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Monday Meal Review: Czech Republic

“Mraaaoooowwww.” Kitty Cat shrieked. I flew backwards, arms in the air, desperately trying to keep the tray of Koblaneskys upright. The steaming buns, filled with spicy keilbasa, slid from one side of the tray to the other. Tripped up on his “always in the way” tail, I lunged and twisted, straining my back – not so much to avoid falling, as to avoid dropping the food. “Please, no, please no…” I prayed. I landed up against the counter, with the tray barely balanced. “Keiiiiiith!!!” I growled “I don’t. want. this. cat. in the kitchen.” I set the tray down and pushed the hair out of my eyes. “I told you.” Mr Picky whispered to the cat, scooping him up. “Out you go!” he said and delivered him to the cold winter day. I straightened up and glanced at the clock. Fifteen more minutes. Time to wrap things up. I spun on my heels and grabbed a few serving pieces. Pretty dishes clinked and clanked as I layered them on the table, making a festive “help yourself” arrangement. …

On being picky and learning to eat globally: Clifford A. Wright

Right out of college I bought a cookbook with a really, really long name. Today the spine is cracked from years of use and comfy-chair reading. I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite things to do is “read” cookbooks – especially ones filled with good stories. The much cherished book even won the James Beard/KitchenAid Cookbook of the Year award and the James Beard Award for the Best Writing on Food in 2000. It is called… A Mediterranean Feast: The Story of the Birth of the Celebrated Cuisines of the Mediterranean from the Merchants of Venice to the Barbary Corsairs, with More than 500 recipes Whew. Like I said, long name. Since that time Clifford’s published many books including The Best Soups in the World. Hello, what a perfect resource for this Adventure! This man is talented – and I would love for all of you to get to know his work. So. I interviewed him. Hurrah! Hello, Clifford.. thanks for joining us! 1. What advice to you have for someone just learning to cook …

About the food of the Czech Republic

There’s only one reason to go outside when temperatures drop below freezing: to enjoy the thrill of hot food thawing you out when you come home. Otherwise, I vote for staying in bed all day, snuggled under a comforter, watching chick flicks… or dude flicks (do they even make those?). Thankfully, the Czech Republic has many wonderful foods for bitterly cold winter days. This means that I’ll be able to leave the house this week. Hurrah! The Czech Republic is in eastern Europe where summers are hot and winters are c-c-c-cold. The nation consumes dishes loaded with all manner of potatoes and cabbage, as well as stews and roasts. Think rugged, down-home cooking. Typical of many eastern European countries, the Czech Republic uses sour cream as a thickener, dipper, topper.. you name it, sour cream is in it. They also enjoy caraway seed and dill as principal seasoning agents. You won’t believe it (I almost don’t believe it), but I dug up a dish that includes more than half of these ingredients: Potato & Pickle Soup …

Monday Meal Review: Cyprus

Sick babies are the worst. Poor miss Ava came down with croup not long after we cooked Cyprus (purely coincidental, mind you). But… croup… gah! If you don’t know, croup is a nightmare of epic proportions. Here’s how it works: in the still of the night, babies who seem a little sick, suddenly wake up really, really sick. With violent coughing fits. And I don’t mean just any cough. You’ll think a nasty poltergeist – or a barking seal – has taken over your sweet baby. You will not be able to believe such a sound could come from your child. Your heart will break into a million pieces, with each cough… over and over again. And, – as if the coughing isn’t bad enough – nature adds in a desperate wheezing, gasping sound with each breath. Eventually (after surrounding them with steam, or taking them outside into the cold night air, or rubbing Eucalyptus oil on their chests), the baby falls back asleep. Then, you – the frantic parent – spend the night standing …

Soapy, Soapy Cyprus?

You may or may not be afflicted with “soap mouth” when you eat coriander (a.k.a. cilantro). To avoid the experience, you may painstakingly pick pieces of the offending plant off of your plate. You might even send your plate back. You might scream out in agony. Or not. Listen… I have a secret. Even if you think coriander tastes like soap, you should give the plant’s seeds a try. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. To me, the flavor lacks any soapy aftertaste. I ate bunches of this stuff, straight from the spice jar, just to prove it. Hopefully there won’t be any side effects. So… what does Coriander seed taste like? It is reminiscent of celery seed – but much more mild. Here’s the best way I can explain it: if celery seed and coriander seed were music, celery seed would be heavy metal and coriander seed would be a delicate lullaby. That’s the best I can do. While the lovely people of Cyprus enjoy coriander seeds with just about anything – on roasts, …

2010 Global Gingerbread Contest

I’m a sucker for the holidays. I wish I could live in a gingerbread house. One weekend a year I *almost* live out my dream… our dining room table spills over with candy, cookies, and frosting. I love the creativity. The fun. The family bonding. Being covered in sugar. This year I’d love it if you would join us… virtually. I’d even like to give away a nifty prize to the best gingerbread house. Are you game? Here’s how the contest will work: Make a Global Gingerbread House. It must be about 90% edible. The theme is international/global/foreign … be creative! Email: Sasha at global table adventure dot com. Include: A photo 100 word description/story about your house A link to your blog post about the contest. Ideally, your blog post will have more pictures and details about the “making of.” (Having a blog is not a requirement). Deadline is December 20, 2010 at midnight, Central time. After I look everything over, I will share my favorites here, on the blog. Finally, I’ll pick a winner. …

