Global Table Adventure | Monday Meal Review

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

Monday Meal Review: Mongolia

May 7, 2012 By Sasha Martin 21 Comments

THE SCENE This week my brain is stuck on Mongolian nomads. I am obsessed. While I sip my hot, salty tea I think of their fierce loyalty in brutal winters. While I nibble the tangy carrot slaw, I imagine how hard it must be to move five times a year - so often that you cannot keep a veggie patch. So often that even a basic carrot salad would be a major treat, normally reserved for city folk. I take so much for granted. But what really hit home is how these nomads (who live so … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Monday Meal Review, Mongolia

Monday Meal Review: Monaco

April 30, 2012 By Sasha Martin 6 Comments

THE SCENE We have this crazy obsession, this culture of ours, with recording our memories. You've seen it before: a waiter delivers a beautiful meal to the table and, instantly, four cellphones fly up to "capture the moment." A minute later the photos are uploaded to Facebook. Suddenly, no one is paying attention to their beautiful dinner anymore - instead they're busy checking for likes and comments on Facebook. It's as if our experiences are somehow not valid if we don't snap a quick … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Monaco, Monday Meal Review

Monday Meal Review: Moldova

April 23, 2012 By Sasha Martin 6 Comments

THE SCENE Two days before I cooked Moldova I was invited to Tulsa's local United Nations annual meeting. While there I listened to very intelligent people talk about things which are generally beyond the scope of my daily duties - being a good mother, working hard, and playing harder. Let's just say they talked about how to solve problems on a global scale. And it was amazing. Still, even as cheerleader to the world, I felt out of place. Not because I'm not interested, but simply … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Moldova, Monday Meal Review

Monday Meal Review: Micronesia

April 16, 2012 By Sasha Martin 6 Comments

THE SCENE Ava's at a funny age. Literally. Everything is all giggles and "that's so funny, mama." It adds a breath of fresh air to my reality of taxes, tornadoes, and keeping the car clean. All equally impossible to deal with. This week Ava chuckled when she saw the silly straw in her Pineapple Papaya Coco Smoothie. And she loved the fact that there were oranges in our Micronesian Orange Coconut Cake. She laughed and laughed about that one. And, of course, I laughed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Micronesia, Monday Meal Review, Oceania

Monday Meal Review: Mexico

April 9, 2012 By Sasha Martin 2 Comments

THE SCENE: I wipe the sweat from my forehead. "Why is it 92 degrees in March?" I ask the cat. Malky draws his back up into a leisurely stretch, pads lightly onto the floor, and lets out a startlingly abrasive meow. Apparently he doesn't care. He is ready to go outside. I crack open the door enough to smell the humidity and watch his tail flick out into the sunshine. I shake my head and get back to work. The blender cranks into high gear as I buzz together the homemade rice and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Mexico, Monday Meal Review, North America

Monday Meal Review: Mauritius

April 2, 2012 By Sasha Martin 10 Comments

THE SCENE: Photography Teaches I step up onto the soft seat cushion and bend my head under the low ceiling. Time to snap some pictures. I hold my breath, teetering over the banana tart, willing myself not to fall. That's when Keith pops in the room (he's home to help care for our sick, feverish daughter) and snaps a picture of me (see above). As I swivel my head to see what he's doing I almost fall over, right onto the lattice work grid. But before I can turn my head, he's … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Mauritius, Monday Meal Review

Monday Meal Review: Mauritania

March 26, 2012 By Sasha Martin 17 Comments

I was talking with someone the other day about what this Adventure is all about. She wanted to know if I really thought I could change the world by cooking a meal from every country. "It just doesn't seem realistic" she said. I considered my answer, gazing at the puffy clouds dotted throughout the blue sky. I immediately thought of our latest Global Table meal - Mauritania, in northern Africa. The week was all about food cooked more than once: Stuffing simmered before … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Mauritania, Monday Meal Review