THE SCENE: Plain words, big love. The room is quiet. I scoop another bite of Oromo into my mouth. As I chew, I think about how perfectly surprised I am to find myself loving the combination of lamb and soft sweet potatoes. I start to say something about it, but instead catch myself looking at my husband who is happily and ever so quietly eating his meal. I wonder if he likes it. “My family is a family of gushers,” I begin, forgetting about the flavor for a moment. “When a meal is presented everyone ooh’s and ahh’s. Adults trample like children at a fair simply to peer inside a casserole, or to oggle a roast with excitement. Some even applaud.” Keith laughs. “It’s good, Sash.” The truth is Keith is reserved – of another culture entirely. Whether presented with epic homemade ravioli, a crazy spiral of oromo, or a store bought peanut butter cup, his response is always the same. It’s good. He says the words with love and sincerity. Still, when the words come I find myself straining my ears, …
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Welcome to November. Are you cold? Hot? Indifferent? For some inexplicable reason, November 1st in Tulsa, Oklahoma was 78F and just breezy enough to tickle a few golden, orange, and garnet leaves off the trees. As I walked Ava home from little school that same afternoon I decided that, yes, in fact, 78 and breezy is exactly the perfect temperature. I would make it my “every day” weather if I could. Just right for a t-shirt and jeans. Flip flops if one is feeling sassy. Yes, it was perfect for the first day in November, and even more so on October 31st which was downright balmy. About this time during our walk I remembered our Kyrgyz menu and laughed. Don’t get me wrong – you’ll love it if you, like my mother, live in the middle of snow storms, icy wind, and frostbitten fingers (a.k.a. Boston). For those of us still in the middle of the longest-summer-in-history, my apologies. As a consolation prize, please feel free to serve the drink over ice. It’s just as good. …
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You’ll have to excuse me. I have a belly ache. You see, I’m writing this Halloween night between handing out candy and eating it. And, since most wee ones have long since gone home to sugary dreams, I’m mostly just eating candy. The good news is Kyrgyzastan has a cure. Boil up a pot of honey water, throw in some spices – perhaps a cinnamon stick and lemon peel – and (for non muslims) serve with a heaping splash of vodka [Recipe]. This sort of drink is popular all over Eastern Europe and Central Asia with slight variations in spices and liquors. When it’s served cold, the drink is called sherbet. Tonight, however I might have to take mine with a little less honey… Over 80% of Kyrgyzstan is covered in mountains with hot, subtropical summers to the south and very cold winters throughout. You’ll notice the name is quite similar to her northern neightbor Kazakhstan, a country that we did a few weeks ago. Truth be told, the similarities don’t end with the names. Both …
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THE SCENE: Giving up the Leg There comes a time in every mother’s life when she has to hand over the ceremonial wand, so to speak. When she must forgo eating the glorious chicken leg out of love for her daughter – her daughter who has suddenly decided that dark meat is the new bees-knees, at the ripe old age of 2.45. This was just such a week for me. Miss Ava loved the Machboos so much that she not only ate what was once “my” chicken leg, but she also ate her papa’s too. This was serious. Could it be the seasoning? The browned crackly skin? I’m not sure. But I do know that I may never sink my teeth into a chicken drummette again. I know. I was once my mother’s kid. And my brother Damien and I always took the legs. Always. Even on Thanksgiving. THE FOOD: Machboos [Recipe] What I liked most about this dish: There is genius in the Kuwaiti method of simmering, then roasting the chicken. First, it cooks much …
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Certain times call for celebration. Babies. Birthdays. Finding the love of your life. Daydreaming about the love of your life. When a light turns green at the exact right moment, before you have to apply the brakes. For those times, I present Machboos. Take a dive off the deep end with this beloved Kuwaiti dish that boasts warm hits of cinnamon, turmeric, saffron mingled with sweet caramelized onions and raisins. We made ours with chicken, but you can also make it with fish or lamb. If you get a big enough chicken it can feed a happy collection of people (about 4-6). For our version the traditional preparation involves simmering the chicken in fragrant water (which is then used to make the rice). Next, we rub the chicken with more seasoning and pop it in the oven to brown. All kinds of flavor goodness. It took me to happy town, and it can take you there, too. Ingredients: To simmer the chicken: 1 whole chicken 2 bay leaves 1 cinnamon stick 3 cloves 3 cardamom pods …
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I’m sitting at a café writing about Kuwaiti food. If shut my eyes I can almost imagine I’m in the bustling metropolis of Kuwait City. Kuwaiti culture places great emphasis on entertaining with a plentiful table – being a generous host. This menu, loaded with fragrant, flavorful food, will definitely help you towards ultimate hospitality. Just be sure to begin with a nice coffee and finish with tea. Cat costumes are optional. Today the question is not what sounds good, but what to eat first. That’s what Ava tells me, anyway. She’s hungry. Like a cat. Machboos [Recipe] A large platter of aromatic basmati rice and whole chicken, topped with caramelized onion, raisin and slivered almonds, seasoned with a blend of cinnamon, turmeric and a sour blast of black lime powder. Daqqus Sauce (Kuwaiti Tomato Sauce) [Recipe] You, tomatoes, garlic, hot peppers, a blender and an appetite. It’s love. My Kuwaiti PB&J [Recipe] My brain went crazy when I ate this. I wonder if yours will, too. Stay tuned for details. P.S. These recipes and the …
