All posts filed under: Menus

Menu: Solomon Islands

When wind, ice rain, and snow blast our home, I shut my eyes and escape to Solomon Islands for a little imagination vacation. It doesn’t become real, though, until I try the food. What I find, more than anything else, is that the traditional food relies heavily on that which can grow on the islands. This is limited to staples like coconut, papaya, taro, sweet potatoes, and cassava. There would have been a time when 80% of these ingredients would have scared me off. Not because there’s anything wrong with them,* but because I would have no idea what to do with them. Heck. I wouldn’t have even known what they were. But, this is our 160th country. After this week, there’s only 36 weeks left. I’m not scared any more. I’m excited. Curious. Open. So here’s what we made. All recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. PawPaw Curry [Recipe] Take green papaya (a.k.a. not ripe) and cook it down with sweet onion, coconut milk, and a blast of homemade curry powder. …

Menu: Slovenia

“Pray for a good harvest, but keep on hoeing.” – Slovenian Proverb This old Slovenian proverb teaches a clear lesson: it is the work we put into life that ultimately leads to the “good harvest.” We must roll up our sleeves and put in the hard hours and back breaking labor. There’s simply no escaping it. Case in point: Slovenia is known for her comforting food, seemingly plucked straight from the countryside, but much goes into the effort, whether it be the extra fancy, ornate Pleteno Srce bread, or the slowly simmered soup. There’s love, finesse, and more than a bit of decor in each. Even with spring right on the edge of the horizon, we can’t be sure when the warm times will come. So… let’s stay cozy with Slovenia until winter finally breaks for the year. And let’s keep on hoeing. *All recipes and meal review will be available throughout the week. Bean n’ Barley Soup | Ričet [Recipe] If you’re wondering how Slovenians spend a cold winter’s afternoon, Ričet is the answer. Imagine a …

Menu: Slovakia

This week is a culinary jackpot: a frugal collection of recipes, good for using up bread, beans, and bacon fat. While I had no idea Slovakia would be this enticing, Keith said “just looking at the ingredients on the counter, I knew I’d be happy.” And speaking of happy, I thought I’d share a great Slovakian quote about happiness… “He’s so pleased, he keeps getting younger.”* I love it.. although I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure what it means… All recipes and posts will be shared throughout the week. Grilled Garlicky Bacon Bread | Hrianka [Recipe] This is quite possibly the most amazing recipe in the course of this blog. Thick slices of bread griddled in bacon drippings, then rubbed with raw garlic. Easy. Smart. Bacony. Hello, friend. Slovak Sour Bean Soup [Recipe] This is stick-to-your-ribs comfort, as good as any creamy potato soup the world around… but with it’s own regional twist: a splash of vinegar and a swirl of sour cream. Inside you’ll also find beans and bacon. Win. Win. Quick Blueberry Bublanina [Recipe] The …

Menu: Singapore

“Where there is a sea, there are pirates.” Proverb from Singapore The funny thing about cooking food from a food lover’s paradise, like Singapore, is that I expected the food to be complicated, full of obscure steps and hair-pulling finesse. Food pirates, so to speak. But there wasn’t one in sight. Perhaps Singapore is a food lover’s paradise in every sense, even for the cooks, because this menu is not only simple, but benefits from just a few odd or more involved steps (like dipping a hot chicken in ice water, and stirring the coconut kaya often, so it doesn’t lump up). Easy, breezy, so we can get down to enjoying our dinner. All recipes and the meal review will be posted throughout the week. Chicken Rice [Recipe] You can’t go to Singapore without trying Chicken Rice, or so says Anthony Bourdain. This simple chicken dish is served with ginger, garlic, and shallot infused rice, then slurried all over with dark soy sauce, sesame oil, cilantro, green onion, and chili sauce. Singapore Chili Sauce [Recipe] …

Menu: Sierra Leone (& Giveaway)

Next time you see someone doing or experiencing something especially grand (or perhaps even showing off a bit), say with wide eyes: “The salt has climbed the hill.” It’s the way people in Sierra Leone express amazement over something they weren’t quite expecting. Like how we had two days in the 70’s in January. Totally unexpected. Or when I found out I’d secured a book deal with National Geographic. The salt and the pepper both climbed the hill on that one. As for this menu? She’s plain and simple, but full of rich, comforting flavors, perfect for hot or cold weather, so no need to watch the radar. The recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. Beef, Okra & Eggplant Stew [Recipe] Bits of unctious beef in a thick, veggie-loaded sauce, bragging an entire eggplant, okra, tomatoes, and onion. Perfect ladled over a bowl of rice. West African Peanut Bites | Kanya [Recipe] Just three ingredients make up these peanut bites: peanuts, sugar, and rice flour. The perfect Valentine’s Gift for the vegan, gluten-free …

Menu: Seychelles (& giveaway)

Mr Picky flew to Washington D.C. for work, so Ava and I are spending this week “mother-daughter” style. We’ve already made banana muffins, hot cocoa (Guatemalan-style), and stuffed artichokes (my mother’s recipe from Italy). And there’s the coconuts. Coconut milk. Shredded coconut. Toasted coconut. We’re surrounded, thanks to our stovetop travels to the Seychelles. While we ate this particular menu before Keith left, I’m considering recreating it one more time since I still have plenty of Massalé left over, and Ava’s on a real kick with fish. At the very least, I’m going to add the spice mix to some lentils. You’ll love the fish for an impressive, but super quick weeknight dinner (just whip up the spice blend ahead of time), and the tart is a real crowd pleaser, especially when served with a traditional cup of lemongrasss tea. So join us, we’re having a spiced, whipped, and banana topped kind of week. All recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. Coconut Fish Curry | Cari de Poisson [Recipe] The catch of the day gently simmered in …

