Global Table Adventure | Menu Wednesday

Menu: Philippines (& Giveaway)

September 26, 2012 By Sasha Martin 55 Comments

Yum. That's all I can say. Slow cooked pork, crispy lumpia, and a sweet, jiggly drink... this is our little taste of the Philippines. We're talking bold flavors and big bites. Perfect for your fall table. All recipes and the meal review will be posted throughout the week. Lumpia Shanghai [Recipe] This is the long, flaky cousin to the egg roll - a shatteringly thin wrapper stuffed with ground pork, carrot, green onion, and jicama then fried to deep golden perfection. Filipino Braised Pork … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Menu Wednesday, Philippines

Menu: Peru (with $150 Giveaway)

September 19, 2012 By Sasha Martin 24 Comments

There's a Peruvian proverb that reads... "Gold, when beaten, shines." This simply means it takes a little elbow grease to make even gold look good. As with most things in life, the more effort we put in, the better things go. I've been trying to teach this important lesson to Ava, especially when the going gets tough. Not everything is as instantaneous as twitter or as fun as facebook. Incidentally, I've been using this proverb as I prepare to deliver a speech tonight in front of 350 people at … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Menu Wednesday, Peru, South America

Menu: Paraguay (& Giveaway)

September 12, 2012 By Sasha Martin 66 Comments

Let's talk enlightenment. When it comes to packing up the family, driving deep into the woods, and taking a little time to "get away from it all," there's still good reason to set a Global Table. In fact, when there's nothing but you, trees, and a few muffin tins worth of family members, it's the perfect time to try out something new. That's what we did this week, when we ate Paraguay ... in Beaver's Bend State Park (way, way Southeast Oklahoma). There aren't as many distractions when you're … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Menu Wednesday, Paraguay, South America

Menu: Papua New Guinea (& Giveaway)

September 5, 2012 By Sasha Martin 46 Comments

"How can a country of 800 plus languages and 700 plus ethnic groups unite to form a country, impossible but possible for PNG" - Sir Michael Somare, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. (Source) Sir Michael Somare has a great point. How exactly does a group of people so diverse remain unified as a country? From what I've read, PNG's success has a great deal to do with the freedom it allows these 700 ethnic groups to express themselves, whether by wearing unique clothing, performing … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Menu Wednesday, Oceania, Papua New Guinea

Menu: Panama (& Giveaway)

August 29, 2012 By Sasha Martin 59 Comments

I'm happy. Not only did I get to dig into an amazing rum cake this week, I also get to give one of you beautiful readers a nice treat. (More on that in a moment.) For now, I need to focus on one very special man - my husband. This week's Global Table was Mr. Picky's birthday luncheon. Happy Birthday, my love! The meal was hearty, delicious and, as always, a bit challenging for him. I must apologize for the fact that his birthday plate included such offenders as cilantro, olives, capers, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Menu Wednesday, North America, Panama

Menu: Palau (with $150 Giveaway)

August 22, 2012 By Sasha Martin 53 Comments

My door handle stopped working the other day. The one in my car that lets me get out. It just snapped off. Around the same time I inhaled a pill into my lungs. Yesterday the doctor told me I have aspiration pneumonia. All this has happened in the week that Keith's been away on business. It's a bit much. I'm hoping that's it for now. Luckily I cooked all this food before the drama rolled in, so I have plenty of good eats for you... but Panama? Well, I might be in bed for most of that meal. And … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Menu Wednesday, Oceania, Palau

Menu: Pakistan (& Giveaway)

August 15, 2012 By Sasha Martin 79 Comments

Whenever I cooked our Pakistani Global Table, our little family was swimming in sweat. Each day soared well over 100F (at times over 110F) and my air conditioner had all but decided to go the way of the puffin. So please forgive me if the menu feels a bit summery - a bit light on, well, cooking. While simmering curries for hours are a wonderful hobby for the bone-cold winters of Pakistan, I still managed to eek out a beautiful Pakistani menu for summer livin' here in Oklahoma (with the exception … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Menu Wednesday, Pakistan

Menu: Oman (& Giveaway)

August 8, 2012 By Sasha Martin 66 Comments

I love a good surprise. Today our Omani menu is full of hidden, sneaky treats. The ice cream? Laced with frankincense oil. The lemonade? As good as a garden of roses bathed in summer love. And the kofta are juicy and fragrant, hiding cinnamon and cumin, lounging on a bed of zucchini tomato sauce with a slightly cooling, sneaky handful of mint. And then there's this kind of surprise: This represents a portion of packages that came in the mail from my mom yesterday. They are binders. These … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Menu Wednesday, Oman