All posts filed under: Monday Meal Review

Monday Meal Review: Botswana

With a few simple steps, our Botswana Global Table Adventure transformed minimal ingredients into a tasty feast. Although I struggled to get Keith to eat the spinach (spoiler: I won), the general consensus was that this was a great meal, worthy of any weeknight menu. Stewed Beef (Seswaa) [Recipe] What I liked most about this dish: I made Seswaa with a beautiful, fatty piece of chuck. As the marbling broke down, the stew’s flavor grew deeper and richer. I was amazed at how much meaty deliciousness came through this simple dish. I found myself smacking my lips and wanting more. Looking around, seemed like the family was in agreement. Since making Seswaa, I’ve been dreaming of ladling the meaty gravy over freshly baked biscuits. Oh man, that would be good. What I liked least about this dish: I know Seswaa isn’t much to look at, but the stew is just so tasty. Since there are few ingredients, Seswaa’s flavor depends on the cut of meat you get. Ideally, choose a fresh piece of well-marbled meat. …

Monday Meal Review: Bosnia and Herzegovina

This is meal #22 as I cook and eat food from all around the world. This weekend’s Global Table Adventure brought us to our knees. The incredible flavors of Bosnia and Herzegovina will suit those who enjoy the bright, bold flavors of Mediterranean and Eastern European foods. While nothing is incredibly complicated, the entire meal flows together like a happy love song. Chopped Salad (Sopska Salata) [Recipe] What I liked most about this dish: A refreshing accompaniment to grilled meat, Sopska Salata is a delightful summertime salad. There’s no denying it. Tomato, pepper, red onion, and feta were made to go together. I could eat this salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact, I did just that with the leftovers! Please tell me I’m not alone – surely someone else eats leftover salad for breakast? Someone? Anyone?! Anyway, you can add lettuce if you want to stretch this recipe to feed more people. What I liked least about this dish: I only have one regret – I could not use my own produce in this …

Monday Meal Review: Bolivia

This is meal #21/195 as we cook and eat our way around the world. Our Bolivian Global Table used in-season produce and simple, home-style cooking. My biggest challenge this week was getting what I needed from the store. I went 4 times and still had to borrow a half cup of frozen peas from my neighbor and friend. Thankfully she had some or I’d have to load Ava back into the car for yet another trip to the store. I don’t know for sure, but I’m willing to bet it was a full moon because on my walk home the bag of peas split open and I lost about half them. Thankfully, there were still enough for the recipe. Despite the shopping and cooking crazies, I eventually got the meal together. My taste buds were glad. My stomach was even gladder. Bolivian Avocado & Tomato Salad [Recipe] What I like most about this dish Tender, buttery avocado is one of my all-time favorites; fill one with juicy tomatoes and I don’t stand a chance. This …

Monday Meal Review: Bhutan

This is meal #20 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. Last week, during our Beninese Global Table, we were in the midst of expelling an evil kidney stone. I’m sad to say the misery continues. Poor Keith is a trooper, but he’s getting a little ansy to do something besides pain pills. I have high hopes that this week’s Bhutanese Global Table will get Keith’s Kidney Stone a-movin.’ All that spice and butter has to be good for something (besides tasty goodness). Keep your fingers crossed. Butter Grilled Poblanos [Recipe] What I like most about this dish: I love the mild heat of roasted poblanos in the summer, especially when the heat index is 105 (that’s Oklahoma for ya!). So what about poblanos stuffed with butter and grilled? To borrow an Oklahoman expression, I “might-could” marry one. After two simple minutes of prep, the forest green pepper takes on a rich, smoky flavor that goes well with just about anything. What’s better than that? Oh yeah. I …

Monday Meal Review: Benin

In my humble opinion, the highs and lows of life are equally worthy of a great meal. Highs are cause for pompous, celebratory food that leaps, dancing into your mouth, while lows beg for rich, fattening foods that slide in softly and ground you (and your belly). It is therefore fitting that this week of highs (seeing Anthony Bourdain live at the Tulsa PAC) and lows (a miserable husband with a giant kidney stone that just won’t pass) be acknowledged with a special feast. As chance would have it, Benin is perfectly suited to this split-personality of a week, with an interesting blend of celebratory food (crab and bananas in orange sauce) and rich food (pureed black-eyed peas and coconut rice). Enjoy! PS – I’m not sure what happened, but this week’s Global Table is in varying shades of cream and brown. Not very visually exciting, but the flavors were good all the same. Crabs from Benin (Crabe Beninoise) [Recipe] What I liked most about this dish Crab is a real treat, classy enough for any …

Monday Meal Review: Belize

I just did a big kitchen clean-up to get rid of the cluster of stuff I thought I had to have. One big item I got rid of was my bread machine. Although I use it all the time to mix and keep my dough warm, I have never once baked in it. Seems silly, really. I have a beautiful standing mixer that can mix bread dough just fine (even better, actually), so I’m taking my precious counter space back and tossing the bread machine! (giving it to a friend, actually) I’m generally a fan of the simple life. This Belizean saying underscores what happens when you try to “keep up with the Joneses” and the latest fashions: “Falla-fashin monkey cahn buy good soup guh dung a gully go eat dutty soup” Translation: “Follow-fashion monkey cannot buy good soup, so he goes down to the gully to eat dirty soup.” I’d much rather have good soup than dirty soup, so I guess I’ll never be a fashion monkey! Speaking of which, we had some mighty good …

