Author: Sasha Martin

About the food of Malta

Today I’d love to be in tiny Malta (she’s 122 square miles small). I’d like to bask on a rock in the Mediterranean sun, listen to the crashing waves, and daydream until I smell dinner. And what a dinner it would be… think Italian. Think French. Arabic. Pasta and red sauce. Artichokes. Olives and capers. Rabbit stewed in wine. Fish swimming in soup. The fresh salty air would whet my appetite. And boy would I eat. The flavors are bold and the feelings are bolder. My heritage has taught me that Italians are full of passion and simplicity. I get the same feeling from the Maltese. This is a culture that whips up beautiful, hearty food without muss or fuss. The company is what matters, after all. For a snack, they even enjoy spreading Maltese bread (a nice crusty slightly sour loaf is a good option) with nothing more than tomato paste – talk about simple! If you’re feeling extra fancy, add anchovies, capers, and a drizzle of olive oil. Another simple dish is the Bigilla, …

Monday Meal Review: Mali

THE SCENE I drop the Maasa batter into the hot pan, wiping the tears from my cheeks. I want to be somewhere else, away from this terrible, no good day. It’s been one of those days I sigh to the cat, Malky. Now, as the batter puffs up into a crispy, golden disc, my focus slowly shifts from my frustrations to the smells and sights in front of me. My mouth waters. My stomach does a summersault. I flip the Maasa and realize these pancake-donut treats were going to be g-o-o-d. My phone rings. I wait. I hesitate. I shouldn’t answer. But I do. Another silly argument about the same old drama. Predictably, the tears come back. As I lose focus, I burn the Maasa. A few minutes later I hang up the phone and sigh. If I can’t create peace in my own, tiny life, how can I expect it for the entire world? I flip the vent hood on. I scrape the pan. Time to start again. This time I won’t answer the phone. There’s nothing …

Vanilla Ginger Bissap

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 evenings, I almost always want hot tea although sometimes – in the sweaty heat of Oklahoma summers, I crave a tall glass of cold tea outside, in the warm evening breeze. Today’s recipe for bissap enjoyed in Mali (and west Africa in general), easily satisfies both those cravings. Whether hot or cold, the flavor is bright, fruity, with a punch of ginger smoothed out by a slinky splash of vanilla. We’ve made pineapple bissap before, but today’s recipe is a totally different experience – softer, more …

Mali’s Gluten-free “Pancake Doughnuts” | Maasa

Sometimes waking up to pancakes just isn’t enough. Sometimes I want to travel to Africa all in a single morning – all the way to Timbuktu – and be home in time to take my daughter to the park. And then I want a doughnut. Is that too much to ask? I think not. Enter our hero – today’s recipe for the eager stovetop traveler – Maasa. Maasa is a special gift for our gluten-free stovetop travelers. (Hi, there. I hope you are hungry!) Every once in a while I happen upon a recipe that is naturally gluten-free. First, there were the quesadillas from El Salvador (super yum and award-winning, by the way). This week we’re going gluten-free with Maasa – a sweet treat from Mali made with rice flour and millet flour, the two most common grains in the region. Maasa is served fresh from roadside stands, hot from shimmering oil and blanketed in a cozy layer of powdered sugar. One bite in, and you’ll see why I couldn’t settle on a name; this is a yeasty, …

Menu: Mali

Question: What does Supergirl, a tea party, and gluten free food all have in common? They all make an appearance during this week’s Malian Global Table. That’s pretty epic. And oddball. The perfect combination, if you ask me. I kept things simple this week, as I’m still recovering from last week’s surprise birthday celebration for my mom. What sounds good to you? Recipe: Mali’s Gluten-free “Pancake Donuts” (Maasa) [Recipe] Made with millet and rice flours and topped with a flurry of powdered sugar, this addictive snack comes from Mali’s street vendors. To be honest, I couldn’t decide what to call it. I finally settled on Pancake Donuts. I don’t know what else to say. The name speaks for itself. Mega. Vanilla Ginger Bissap [Recipe] Hibiscus tea with smooth vanilla undertones and a bit of snap from fresh, grated ginger. Sweetened to taste, this will take you to your happy place. *All recipes and the meal review will be posted by Monday morning.

About the food of Mali

Mali is a dusty daydream away, down a lazy river, where dotted villages slip by, one by one, until forever. Of course, my first encounter with Mali wasn’t nearly so romantic, once I dug into the details. You see, I was watching a video on YouTube. When I read the caption I about fell over. Here is what it said: “This footage was taken on a 3 day trip from Mopti to Timbuktu on a cargo pinasse. No stopping. No toilets. No beds. You should try it.” Wowzers. Talk about a challenge, considering there’s a half dozen other people on the boat (at least). No privacy and incredibly unusual circumstances – there seems to be an open fire in the bottom of the boat, where fufu is being prepared over gently undulating pools of water. Quite the travel experience. Located in the heart of West Africa, straddling the meandering Niger River, Mali has very different food in the north as compared to the south. In both areas, a wide assortment of sauces are the staple …

