Global Table Adventure | Mr. Picky’s Favorite Recipes

Recipe: Churros with Cinnamon Sugar

March 24, 2013 By Sasha Martin 11 Comments

Much to my husband's dismay, I am not well acquainted with deep-fried desserts. There is one exception: the apple cider doughnuts mom made when I was little. She'd set up a giant pot of bubbling oil and we'd cut and drop discs of cider dough into the shimmering oil, waiting with glee until tiny donuts bobbed up to the surface, golden brown and irresistible. Then we rolled the puffy rounds in cinnamon sugar. But then... this week... Spain introduced me to Churros... and the words "deep … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breakfast, Europe, Finger Food, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Spain, Sweets, Vegetarian

Recipe: Sangria

March 22, 2013 By Sasha Martin 15 Comments

About five years ago Sangria was my go-to drink. A sweet, chilled glass served as my weekend wind-down and my mid-week pick-me-up. I sipped the ruby red goodness with friends... and it brought us joy, whether we were laughing or crying. Sangria became such a standby, I even served it at our engagement party in 2007. P.S. Look how glamorous (and eerie) our engagement photo was (Thanks to my amazing friend Rebekah Shannon!) ... this feels like a lifetime ago... and I suppose it is, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Alcohol, Cold, Drinks, Europe, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Spain

Recipe: South Africa’s Yellow Rice | Geelrys

March 17, 2013 By Sasha Martin 6 Comments

During the week, I'm always looking for a way to get beyond ordinary b-b-boring boiled rice. Hello. Cue our friends of South Africa... they have the answer with "Geelrys," which literally translates to "yellow rice." Imagine a pot of turmeric and raisin bejeweled rice... a simple side dish as flavorful as it is gorgeous. Geelrys tastes like a sunrise on the most beautiful morning of your life. Or, like happy a hug from a good friend. Or, maybe it just tastes like … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Rice, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, South Africa, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: South Africa’s Bobotie

March 13, 2013 By Sasha Martin 15 Comments

Are you ready for a big bite of everything, ever? South Africa's Bobotie (ba-boor-tea) reminds me of when I was a little girl, playing in the kitchen next to mom. I'd dump every possible ingredient into my little inventions, hoping they'd come out amazing. While chopped apples and pickles didn't pan out when I was a kid, bobotie most decidedly does. But don't worry - there's no apple or pickle in it. So what is in it? Some people call Bobotie South African Moussaka, but I'm … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Gluten Free Adaptable, International Recipes, Meat, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, South Africa, Technique Thursday

Recipe: Beef Suqaar

March 7, 2013 By Sasha Martin 10 Comments

Sometimes we need a meal that can fill every corner of our heart, one that can bump out those rough and tumble emotions that bog us down... the ones that keep us from being happy. Carefree. Enter Suqaar, from Somalia. Suqaar (pronounced sooh-car) is one of Somalia's most beloved dishes and can be made with any meat, from lamb, to chicken, to beef. Generally the meat is cut into very small pieces, about 1/2" cube or smaller. The meal is then rounded out with an assortment of veggies … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, International Recipes, Meat, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Somalia, Technique Thursday

Recipe: Bean n’ Barley Soup | Ričet

February 22, 2013 By Sasha Martin 8 Comments

Slovenia is known for her soups - each bite captures the taste of the earth and sky, rolling hills and grand mountains. They are the answer to frosted windows, the worst sort of bone-chill, and that scratchy feeling in the back of the throat. Slovenian soup is the sunshine to your snowy day. Today, in particular, we explore Ričet, one of the more beloved soups found throughout Slovenia. She's made with barley, a soft, earthy grain that reminds me faintly of pasta, but chewier … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Fun Friday, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Slovenia, Soups, Vegetables/Pulses

Recipe: Braided Heart Bread | Pleteno Srce

February 21, 2013 By Sasha Martin 22 Comments

We are closing in on spring ... that special time of year, when weddings and baby showers sprinkle our calendars, and everything is awash in the promise of new love. In Slovenia, such times are marked with Pleteno Scre - an ornamental, braided, tender loaf of bread, shaped into a heart. Pleteno Scre is an honored gift. The slightly sweet loaves are painstakingly decorated with edible tokens, like wedding rings and flowers (as I have done), or even astonishingly detailed birds, or paper thin … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breads, Europe, International Recipes, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Potluck Friendly, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Slovenia, Technique Thursday, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian

Recipe: Grilled Garlicky Bacon Bread | Hrianka

February 15, 2013 By Sasha Martin 2 Comments

"Better to eat bread in peace, than cake amidst turmoil." - Slovak Proverb Oh, Slovakia. My husband has been woo'd, my daughter smitten. As for me, I'm in love. No, it's not because of Valentine's Day. It's because of Bacon. Garlic. Oh, and a nice, thick slice of Sourdough Rye Bread. Yes... Slovakia really did us in when it comes to Hrianka. At her most basic, Hrianka is plain toast rubbed with garlic. At her most beautiful, she's a collection of hearty slices griddled … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breads, Europe, Fun Friday, International Recipes, Meat, Miss Ava's Favorite Recipes, Mr. Picky's Favorite Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Slovakia