

In between brushing Ava's hair, making her breakfast and playing with scissors, paper and glue, I like to pretend we're traveling. This week it's all about Lebanon. I tell her about mountains and snow. We look at pictures of bustling city and sleeping country. We watch clips online. We talk about the pretty trees and the winding roads. She responds to it all by saying, in her sweet broken toddler-tongue "I want go, right now." "Where," I ask? I smile, leading her to repeat the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Lebanon, Menu Wednesday

About the food of Lebanon

November 29, 2011 By Sasha Martin 3 Comments

The Cedar Forest in Al Arz, Lebanon. Photo by Aboluay.

Let's climb around the mountains of Lebanon, shall we? Depending on the time of year, we might find a heavy haze of snow. In the hush and slush we can work up an appetite. Lebanon's very name is inspired by her snow-capped mountains - Lebanon literally means white land. And, even in the humid summers, when the snow has long since melted, the sandy-sandstone still looks white. Let's pick our way between needly cedars, crumbly rocks, and thin brush, to our first meal. Your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Lebanon, Travel Tuesday