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Oh my goodness do I need a vacation. I knew it had been a while when Keith told me he still had 8 days to use up this year. Whoops. Bottom line, it’s just too hard to get away right now. So, instead of packing my bags, I read about Kuwait. I looked at the photos, flipped through recipes and began to daydream myself to the other side of the world. Kuwait: on this tiny, sandy country by the sea you’ll find a bouquet of influences. While now rather urban and glimmering, the area was settled after 1700 by nomadic tribes who shifted from a desert lifestyle to a life dominated by the nearby water. Thanks certainly to this history the food reflects traditional Middle Eastern and Persian food, but there are also a few spin offs from their days as a British colony as well as influences from Africa and India. I don’t know about you, but that sounds all good to me. (If you take a look at our world map, you can explore …
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THE SCENE: Just Getting There. Friendship is funny. Good friends don’t need much of a reason to get together. On this particular day we decided to celebrate the simple fact that I had a giant wheel of brie. Good enough. Friends gathered, wine poured, and a six person, 3 kid potluck was born (I told you I was making an effort with friends). For two entire days preceding the potluck I worked and reworked the Flija (this week’s traditional Kosovo campfire cake). The better part of 6 hours had been spent hunched over the broiler, browning dozens of layers of batter. My shoulders, my back, my thighs – everything ached. At 5:03, minutes before the first guest arrived, I pulled the flija from the broiler for the final time. It was warm, soft and smelled of tangy kefir, the yogurt-like drink so popular in eastern Europe. My mouth watered but before I could cut into the large layered cake, the doorbell rang. I quickly deposited the hot treat on a trivet and ran to the door. Exactly …
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I found a new favorite quote. It’s about peace, but it isn’t cheesy (something amazingly difficult to come by). In fact, I think this quote really gets at the heart of the matter – at what I’m trying to accomplish here. I’m sharing it today in honor of Wednesday, “hump day” – the day that is neither the beginning of the week, the end of the week or the weekend. It’s the time of the week when everything drags just a little. I’m also sharing it in honor of neither being at the beginning, middle, or end of this Adventure… but steadily plodding on course to finish eating the world for peace in exactly 2 years and 2 weeks. As you’ll read, perhaps steadily plodding away is the only way. Perhaps that’s the way it should be. Here’s the quote: “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.” JFK And here’s a bit of food from Kosovo, shared in the hopes that it’ll …
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Kosovo boldly proclaimed independence in 2008. Apparently the deal was highly contentious, but as you know… I’m not here for the politics. I’m here for the food. What does this mean? It means I’ll take any chance I can get to cook food from around the world. So, with that being said – welcome to Kosovo week at the Global Table. Let’s eat! If you weren’t paying close attention when you sat down, you might think you were in America during Thanksgiving. You’ll find a spread of pumpkin pie, meat and potatoes, and – speaking of meat – there’ll be meat, meat, and more meat. Even their traditional beef and rice stuffed peppers [recipe] show up in American cookbooks as “traditionally American.” Did I mention they like meat in Kosovo? While more than one country can certainly have similar traditional food, I find it fascinating that nearly all of southeast Europe shares the affinity for the stuffed pepper with America. (They also stuff eggplants and tomatoes). Then there’s the shopska salad which we made for Bosnia [recipe], …
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THE SCENE: My Happily Broken Heart A broken heart occurs when two hearts joined in love tear apart. It could happen slowly or quickly, but like a wishbone, something has to give. If it’s a clean break, it wasn’t love. At least, not for a long time. Sometimes both hearts have a tear, other times just one. Lots of times it feels like a piece was left behind, permanently affixed to the heart of the other. Keith has never broken my heart. Sure, we’ve had our disagreements but I’ve never once felt like he has pulled away enough to tear me up, to break my heart. Ava, however, broke my heart the day she was born. There she was, perfect, tiny and so wonderful. And there I was, completely awash with love. Overwhelming love. I wept as her tiny body struggled to take those first breaths of air. And then,there it was – she relaxed – her eyes darted around, taking in the light – she was with the world. That’s when the tears came full …
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Yesterday, during Ava’s nap, I planted 16 plants (15 of which were mums), cleaned out my bathroom cabinet, and painted my toenails. I worked up such an appetite, I finished off the rest of our Korean Sweet Pumpkin Porridge. By the end of it, the yard, my feet, and my belly were sparkling with happy color. I also got a couple of entries to our Gingerbread for Peace contest (check out the gallery and vote for your favorites). All in all, a pretty great day. Bottom line – some days just bloom. What sounds good to you? Rolled Egg Omelet with Kimchi (Gyeran mali) [recipe] This is not just any omelet. Nope. This is the mac daddy – a rolled omelet. Once you learn the technique you’ll be wondering why you didn’t think of it first. P.S. This particular rolled omelet is salty and shrimpy thanks to a spoonful of chopped kimchi. Sweet Pumpkin porridge with rice balls & red beans [recipe] Bite cold weather back with this sweet, warming porridge. The pumpkin is the …
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