Monday Meal Review: Maldives

THE SCENE I’m not sure words can really do this past week justice. So I’m going to give you a visual presentation of my mother’s surprise birthday weekend in Florida, which just so happened to coincide with the week we ate sunny, tropical Maldives. First, of course, there was the surprise. And, boy, howdy. Mom sure was surprised. She knew she was flying in from Boston to visit her son Keith, but she had no idea her three other children would be there (including me), plus three grandchildren (including Ava). We came from Oklahoma, my brother Chris came from Virginia, and my sister Elisa and children (Amanda and Donovan) came from New Jersey. I thought she might fall over from the shock. And she almost did. Thankfully, she quickly recovered and we all had a really nice week in Florida. We ate our meal, which of course meant Mr Picky filmed it. Eating the whole fish was quite the topic of discussion. Especially one particular eyeball, which my nephew almost ate. While it eventually went untouched, …

Maldivian Sliced Custard | Bis Haluvaa

Let’s capture sunlight in a pan… and pretend it’s all the way from Maldives. You only need three ingredients: ghee, sweetened condensed milk, and eggs. A pinch of salt is nice, if you’re feeling adventurous. Whisk the eggs and condensed milk together… and cook over a double boiler until very hot and thickened. This will take several minutes (about 15-20 for me). Melt in the ghee and continue whisking until thick and pulling away from the sides of the pan and resembles mashed potatoes or thick polenta. This can take a while (45 minutes for me), so make sure you have a glass of wine, or a bubbly spritzer to keep you occupied as your arms develop muscles you never knew you had. Don’t rush it or the custard won’t set enough to slice. Now is a good time to mention an important note: I tried to do cook this custard without a double boiler – I’m usually very good at this… but I was on my brother’s stove and because it was electric I …

Lomi Lomi

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 conversation with the Four Seasons Maldives on twitter, @FSMaldives), I would not be sharing it with you today. Lomi Lomi is snowy and tropical, sweet and tart, spicy and refreshing. Since it only contains three ingredients, the drink comes together very quickly. I am still in shock that hotel staff was able to suggest this drink to me from halfway around the world, and tell me how to make it … in less than 144 characters. When you can tweet a recipe, …

Roasted Whole Fish from the Maldives | Fihunu Mas

You should have seen my brother’s face when I told him we were going to make whole fish for our Maldivian Global Table. His eyes about popped out of his head. In fact, my entire family – both brothers, my sister, mom, niece and nephew – was wary of the idea. While eating the whole fish is rare in the United States, we knew from experience that our family was in for a treat. We ate this meal in Florida, as part of a celebration of my mom’s surprise 70th birthday, so I had a bounty of fresh, beautiful fish at my fingertips. Nothing had been previously frozen – it was glorious. I chose two large, bright-eyed grouper (almost $40 each) and began the process. I whipped together the marinade in my brother’s blender. Typically, locals mix together a combination of hot chili peppers, spices, and aromatics. In a fit of inspiration, I added the coconut milk as most every recipe in Maldives contains some form of coconut. The end result is a very moist sauce which gives …

Menu: Maldives

My mother’s surprise 70th birthday party has been in the works since this fall, maybe even as early as this summer. Well, it finally happened … and thank goodness because none of us could stand to keep the secret one second longer. We all flew to Florida, at my brother’s house. There was cake. There were cookies. And, under the palm trees, there was a spread from Maldives. All week I felt as though I was in the real place, soaking up the sun, sand between my toes, and smiling all the way from sunset to sunset. Stovetop travel has never felt so real. What sounds good to you? Fihunu Mas [Recipe] Fresh whole fish rubbed in a blend of coconut milk, chilies, curry leaves, onion, cumin and chili powder. The fish is then roasted on the grill or in the oven until moist and flaky on the inside, and crusty-good on the outside. Maldivian Sliced Custard [Recipe] Just three ingredients make this sweet treat: eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and ghee. Lomi Lomi [Recipe] Sip your way to the …

About the food of Maldives

The Republic of Maldives is a sunbathed group of islands southwest of India, dotted along the Indian ocean. Fish – specifically tuna – coconut, rice, and fresh fruit are the most popular tidbits from the region. Want some dried, crusty fish? They have it! Maldives Fish is a regional specialty of boiled tuna which is then sun-dried until rock hard. This sort of fish is often pounded and then integrated into coconut fish balls, curries, and sauces. Other fish, as well as with most meats, are most often enjoyed grilled or served in curry. Especially whole [Recipe]. On the side, you might find a spicy bowl of sambol – a popular hot sauce – or flatbreads, seasoned with coconut or onion. For dessert, locals cozy up to a bowl of juicy, fresh mango or papaya, rich custards [Recipe] made with condensed milk, and coconut sweets. Following British tradition, from colonial days, tea is served, as well as local specialties like Lomi Lomi made with ginger, palm sugar, citrus juice [Recipe], or even milk based drinks, as found in …