Global Table Adventure

Recipe: Pakistani Coffee with Cinnamon & Cardamom

August 17, 2012 By Sasha Martin 26 Comments

I'm not a sadist by any means, but I will take any chance I can get to make my sweet Mr Picky drink coffee. For years now, he has claimed to hate the stuff. I maintain that coffee simmered gently with milk and spices is not the same as the sludge served at the local gas station. I've tried making him Nauru's "Recycled" Iced Coffee (no luck), Arabian Cardamom Coffee (no luck), and even an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony, complete with popcorn (he exhibited mild curiosity but only ate the popcorn). … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Asia, Gluten Free Adaptable, Hot, Pakistan, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetarian

Recipe: Rosewater Lemonade

August 12, 2012 By Sasha Martin 2 Comments

For some, the season of flip flops is over, now replaced by the steady clickety-clack of school shoes on polished linoleum. For others, school is nothing more than a faint memory, farther yet than the setting sun's shimmering rays upon which our dreams cling. Either way, Rosewater Lemonade will put a smile where you need it most. For the back-to-schoolers, this drink represents everything easy-breezy; a way to go global, even in the midst of lost backpacks, homework, and forgotten lunches. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Asia, Cold, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Oman, Potluck Friendly, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Nigerian Chapman Cocktail

July 27, 2012 By Sasha Martin 5 Comments

There are four things I love to do in the summer. 1. Flit around pools, lakes, and oceans until my fingers wrinkle and warp. 2. Make mud pies and bake them in the Oklahoma sun. 3. Kiss my husband at the drive-in movie theater. 4. Dance like no one is watching. When that's all done, I like a good, sweet sipper and a shady spot to drink it down. Thankfully, I just learned about Chapman - a bright, bubbly festival for your mouth. This is a Nigerian drink made for parties - supposedly … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Alcohol, Alcohol-Free, Cold, Fun Friday, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Nigeria, Potluck Friendly, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: North African Sage n’ Green Tea

July 20, 2012 By Sasha Martin 7 Comments

There are a few ways to keep cool in hot weather. In the west, we wear shorts, drink cold drinks, and blast the A/C. In Niger, they use a completely different set of tricks. The polar opposite, in fact. For starers, they cover up. Believe it or not, wearing long layers made of lightweight cotton keeps the sun's hot rays off your skin. The flowing movement of the fabric acts like natural air conditioning. The elephants accomplish the same thing by dusting themselves with dirt. Not quite … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Alcohol-Free, Gluten Free Adaptable, Hot, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Niger, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Pineapple Horchata

July 13, 2012 By Sasha Martin 7 Comments

This summer I've seen almost everything. Laughter in sad moments. Tears in happy moments. Life is a bumble-all-over-the place, as it should be when temperatures screech up into the 100's. What I haven't seen? Purple-feathered dancing ladies. This Pineapple Horchata is certainly the closest I'll get to this sort of carnival fun. And every summer should have a little carnival fun, don't you think? The recipe is a cooked horchata (homemade rice drink), different from the amazing no-cook … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Cold, Fun Friday, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Nicaragua, North America, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: Nauru’s “Recycled” Iced Coffee (with poll)

June 21, 2012 By Sasha Martin 14 Comments

Iced coffee doesn't sound very exotic until you realize that it isn't so much the coffee that is totally Nauru, but how they drink it. If you pull up to a roadside shack and order an iced coffee you won't have to ... ... say tall, venti, or grande ... worry about what syrups, double whips, or skinnies you need to specify ... spend half a fortune, before tax You will, however have a choice of ... ... sugar or more sugar ... milk or more milk ... and, of course, whether you'd like your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol-Free, Cold, Fun Friday, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Nauru, Oceania, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetarian

Recipe: Swahili Ginger n’ Milk Tea

May 27, 2012 By Sasha Martin 15 Comments

Whether the sun is blistering or the snow is falling, Mozambique has the answer for you. Ginger - crazy ginger tea. The beauty of this drink is in the simplicity. There's no long list of spices, as with Indian Chai (although, goodness do I love and adore a good cup of Chai). It's purer than that. Every mug gently cradles steeped black tea and fresh grated ginger, topped off with creamy milk and sweet spoonfuls of sugar. It's a little bit spicy and a whole lot of comfort. Served cold, this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Alcohol-Free, Cold, Gluten Free Adaptable, Hot, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mozambique, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetarian

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, International Recipes, Mongolia, Technique Thursday, Vegetarian