Global Table Adventure | Menu Wednesday

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

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

Menu: Mongolia

May 2, 2012 By Sasha Martin Leave a Comment

Don't look for bad things in the good that you do. { Mongolian Proverb } I know what some of you are thinking right this very moment: "Mongolia... what on earth is she going to make from Mongolia that I'd like?" I know because that's what my very own Mr. Picky said moments before I presented this simple menu. Cooking him meat would have been too easy. He'd automatically love it. Instead, I went with a vegan carrot salad (what!) and an amazing salty green tea. I wanted to give him … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Menu Wednesday, Mongolia

Menu: Monaco

April 25, 2012 By Sasha Martin 4 Comments

On this windy Wednesday I'm visiting with a friend who I haven't seen in seven years. We're laughing and reliving old memories. We're also experiencing Monaco, as I cook each of these dishes, one by one. Ava, each day bigger than the last, now helps serve the food. I'm all smiles. So what did I choose? For our week in Monaco I've chosen recipes fairly typical of the region - you'll find similar in France and in Italy (such is the life when en entire country spans only 0.76 square miles). … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Menu Wednesday, Monaco

Menu: Moldova

April 18, 2012 By Sasha Martin 2 Comments

Two days ago Ava, Keith and I had our fingers in the soil. We planted seedlings from a shop in Bixby called Carmichael's. For our small garden-wall-turned-veggie-patch, we bought tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and summer squash. We rounded things out with basil and two types of lettuce. We all had dirt under our fingernails and smiles in our hearts. We nibbled bits of lettuce and basil straight from the ground. It was glorious. And the timing couldn't be more perfect. The people … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Menu Wednesday, Moldova

Menu: Micronesia

April 11, 2012 By Sasha Martin 4 Comments

This week we're enjoying a sampler-style menu based on Micronesia's beloved citrus fruit. Each of the recipes I selected for you is bursting with fresh squeezed lime and orange juices. And, given my family's reaction, I should warn you: they just might make you silly. Especially that crazy orange coconut cake. Speaking of crazy, have you heard the expression "cray cray"? I really amused myself reading the various definitions of this expression in the urban dictionary. I can't quite decide if … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Menu Wednesday, Micronesia, Oceania

Menu: Mexico

April 4, 2012 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

After letting you all decide our fate for this week's Global Table in polls, I am happy to present the menu - your menu. Each item won lovingly - with no close seconds. These are nibbles for rainy days, sunny days, and everything in between. You'll use your grill and your blender. You'll open wide and you'll dance on the roof. Well, maybe not on the last item... but you should. When was the last time you danced like a cat on a hot tin roof? Are you ready for Mexico? Rajas con Crema … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Menu Wednesday, Mexico, North America

Menu: Mauritius

March 28, 2012 By Sasha Martin 1 Comment

"When you visit a town and have not visited the market, you have not really visited the town" So goes the saying in Mauritius, according to local Renee. This old saying means that by immersing ourselves in the food culture of a place, we arrive at the heart and soul of the town. I totally agree and I would add that when we visit a country via stove top travel, we get glimpses of that soul, even from half a world away. Although we cannot fly to Mauritius today to visit the market, we are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Mauritius, Menu Wednesday