Global Table Adventure

Recipe: Mongolian Millet & Green Milk Tea (Suutei Tsai)

May 3, 2012 By Sasha Martin 2 Comments

If tea time in your home means sweet, sugary cups of deliciousness, think again. This week we're sipping on salty, milky green tea cooked with buttery toasted millet. This is one of the more elaborate versions of Suutei Tsai - a famous Mongolian drink enjoyed out on the cold steppes. Each sip tastes of milk and salt and cereal - but the drink also has a remarkable drying effect in the mouth, thanks to a healthy dose of naturally astringent green tea. This is absolutely the strangest tea I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Asia, Gluten Free Adaptable, Hot, Mongolia, Recipes, Technique Thursday, Vegetarian

Recipe: Pineapple Papaya Coco Sipper (with poll)

April 13, 2012 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

It took Micronesia to get me excited about a smoothie. Don't get me wrong - I love smoothies. After a while, though, they all taste the same. Until now. This smoothie blushes, straight from the easy, breezy islands. Why? Because out of the soft, sweet flavor of papaya and pineapple comes the daring zip of fresh lime juice. Adding lime juice to a smoothie may sound strange, but Micronesians know - this is like adding a hint of key lime pie to your drink. A bit of soprano … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Cold, Fruit, Fun Friday, Gluten Free Adaptable, Micronesia, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Oceania, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Strawberry Almond Horchata

April 6, 2012 By Sasha Martin 3 Comments

There should be a rule. Whenever the weather is sunny and fine, when it is hot enough to swim in the deep seas - you should absolutely swim. Even if you forgot your bathing suit. Likewise, if you are ever offered horchata - the famous Mexican summertime sipper - consider yourself lucky and drink, drink, drink. The freedom of swimming, no matter what - that's what I taste in this drink. This is a summer's worth of happy - chilled and served with a straw. You'll taste almond and rice milk. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Cold, Fruit, Fun Friday, Gluten Free Adaptable, Mexico, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, North America, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian

Recipe: Traditional North African Green Mint Tea

March 23, 2012 By Sasha Martin 15 Comments

Do you have a steady hand? Can you pour tea from several feet up without shaking, spilling, or missing entirely? If so, give me a call. We're going to need you. We've got some frothy tea to make. It's going to be fun. In fact, quite possibly the most fun I've had on this Adventure to eat the world is when we try new teas. The effort is minimal, yet the flavor impact is huge. Today is no exception. Not only did we buckle up to try the super sweet "Morroccan-style" green mint tea … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Alcohol-Free, Hot, Mauritania, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes

Recipe: Vanilla Ginger Bissap (with poll)

March 2, 2012 By Sasha Martin 10 Comments

Most days I drink three cups of tea. Sometimes more. Every day, at about the same time, I'm ready for my evening cup of deliciousness. Usually the sun has dipped below the horizon, lending a hazy glow to the darkening sky, and I desire little more than to sneak under a soft throw on the couch. With every sip I slip away. This is when I unwind. This is when I daydream. Even if I drink the same tea all day long, this cup tastes different. This cup is therapy. During these calm … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Alcohol-Free, Cold, Hot, Mali, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes

Recipe: Yummy Lomi Lomi (with poll)

February 24, 2012 By Sasha Martin 13 Comments

I almost can't believe how easy it is to chat with people from around the world now a days - to get to know each other - to learn from each other - to celebrate each other. To raise a glass to each other. Sometimes I get recipe ideas from books. Sometimes readers email me recipes. But today's recipe for "Lomi Lomi" comes from an altogether different place. And it sparkles like the ocean on a sunny day. Last week I knew nothing about this poolside sipper. In fact, had I not begun a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Asia, Cold, Fun Friday, Gluten Free Adaptable, Maldives, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetarian

Recipe: Burnt Rice Tea (Ranovola) w/ poll

February 2, 2012 By Sasha Martin 15 Comments

I can't believe I'm going to do this, but here we are: I'm going to show you how to burn rice. It's for a perfectly good cause: a cool, refreshing glass of ranovola, or burnt rice tea. This toasty-tasting drink is popular in Madagascar, where the bottom of the rice pot is reserved to flavor the local river water. It's super easy to do, as long as you don't burn the rice too fast. You have to do it just right. Ahem. Start with a cup of cooked rice spread on the bottom of a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Alcohol-Free, Cold, Madagascar, Recipes, Rice, Technique Thursday

Recipe: Lithuanian Honey Spirits (Krupnikas)

January 12, 2012 By Sasha Martin 30 Comments

The holidays are over. We stuffed our wrapping paper back into the closet and swept the confetti into the trash, right on top of the party hats that say 2012. The cookies and the friendly buffets of family favorites are long since gone, replaced by soulless detoxes and way-too-skinny drinks. I know some of us are even thinking about spring - scanning the frozen ground, vainly hoping to see some stray spot of green, willing a warm gust of air to come our way, instead of a moveable wall of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol, Cold, Europe, Lithuania, New Year's, Recipes, Technique Thursday