Monday Meal Review: Belgium

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Please be safe and smart whilst celebrating … I like you and want you to stick around for a while longer 🙂 In the spirit of taking the holiday off, I’ll get to the point and jump right into the reviews. Enjoy! Vlaamse Asperges (White Asparagus a la Flammande) [Recipe] What I liked most about this dish: Vlaamse Asperges has three things going for it: the dish is elegant, the flavor is good, and there is next to no skill required to make it. This was my first time trying white asparagus and I was surprised to find them mildly sweet, with a slightly bitter undertone. Overally, I found the flavor to be remarkably less “asparagusy” than the green variety. If you struggle to get yourself or your family to like asparagus, white asparagus might be the way to go. Ever since I met my husband he’s claimed an innate hatred for hard boiled eggs. He even gagged once when I asked him try one to “prove it.” Little did he know the …

Monday Meal Review: Belarus

I cannot lie. Sure, I’ve tried. But I learned early on that lying is much more humiliating than the truth. No matter how bad the truth seems to be. Of course, not being able to lie has its distinct disadvantages. Like having to admit embarrassing things, like how I got stood up this week. No, not by my husband (he knows better than to do that – love the sweet man). Remember the lightening bolt of good fortune I had a few days ago? When I ran into a real, live Belorussian (at Dillard’s), the week I was cooking Belorussian? And I invited her to come show me her country’s cooking traditions? And she said yes, she’d be “happy to”? Yeah. That’s who stood me up. I wish I could tell you something much cooler. That she turned out to be a spy and was sent back to the motherland. How, on her way, she managed to send me a telegram (delivered by white doves) apologizing for missing our dinner date. Included with the telegram, of course, were …

Monday Meal Review: Barbados

5 a.m. The tornado sirens sound. I bolt up in bed and stare, bug-eyed out the window. The trees are sideways. Sideways. Side. Ways. Practically laying over, playing dead. “This is it. I’m going to die,” I mutter. My husband wakes up and groggily wanders out of the bedroom. I’m still frozen in bed. “Where are you going?” I whisper-yell, barely audible over the wailing wind and sirens. “I’m checking the weather on the computer,” he says. I can barely hear him. I run into the bathroom, hoping the shower stall will hold together, even if my paper house blows down. But I’m all alone and I feel silly. I stick my head out of the door. My husband is no where in sight. Again I whisper-yell, afraid of drawing the storms closer. “Come! Here!” Finally he comes, we turn on the radio and listen to the weatherman. We’re told the winds are 90 miles an hour. But even violent storms pass. After a few minutes the sirens wind down, the trees ascend to their …

Monday Meal Review: Bangladesh

Entertaining tip: If the food is going to be spicy, invite people who can take the heat! Sounds like a no-brainer, but little details like this are important. Not knowing your guests’ preferences can turn a great night into a total buzz-kill. “Oh, I didn’t know you don’t like spicy food!” “Oops, I had no idea you were allergic to shellfish.” “What do you mean, you are vegan!?” “What does kosher mean?” “Oh, you don’t approve of drinking alcohol with lunch?” See what I mean? Awkward, awkward, awkward. Bangladeshi food is intensely spicy both in heat and flavor. That’s why it was important to find a guest who could appreciate this. As a hostess it is so more much fun to watch people enjoy the experience you created for them, rather than “fake” enjoyment. Thankfully my husband and our friend Joe (from Joe’s Burger Search) enjoys sweating over their meals. Joe likes hot food so much that he actually makes his own habanero hot sauce in his kitchen, simultaneously creating a 15 foot wide cloud of homemade …

Monday Meal Review: Bahrain

This is meal #13 in my personal challenge to eat one meal for every country in the world. “Shrimp Balls?” my husband asked, frowning. “We’re having Shrimp Balls for dinner?” “Yeah. Like Meatballs. Only Shrimp. You’ll love them.” Technically I was lying since I never had a shrimp ball in my life, I wasn’t looking forward to trying them, and I wasn’t even sure why I decided to make them. I know. You’re wondering where my integrity is. I promise you, my heart is in the right place. Sometimes little white lies are necessary if I’m going to beat his Picky Eater Syndrome. Trust me. Still unsure? Well, let me tell you a secret. He was a big fan. He liked the shrimp balls more than I did. So there. Roasted Eggplant Dip (Uukkous Al-Badinjan) [Recipe] What I liked most about this dish: I’m in love. Really in love. As in… I’m never making baba ganoush again. As you know, I am a big fan of making food ahead so that I can enjoy the party. …

Monday Meal Review: Bahamas

This is meal # 12 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. Our Bahamian feast in a snapshot: An especially nerdy group of writers eating Bahamian food under the stars, vaguely lit by tealights, reading Hemingway to the crickets. I’ve always used the word nerdy as a compliment. To me, a nerd is a person who cares enough to delve deeply into a subject and really get to know it. Quite the opposite of superficial. So, as I was saying, this week I hosted a backyard Bahamian pot luck for my especially nerdy writer’s group. I’ve already told you how much I loved the pot luck we had for Australia. There’s something exciting about seeing what everyone will bring to share. This week was just as great. Here are the contributions: – A Bahamian inspired playlist on her iPod (who says people can’t bring music to a pot luck? What a great idea!) – Various wine – Fresh mango – Carrot cake with pineapple and other goodies tucked …