Global Table Adventure

Recipe: Greens with Veggies & Peanuts | Kisamvu

June 7, 2013 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

When my neighbor Jonathan told me he craves Kisamvu for weeks after his visits to Tanzania, I knew I had to try it. Kisamvu is just another word for cassava leaves, but Jonathan tells me he uses spinach whenever he's in the states and the taste is a very good approximation. Jonathan gave me the very recipe they use at the orphanage he visited in Tanzania, called the Janada Batchelor Foundation for Children. While there, he films documentary footage to help promote the good work they JBFC … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Fun Friday, International Recipes, Tanzania, Vegan, Vegetables/Pulses, Vegetarian

Recipe: Mashed Potatoes with Veggies | Irio

June 6, 2013 By Sasha Martin 10 Comments

I'm a little like mashed potatoes; I'm stable and sure, but I avoid wearing colorful makeup. The last time I wore blue eye liner was the nineties, and it was already a decade too late. I'm destined to recede behind more vibrant individuals - individuals of style. But imagine what good things could come from a splash of color? The jury is out with me, but consider the mashed potato. Must she remain the unadorned, pale wallflower in a buffet of color? Tanzania teaches that this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potatoes, Potluck Friendly, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Tanzania, Technique Thursday, Vegetables/Pulses, Vegetarian

Menu: Tanzania

June 5, 2013 By Sasha Martin 2 Comments

"The roaring lion kills no game" Tanzanian Proverb In honor of this all-too true saying from Tanzania, we're going all veggie this week. Truth is, I've been doing my fair share of 'roaring', which leaves me with a deficit of time for anything but quick (but fun!) dishes. Veggies fit the bill rather perfectly. In fact, our menu feels like a bulletin from Smokey the Bear, but without fires... and lots of veggies... "Thanks to Tanzania, you, too, can prevent veggie boredom!" Whether you're … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Menu Wednesday, Tanzania

About the food of Tanzania

June 4, 2013 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

Students at Nyanzwa Primary School in Iringa region. Photo by USAID Africa Bureau.

A few months ago, my next door neighbor, Jonathan, told me he was going to Tanzania to shoot documentary footage at an orphanage in Tanzania. "Your going to Tanzania?!" I exclaimed, thrilled with the serendipity of the situation, "Tell me all about the food - what do the children eat?" Over the next several minutes, he enthusiastically described the food of this east African country, possibly most well-known for the breathtaking peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. (Incidentally, if you ever … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Tanzania, Travel Tuesday

Monday Meal Review: Tajikistan

June 3, 2013 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

httpv://youtu.be/0tNsfjQ-zes It is often said that family who live in close proximity take each other for granted. But in many ways, I think it's just as easy to take each other for granted when family is scattered around the country. We get used to a certain state of ... loneliness... of missing each other. We resign ourselves to the distance, and take for granted that it can be no other way than to be apart. It got so bad, for me, that I hid behind my work and responsibilities. I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Monday Meal Review, Tajikistan

Recipe: Yogurt Naan/Non

May 31, 2013 By Sasha Martin 13 Comments

Any woman worth her salt is an incredible, complex specimen which takes time and love to fully understand. But even when you think you know a woman, she remains - at her core - mysterious. And so it is with today's Tajik naan recipe. She's made with a blend of wheat and all purpose flour, a healthy glop of yogurt, and not much else. She gets her shine for a quick milk and egg wash. The flavor is rustic, thanks to the wheat flour, and there's a slight, yet definite tang, thanks to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Breads, Fun Friday, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Tajikistan

Recipe: Lamb Plov with Dried Apricots & Raisins

May 30, 2013 By Sasha Martin 12 Comments

I'm an awkward girl; I'm not up on fashion trends, my slang is two decades passe, and I'd rather drink wine at home than be surrounded by 100 people I don't know. Dinner parties can really put me to the test, especially when I'm the hostess. I want everyone to have a good time, but I'm never entirely sure how to bring everyone together. That's where Tajikistan can help. You know that moment, right as everyone sits down to eat? I refer to it as the calm before the storm. It's a little … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, International Recipes, Meat, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Rice, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Tajikistan, Technique Thursday

Menu: Tajikistan

May 29, 2013 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

This week's theme is community and reunion. We spent the last ten days visiting my family, some of whom I haven't seen in nearly three years. Tajik food is often enjoyed from one giant platter, so the timing was perfect. I made three giant platters of plov, and all 18 of us came together around them (The bonus? Only three dishes to wash!) Lamb Plov [Recipe] Plov is popular throughout Western Asia, and for good reason. This is rice cooked with carrots, turnips, a half ton of onion, and bits of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Menu Wednesday, Tajikistan