Global Table Adventure

Recipe: Sweet Potato Frittata

December 20, 2012 By Sasha Martin 17 Comments

Ava grabbed the small, purple step stool and placed it squarely in front of the kitchen counter. She's gone through a growth spurt lately and yet my little girl still stands on her tippy toes to see into the mixing bowl. On days like today, when I see her eyes peep over the top of the bowl and grow wide with delight, I hope she never grows up. With quick jabs of her whisk, she pops the yolks and helps stir together the frittata mixture. In the background we hear the delicous sizzle of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Breakfast, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potatoes, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Technique Thursday, Vegetables/Pulses, Vegetarian

Recipe: Swallow’s Nests | Nidi di Rondine

December 13, 2012 By Sasha Martin 28 Comments

What being a grown up has taught me: There's no way to turn couch surfing into exercise. I cannot be a mermaid for a day, no matter how hard I will myself to grow a tail. Superman isn't going to swoop down out of the sky and carry me away with him. Heck, he can't even find a phone booth these days. That being said, there are lots of good things I've learned as a grownup. Making my daughter guffaw makes my heart happy Eating around the table with loved ones is worth a pile of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Pasta, Potluck Friendly, San Marino, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Technique Thursday

Recipe: Chocolate & Coconut Rice Pudding with Sweet Orange Peel | Koko Rice

December 7, 2012 By Sasha Martin 13 Comments

I used to say I wasn't a chocolate girl but, as the year's go by, I'm realizing that it's really more about finding the right time to eat chocolate. After dinner? Certainly. At 3pm? I'm game. For lunch? Maybe. Midnight? Definitely. 3 am? No way. I'm sleeping for goodness sakes. But breakfast? Am I game for a chocolate breakfast? Let's just say it's an arrangement I'm willing to get out of bed for and I know of at least two other people who are as well. After all, who couldn't use … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fun Friday, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Oceania, Potluck Friendly, Rice, samoa, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Sweets, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Caribbean Fry Bakes

November 22, 2012 By Sasha Martin 11 Comments

This week I've completely given up: - shooing the cat off our bed - working so hard, I can't see straight. - being in a hurry - doing the laundry - eating boxed cereal Instead, I'm now: - snuggling my cat - not-so-accidentally forgetting my phone at home - dancing with my daughter with the curtains wide open - playing board games with family - gobbling up bakes Thanksgiving week is a time for a little closer look at what matters. It's about family, not work. It's about … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Carbs, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, North America, Saint Lucia, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Peas n’ Rice

November 16, 2012 By Sasha Martin 5 Comments

There's a tall, skinny window, in a full-of-love kitchen in Brooklyn, where one can set a giant pot of rice to cool. Under the icy winter sun, steam rolls up and fogs the panes. With a swipe of the hand you can peer out at the city below, but the glass now clings to a dream of sauteed peppers, onion, garlic, celery, and thyme. This special place is my friend Marina's kitchen, where I cooked our Global Table this past week while I was in NYC. There's nothing to this recipe. And yet it is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gluten Free Adaptable, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, North America, Potluck Friendly, Rice, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Rum Glazed Coconut Bread Pudding

November 15, 2012 By Sasha Martin 22 Comments

It's a fact of life: when the wind howls, children everywhere refuse to wear their coats. They arch their little backs, squeal-whine and assert "I don't need a coat, mama." In this situation, we have two choices. We can hunker down and try (struggle) to put their coat on, until one or both of us are crying. Or. (Or is that beautiful word that keeps life bearable and tantrums at a minimum.) Or... we can stand outside with them, coatless in the wind, just for a moment. We can feel … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breads, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, North America, Potluck Friendly, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Sweets, Technique Thursday, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian

Recipe: White Sweet Potato Fries

November 9, 2012 By Sasha Martin 4 Comments

Sweet potatoes are up there with a good hair cut, purring cats, and sunlight through fiery autumn leaves. The simple sweetness is all I need on a chilly evening. But it's not all about the coppery hued variety, which litter my counter tops like fallen leaves. There's such a thing as white sweet potatoes, too. Rwandans love sweet potatoes, especially white sweet potatoes which they boil, mash, and even fry. I first saw this in action on the a Peace Corps blog En Route Rwanda: With help … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potatoes, Rwanda, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Rwandan “Agatogo” with Collard Greens

November 8, 2012 By Sasha Martin 7 Comments

There's an old Rwandan saying "The most extensive land is the human belly." I like to think there's mountains and streams in there, glorious sunsets and easy, glimmering sunrises. Is that somehow unsavory? I don't know. I do know I want this land to be vast, and include as much variety as possible. I want to fit the whole world in there. And this, my friends, includes the plantain. Plantains have been an issue for my family from the beginning. Ava isn't really keen on them (or bananas). … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, International Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Random Carbs & Grains, Technique Thursday, Vegan, Vegetables/Pulses, Vegetarian