Global Grub's Blog: Adventures in Cooking

How to Throw a Simple Tamale Party

For many Mexican families, a tamalada (the Spanish word for “tamale party”) is synonymous with the holidays. Multiple generations gather around the kitchen to make a ridiculous amount of tamales, oftentimes in the hundreds. The tamales are shared and enjoyed with family and friends throughout the season, sometimes given as a gift (I accept!). Traditional rituals include the Grandma’s prayer to the tamales and Spanish guitar music in the background, to name a few.

To me, a tamalada is an excellent excuse to gather your crew for a memorable dinner party. The whole point of a tamalada is to enjoy the company of your friends while you prepare the tamales together. But, if hundreds of tamales seem a little much, rest assured you can host a simple tamale party on a more doable scale. I’m talking about a dinner party for 4-8 people to make 18-36 tamales. And you don’t have to be a tamale expert, and it doesn’t have to take all day. How’s how…

Eating Our Way Through Europe

With over 20 countries under my belt (half of which I credit to Semester at Sea; that's what really ignited my international interest), Europe had somehow escaped me and was calling my name. Plus I was in need of some inspiration for a new Global Grub kit... sounds like a good excuse to go, right? And with that, our mission was set: eat our way through Europe, with our 1-year-old in tow (that's a whole different story that you can read about here). With travel days factored in, we only had 8 days to complete our mission. 

First stop: Barcelona. I wish everyone adopted the idea of tapas, small plates so you can have a little bit of this and a little bit of that. One of our best meals of the trip was at Restaurant Rene, a little gem with nostalgic decor in the Eixample area. We ordered too many tapas to list, but here's what stood out the most: the melt-in-your-mouth trumpet mushroom croquette, Catalan cheese plate including the "best burrata I've ever had" and last but not least, seafood paella of course...

Traveling with a 1-year-old

I was getting a serious travel itch when my mommy friend told me that some airlines provide bassinets for babies on international flights. Since the double-digit hour flight was my biggest fear of traveling with my 1-year old, the bassinet provided a glimmer of hope. Plus I thought, "now's the time to do it before he's completely mobile" and "let's take advantage of free airfare for under 2-year-olds." 

With over 20 countries under my belt (half of which I credit to Semester at Sea; that's what really ignited my international interest), Europe had somehow escaped me. So, Europe was calling my name. I was also in need of some inspiration for a new Global Grub kit. 

I'm excited to tell you all about my trip (coming soon), but first, I want to spill the beans about traveling with a 1-year old (well 13.5 months, to be exact). In short...

How to Throw a Sushi Party

Menu:

• California Roll: crab, avocado, cucumber (or substitute crab with salmon or teriyaki chicken, or additionally top with a salmon or spicy tuna)
• Spicy Tuna Roll: spicy tuna, cucumber
• Tempura Roll: shrimp tempura, optional avocado  
• Philly Roll: salmon, cream cheese, cucumber
• Veggie Roll: any assortment of veggies
• Sushi Sides: optional
• Sake and Beer: optional but highly recommended 

How to Use Your Cooking Kit

• Date Nights: Skip restaurant crowds and/or get involved after the kiddos go to bed. Turn this date night in into a fun adventure, cooking side-by-side with some music and drinks within reach, of course! 

• Dinner Parties: Serve your guests something new and exciting (and be confident that it'll turn out great!). Better yet, have your guests roll up their sleeves too... the Sushi Kit is particularly fun to make as a group. Check out How to Throw a Sushi Party.