Menu: Serbia

This week I’m on the hunt to create a little balance in this, our freshly pressed New Year. I found exactly what I was looking for in Serbia. Our menu is equal parts comfort and nutrition, capped off with a ridiculously indulgent dessert. (Do I need to defend that choice?) In other news, I have huge, exciting, mega things going on that will affect our family (and potentially yours). I leaked a bit about it on our Facebook Page. More details as they come. For now, thank you for believing in this Adventure. From the bottom of my heart. All recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. Serbian-style Potato Musaka [Recipe] Home-style goodness: potatoes layered with ground pork and a creamy yogurt and egg mixture. If it were up to my husband, this would be his entire dinner. Every night. Serbian Salad [Recipe] This cucumber, tomato, pepper, and onion salad is as simple as it is refreshing. The key is to top off your veggie mountain with a snowfall of cheese, preferably feta. …

Menu: Senegal (& Giveaway)

Those of you who have read this blog before know my refrain “We create peace when we learn about each other, when we understand one another.” To be clear, learning is not the same as understanding, but to understand we must learn. And we can do this through food. And so here we are. Well, today I found a very similar saying from Senegal: “In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we are taught.” The beauty of these words is in their simplicity. To conserve is to protect. Yes, our environment. But also each other. We must find our way to love through learning, friends. This week, by learning about Senegal, we’re coming closer to love. To peace. To conserving each other and our beautiful cultures. Let’s do it. All recipes and the meal review will be posted throughout the week. Senegalese Salad [Recipe] It’s not too late to bring in the New Year right. Try this lime squeezed black-eyed peas salad tossed with …

Menu: Saudi Arabia (with Giveaway)

Saudi Arabia is all about love of family and strong relationships. That’s why this week at the Global Table is all about party food. Not crazy, New Year’s Eve party nibbles (been there, done that), but goodies that will pull family and friends together around the table (or, as the case may be, the floor mat). These bites make a festival out of even the most ordinary day (I know because we enjoyed their bright flavor in the No Man’s land between Christmas and New Year’s with my dear friend Becky and her mama). So go on, invite some friends over and create an afternoon filled with animated, laughter-filled, buoyant spirits. And when the fun is done, sit back and smile. Saudi Lamb “Pizza” | Aysh abu Laham [Recipe] A hearty round of fennel and black caraway infused flatbread, topped with lamb, green onion and a lemon garlic tahini sauce. Phew. Sounds weird. Tastes amazing. Sweet Semolina Cake with Lemon & Rosewater | Basboosa [Recipe] A sweet, incredibly moist semolina cake perfumed with lemon and rosewater, topped with almonds. …

Menu: São Tomé and Príncipe (with Giveaway)

Ava’s never been a big fan of bananas, but when I told her we were eating mousse for dessert this week, she giggled. Loud. Like a startled bird. The holidays are in full swing; her three year-old brain clearly imagined something like this… Thankfully, moose is not an option in São Tomé and Príncipe, but mousse is. And so, without further ado, I’d like to share our menu. Each item has been selected with the holiday crazies in mind: they require few ingredients and come together in a flash. The inspiration remains firmly Santomean, as locals prefer to eat simply. The sweet potato frittata is my new go-to, the Feijoada will warm your bones, and the mousse? Well… it’s mousse. That’s all anyone really needs, besides love. Unless you also need a moose. With antlers. All recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. Sweet Potato Frittata [Recipe] Need a great brunch idea for the holidays? This healthy & hearty frittata (yes, that’s possible) only has four ingredients and comes together in a snap. The best part? You …

Menu: San Marino (with Giveaway)

Here’s something you might not have known: Abraham Lincoln was made an honorary citizen of San Marino in 1861. This made him happy, as he believed that San Marino demonstrated how a “government founded on republican principles is capable of being so administered as to be secure and enduring.” (Read the whole letter) What he doesn’t mention in his letter to his “Great and Good Friends” is their food, likely because he never had the opportunity to sample it. Personally I believe that any “secure and enduring country” has to have great food. Thankfully, San Marino delivers like a champ in this department. This menu is a little like cooking Italy all over again (northeast Italy, anyway)… but with a flair distinctly Sanmarinese. Each bite of this menu is comforting, rich, and perfect for the curious stovetop traveler on a wintertime journey through the rugged mountains. You’ll notice a lot of milk, from the bechamel to the pork roast, as well as typical ingredients like polenta, honey, and dried figs. Consider serving this menu with some …

Menu: Samoa (Plus Giveaway)

“E tuai tuai, ta te maʻona ai.” This Samoan proverb states that food which takes a long time in the oven will be satisfying. It’s the equivalent of “good things come to those who wait.” You see, much of Samoan dinners were traditionally cooked in underground ovens made with hot stones and covered with dirt and leaves. My mom said that was just about all there was in the late 70’s. Today, electricity takes much of the guesswork out of when dinner will be done but there’s still satisfaction in enjoying traditional favorites. For our menu, I went with yet another festive holiday spread. Bring that Palusami to your next holiday potluck. As for the rice and the puligi? Yes, yes. Definitely. Special thanks to Soraya, a lovely Samoan friend of Brian (longtime reader who always leaves the neat musical selections). She was kind enough to message with me about all kinds of good, traditional eats (especially the Palusami). All recipes and meal review will be posted throughout the week. Coconut Creamed “Spinach” | Palusami …