Global Table Adventure | Celebrations

Recipe: Coconut Sticky Rice in banana leaves (lemang)

February 16, 2012 By Sasha Martin 5 Comments

Today we're going to make a tower... a tower of glorious height. And this tall, sturdy tower is going to be made out of rice. Our inspiration? The Petronas towers of Malaysia. Aren't they stunning? I adore the fact that the skyscrapers are connected by a tiny walkway that seems to be a million, zillion miles up in the sky. But that's a story for another day. The fact is, I am simply thrilled to make rice towers from Malaysia. You see, I'm falling more and more in love with glutinous … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Asia, Finger Food, Gluten Free Adaptable, Malaysia, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Rice, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Technique Thursday, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Malawi Peanut Balls (Mtedza)

February 12, 2012 By Sasha Martin 7 Comments

I adore when this around the world culinary journey takes me by surprise. Here we are, the week of Valentine's day, and I'm in Malawi - practically the heart of Africa. I had it in my head that I probably wouldn't find anything particularly appropriate for Valentine's Day. Turns out I was wrong. While I didn't dig up any chocolate kisses or champagne mixers, I did find the lovely Sunrise Biscuits and today's addictive groundnut cookie (that's what Africans call peanuts). Thank goodness, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Malawi, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Sweets, Valentine's Day

Recipe: Sunrise Biscuits (Mbatata)

February 9, 2012 By Sasha Martin 20 Comments

Valentine's Day is for lazy mornings. For PJ's all day. Breakfast in bed with your favorite cup of tea. Sunny smiles. And then there's real life. Husbands go to work. Your cat uses your favorite chair as a scratching post. And, over the course of 45 seconds, your child has the following conversation with you, in regards to said cat: "I want to sit there" "It's my turn to play with that toy" "He poked me with his paw" "Wahhhhhhhhh" The main difference between this and having … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Breads, Breakfast, Malawi, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian

Recipe: Madagascar Chicken (Akoho sy Sakamalao)

February 5, 2012 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

There are times when I need a little bit of sunshine. A smattering of happy. A bouquet of deliciousness. Today I found exactly what I was looking for in this Malagasy chicken. One of the most unusual things about the food of Madagascar is how much it pulls from different traditions. In today's chicken dish, we see traces of mainland Africa, Asia and Polynesia. The coconut oil gives the chicken just a hint of Polynesian tradition, while the garlic, and ginger play into Asian flavors. Finally, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Madagascar, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Poultry, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes

Recipe: Vanilla Bean n’ Tropical Fruit (w/ poll)

February 3, 2012 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

Vanilla beans might as well be jewels. The insides are full of teeny, tiny black caviar - the likes of which I can't help but want all over my ice cream and baked goods... I even like to dab vanilla extract on my wrists when baking. Suffice it to say, I'm a fan. Now, imagine yourself in a country like Madagascar, where there are enough vanilla beans to pave the streets. There, thanks to such quantity, the people use vanilla bean caviar much more whimsically than I can ($8 per bean, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Finger Food, Fruit, Fun Friday, Gluten Free Adaptable, Madagascar, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Cozy Roasted Pepper & Eggplant Salad

January 27, 2012 By Sasha Martin 5 Comments

While I've always loved a good ratatouille, there's something so ... soft about it. While that's fine for a cloudy sort of day, on bright, cheery days, I'm in the mood for definition. Clear edges. Decisiveness. Which brings us to today's roasted salad, from the Macedonian Global Table. She's all of those things while still being easy-breezy. The reason she's so defined? The eggplant and peppers are pre-cut and roasted, which gives good browning and clean edges. Once tossed with fresh … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Gluten Free Adaptable, Macedonia, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetables/Pulses, Vegetarian

Recipe: A Dainty Apple Cake (Äppelkuch)

January 22, 2012 By Sasha Martin 9 Comments

In the southern reaches of Luxembourg, in an area called Gutland, live a happy collection of orchards where apples, plums, cherries and berries ripen in the sun. Now... I knew, without a doubt, that I absolutely, positively wanted to make a plum cake when we got to Luxembourg, however the seasons were against me. Since it is January and not a plum in sight, I somewhat grumpily resigned myself to making a traditional apple cake, a.k.a. Plan B. One bite in and I knew this was a fantastic … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Fruit, Luxembourg, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetarian

Recipe: Green Bean Soup (Bouneschlupp)

January 20, 2012 By Sasha Martin 9 Comments

As a teenager in Luxembourg, I never really thought about high class cuisine. We spent a lot of time over at Quick, the aptly named fast food place. If we weren't there, we were eating a the local pizzeria, bar, or patisserie. It's a shame, really, because the world's first and only female winner of the Bocuse d'Or, a highly competitive culinary competition, is from Luxembourg and has two restaurants right around the corner from where we hung out. Talk about missed opportunities. The … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Luxembourg, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Potatoes, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Soups