Global Table Adventure

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: 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: Rice Pudding (Sutlijash)

January 29, 2012 By Sasha Martin 5 Comments

Looking back, I'm not sure how I resisted for so long. Honestly. We're more that halfway done eating the world and, yet, I haven't made regular ol', plain Jane, rice pudding (something altogether different than the exotic sticky rice coconut pudding I made for Laos). I find this fact is so surprising because, whenever I crack open my cookbooks to research the food of another country, I run into rice pudding. Rice pudding iseverywhere, on every continent, in all forms. Since globalization … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Macedonia, Recipes, Rice, Sweets, 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: Wooden Spoon Applesauce (with poll)

January 6, 2012 By Sasha Martin 19 Comments

Sometimes I buy fruit and it just... sits there. Life takes over. I go for hikes, I play catch with my daughter, I eat the candy from my stocking, and... before I know it, I just forget to eat them. I do this a lot with apples because they last so long and are so forgiving. Eventually, the time comes when they lose a bit of shine and a few bruises pop up. If this should happen to you, applesauce is the way to go. I didn't realize how easy it would be to make until I did it this week. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Europe, Fruit, Fun Friday, Gluten Free Adaptable, Liechtenstein, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Sauces & Dressings, Vegan, Vegetarian

Recipe: A Cake for 3 Kings (Dreikönigskuchen)

January 5, 2012 By Sasha Martin 14 Comments

Epiphany. People use the word to say they had a great idea. Like the proverbial lightbulb going off over one's head. But we're not going to eat lighbulbs today. Nope. Epiphany is the time of year that Liechtenstein, as well as many other countries around the world, celebrate "little Christmas." This national holiday is celebrated on January 6 and is a nod to the late arrival of the 3 kings to the very first Christmas party... afterall, they did hike quite a ways to get to Bethlehem. Calling … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breads, Christmas, Europe, Liechtenstein, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Sweets, Technique Thursday, Vegetarian

Recipe: Whipped Ghee Shortbread Cookies (Ghraiba)

January 1, 2012 By Sasha Martin 3 Comments

Every day should be special. A day to use fancy napkins. A day to nibble cookies with tea. A day to smile more than you did the entire year before. This cookie is for such a day. Say hello to the ghraiba, or Libya's answer to crispy, buttery shortbread. They aren't super sweet, but they have a tender crumb, perfect for teatime. Two things make these cookies unique. First, they are made with ghee, a.k.a. cooked, clarified butter. Second, they are studded with whole cloves, which can be eaten … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Christmas, Libya, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sweets

Recipe: Snuggly Warm Mango and Cloves (w/ poll)

December 16, 2011 By Sasha Martin 6 Comments

Welcome to my weakness. The mango. If you've been paying attention, you may have noticed I make a lot of recipes with this heavenly fruit. Quite possibly I've made more mango recipes than anything else. Everything about the mango is perfect. Sweet. Golden. Juicy. And, right now, totally in season. So, go find one (or five hundred). Rain or shine. Market in Liberia. Photo by Kipp Jones. In Liberia they like to chop them up and cook them with cloves. About four cloves will give the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Africa, Fruit, Fun Friday, Liberia, Potluck Friendly, Recipes, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian