Global Table Adventure | Travel Tuesday

About the food of Mauritania

March 20, 2012 By Sasha Martin 10 Comments

Oasis of Varesse (Adrar, Mauritania). Photo by Ji-Elle

It's been raining in Tulsa for the last 24 hours. I am surrounded by a constant drip drop, dreaming of dryness. How often I find myself pulled away from the beauty of what I have to what I wish I had. It is in this state of insatiable hunger that I begin the week's work. It is in this mood that Mauritania enters my line of vision. Ah, Mauritania - how little I knew about you until this moment. This imposing hunk of land flanks northwest Africa and stretches from barmy ocean to windswept … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Mauritania, Travel Tuesday

About the food of the Marshall Islands

March 13, 2012 By Sasha Martin 4 Comments

The Marshall Islands, Majuro, Photo by Stefan Lins.

When I first read about the Marshall Islands, my mind immediately went to Lost, the epic television series that most people started watching almost a decade ago. We started watching it last month on Netflix. Please excuse me for being a little out of date, but in all honesty, thinking about these hundreds of tiny, tropical islands floating in the vast Pacific Ocean, I can't help but think how easy it would be to get Lost there - hidden away forever. Part of me desperately clings to the idea … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Marshall Islands, Oceania, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Malta

March 6, 2012 By Sasha Martin 3 Comments

Malta, Mdina, St. Paul's Cathedral. Photo by Berthold Werner

Today I'd love to be in tiny Malta (she's 122 square miles small). I'd like to bask on a rock in the Mediterranean sun, listen to the crashing waves, and daydream until I smell dinner. And what a dinner it would be... think Italian. Think French. Arabic. Pasta and red sauce. Artichokes. Olives and capers. Rabbit stewed in wine. Fish swimming in soup. The fresh salty air would whet my appetite. And boy would I eat. The flavors are bold and the feelings are bolder. My heritage has … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Countries, Europe, Malta, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Mali

February 28, 2012 By Sasha Martin 11 Comments

Mali is a dusty daydream away, down a lazy river, where dotted villages slip by, one by one, until forever. Of course, my first encounter with Mali wasn't nearly so romantic, once I dug into the details. You see, I was watching a video on YouTube. When I read the caption I about fell over. Here is what it said: "This footage was taken on a 3 day trip from Mopti to Timbuktu on a cargo pinasse. No stopping. No toilets. No beds. You should try it." Wowzers. Talk about a challenge, considering … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Mali, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Maldives

February 21, 2012 By Sasha Martin 4 Comments

Male, the capital of Maldives. Photo by Shahee Ilyas.

The Republic of Maldives is a sunbathed group of islands southwest of India, dotted along the Indian ocean. Fish - specifically tuna - coconut, rice, and fresh fruit are the most popular tidbits from the region. Want some dried, crusty fish? They have it! Maldives Fish is a regional specialty of boiled tuna which is then sun-dried until rock hard. This sort of fish is often pounded and then integrated into coconut fish balls, curries, and sauces. Other fish, as well as with most meats, are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Maldives, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Malaysia

February 14, 2012 By Sasha Martin 4 Comments

Merdeka Day Parade (Independence day), photo by Amrufm

I'll be honest with you. I did my research for Malaysia backwards. Well, backwards from what I usually do. What I usually do is crack open the books, absorb as much information as I can, before writing all about the country. This week, I simply popped in on my old college friend MC from Malaysia, via Facebook, and grilled him with 20 questions. What should I make? I asked him. And, then, on cooking day, I popped in with even more questions. He was very gracious and answered my questions … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Malaysia, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Malawi

February 7, 2012 By Sasha Martin 3 Comments

Malawi undulates and ambles along eastern Africa - a collection of soft rolling hills and glistening lake waters, dotted with thatched villages, dusty courtyards, and a healthy array of vivid, green trees. The land is striking and, yet, completely new to me. When it comes to mealtime, I was immediately intrigued by the street food. First, there's grilled mice, boiled goat liver, banana fritters (zitumbuwa) and chippies. The first two I witnessed in travel videos. I read about chippies on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Malawi, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Madagascar

January 31, 2012 By Sasha Martin 6 Comments

A lake at Sambava, Madagascar. Photo by WRI Staff.

Watching Andrew Zimmern's Bizzare Foods episode on Madagascar, I was amazed by some of the shocking foods he ate. On this island nation roughly the size of Texas, you can find everything on the dinner platter from bugs to - get ready for it - circumcision ceremony remnants. Ahem. I'm not going to clarify that one. (Remember, I'm here to bring us together over simple foods, not shocking foods, so we won't be going down any of those roads. I will say, however, if you get a chance and are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Madagascar, Travel Tuesday