About the Food of Cyprus

Psst… does your heart ache? Even just a little? I’ve got the cure: take a tour of Cyprus. In this gloriously mountainous Mediterranean island even the loneliest heart will find love in the air and on the beaches. In fact, legend has it that Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love, was born amidst the crashing waves and sandy shores of Cyprus. Befitting this romantic legacy, the Cypriot have a fascinating habit of cooking food in red wine. Almost anything can get a long slow simmer in the stuff – pork chops, potatoes, or even squid. The red color bleeds into the food making a rosy statement perfect for any date night. Most Cypriot food is an alluring blend of Greek, Turkish, and Middle Eastern cuisine – you’ll find staples such as oregano, olive oil, lamb, cucumber, yogurt and eggplant mixed on menus with such delicacies as octopus or squid. Once the romance of Cyprus grabs hold of you, celebrate with a dish fit for any holiday table. Oh, and I just happen to know the …

Giveaway Winners

I should have known. When it comes to choosing between apple or pumpkin pie, there can only be two winners. Six votes went to each pie. Now I know – both pies are equally loved. And, as promised, here are our two winners, selected at random by Random.org, and their comments. Carole68 I am thankful for the guardian angel that stood by my side and kept me out of the big trouble I could have gotten into ; thankful for my two beautiful daughters that lighten up my life ; for the good people in this world. My vote goes to apple pie… because it’s really a favourite here in our family, but also because pumpkin pie is not traditional here and we’ve never tasted it ! (we will one day). and to … AnneSATX My father passed away last month and I will be eternally grateful that the last thing I said to him the night before was, “I love you, Dad.” As for pie? Pumpkin, no contest! We enjoyed reading everyone’s entries to the …

Happy Thanksgiving (Giveaway!)

I’ve heard Christmas music on the radio all week. Can you believe it? Call me old fashioned, but I think Thanksgiving deserves a little more time in the limelight. We need to sit in gratitude and savor every moment. The way I look at it, life is beautiful. I endured serious hardship in my early years, but I got through it. How? By first believing that, in this great, big, topsy-turvy world, there’s always something to be thankful for… and second, by looking for just that thing to appreciate, that thing that could lift me outside of my grief. Sometimes it simply takes getting out there and… Trying something new… … No matter what the consequences… Gritting your teeth if necessary! And so, in the spirit of appreciation and gratitude, I want to thank YOU for joining this Global Table Adventure. Eating one meal for every country in the world is fun, but it’s even better with your support and company 🙂 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Now, for our little giveaway. Use it …

Monday Meal Review: Cuba

I prepared our Cuban Global Table secure in the thought that noone was coming over. I didn’t vacuum. I didn’t deodorize (the house or myself). Approximately 19 million landmines were in place. (I think some people call them “toys.”) By the time the cooking was done, crusty dishes were teeter-tottering over my head – including the remnants of three botched caramel sauces. The house was an extra deluxe mess. I rarely behave this way, but I was feeling like a rebel. Must have been a full moon. Then my phone rang. Sweat dripping down my forehead, I watched as it vibrated itself towards the edge of the counter. My neighbor and friend, Anitra was calling. Right before the phone careened over, I decided to pick up. “Hello!” I said. “What are you doing?” “Oh, you know… cooking” (Fact: 9 times out of 10, I’m cooking when my phone rings… Bizarre). “Well, I have some great hand me downs. For Ava. And I’m on a mission to get them out of the house. Can I bring them …

Cuban Thanksgiving Dish

If you’re here in the USA, looking for another idea for a Cuban Thanksgiving dish (or if you’re simply curious about Cuban food), I’ve dug up a fascinating sandwich recipe. Made on Cuban bread or white bread, the infamous “Elena Ruz,” includes cream cheese, strawberry jam, and sliced turkey breast. Weird, right? Yet… somehow, that sweet jam reminds me of cranberry sauce and … well … it is just crazy enough – it might work! Here’s Wikepedia’s notes on the Elena Ruz: Another sandwich of Cuba is the “Elena Ruz”. Elena Ruz was a young society debutante in 1930’s who would stop at El Carmelo, a popular restaurant and confectionary shop in Havana after an evening at the opera or a social function, and would ask the waiter if he would fix her a sandwich to her orders. It is prepared on white or Cuban bread, with a layer of cream cheese on one slice, a layer of strawberry jam or preserves on the other, and thin slices of turkey breast in between Intriguing. If …

About the Food of Cuba

Beam me up, Scotty. I’m ready for incredible stews, rich soups, and mind-blowing sandwiches. I’m ready for Cuba. Heck – it isn’t even all that spicy. Just flavorful goodness. Count me in. Most of my Cuban research kept linking me back to Florida. There’s one big reason – the size of Cuba (it is the largest country in the Caribbean)- and one simple reason – how close it is to Florida. Still authentic Cuban food has a distinct identity, whether it is enjoyed on the island or in the United States. That being said, let’s start with the famous Cuban Sandwich (recipe). Incredible. Soft, fresh Cuban bread is a must (recipe), which is then topped with roast pork, ham, pickles, mustard, and swiss cheese. Some include salami and provolone. Others shout blasphemy. Either way, they all get pressed like a panini and toasted through and through. While I’m always in the mood for a good sandwich, you might not be. So be it. There’s more goodness to be found. Cuba is one of several countries …