Global Table Adventure | Travel Tuesday

About the food of Poland

October 2, 2012 By Sasha Martin 11 Comments

Among the cool, rolling hills of Central Europe, which stretch like green tomcats beneath the blue sky, lays Poland ... where waters run clear from the city's industrious lip, all the way to the edge of her spiny mountains. Situated between Germany and Belarus, the best Polish food can be summed up by that which is hunted, foraged, or fished. Under the filtered forest canopy, mushrooms are not just dinner, but a hobby. Fish, straight from the river, is a way of life (think herring, carp, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Poland, Travel Tuesday

About the food of the Philippines

September 25, 2012 By Sasha Martin 9 Comments

The Chocolate Hills in Bohol Province, Philippines. Photo by Ramir Borja.

Welcome to our week at the Filipino Global Table, where you can stovetop travel your way to these 7, 107 tropical islands in the western Pacific ocean. Tucked between her mountains, tropical rain forests, and gorgeous coasts live 28 million people who enjoy a diet with influences from Spain, China, and Malaysia and beyond. The food packs a serious punch. According to wikipedia, "Filipino cuisine is distinguished by its bold combination of sweet (tamis), sour (asim), and salty (alat) flavors. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Philippines, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Peru

September 18, 2012 By Sasha Martin 7 Comments

The dream was born in seventh grade geography class; I had to feel the sunrise in Machu Picchu. One photo of that misty, lush mountain topped with ancient Inca ruins was all I needed. I was in love. Sure, there were snow capped mountains, modern cities, sashaying rivers, and lush, green jungles to explore... but I wanted to teleport straight into the incredible mountain city that'd been mysteriously abandoned so many years ago. All these years later and I still haven't reached … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Peru, South America, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Paraguay

September 11, 2012 By Sasha Martin 5 Comments

Paraguay (pronounced parag-why) is the first landlocked country we've cooked in a long, long while. To celebrate, we're going to hang out in a local swamp. Appropriately dubbed "The Great Swamp," this wet expanse stretches through Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia, and is home to more than 10,000 species of birds, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates, according to Environmental Graffiti. It's gigantic. P.S. The Great Swamp is considered by Environmental Graffiti to be one of the top ten swamps … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Paraguay, South America, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Papua New Guinea

September 4, 2012 By Sasha Martin 3 Comments

As a fisherman waits patiently for the fish to bite, Tavurvur belches ash and pumice into the twilight. Photo by Taro Taylor.

Few sentences succeed at stopping me in my tracks, however last night's research on Papua New Guinea made me blush and chuckle. I can't help but share the line that made me react so strongly, as it sums up the culture more succinctly than three pages worth of blabber I could offer: A young bare-breasted woman recently bought as a bride for five pigs may be wearing a digital wristwatch. (1000 Places to See Before You Die) Knock that image around your brain a while. As far as mental images go, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Panama

August 28, 2012 By Sasha Martin 10 Comments

View of Isla Taboga, with Panama City in the background. Photo by Osopolar.

The skinny squiggle in Central America is Panama. Her spine crackles with mountains, while her shores undulate with soft, green hills. This is the tropics and, even in the winter, skirts and flowers flow freely, rum punch spills willy nilly, and banana leaf tamales make an all-star appearance with the likes of arroz con pollo (spiced rice with chicken and olives) [Recipe]. But it's the butterflies that catch my attention. With more than 1500 species in this tiny country, Panama has the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: North America, Panama, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Palau

August 21, 2012 By Sasha Martin 5 Comments

Let's sink into the sea. Let's swim with the jelly fish. Snorkel with me to Palau. From deep below her waters (where divers will find barrier reefs and wrecks from World War II), to the top of her lush forests, this island nation is a dream. From overhead she looks less like an island, and more like mossy bumps of land popping up from the ocean. A closer look reveals bridges snaking across these bumps and puffs of island, as well as stones carved out by the sea that, ironically, look like … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Oceania, Palau, Travel Tuesday

About the food of Pakistan

August 14, 2012 By Sasha Martin 9 Comments

Children in Pakistan near the Boarder to Iran. Photo by Graef.

Pakistan is said to be the birthplace of the tandoori oven, where white-hot walls glow and crackle with spit-fire. These incendiary cylinders char-roast kebabs and breads alike. Although it is only the exceptional hostess that has a tandoori oven in her private home, if I had one, I would use it to cook our cumin seed naan (the one we made back in Afghanistan. P.S. This bread which would also work for a Pakistani meal. P.P.S. Oh, how far our recipes have come haha). Even though I swoon for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Pakistan, Travel Tuesday