Sonia Tastes Hawaii

The Akaka Falls Inn Cooking School...

 

For some reason, I've had the Akaka Falls Inn on my mind quite a bit lately...specially the cooking school part of it...maybe because I've been trying to get the recipes we tested, shared and taught in the many cooking classes we offered and put them together into a possible cookbook with bits of stories and anecdotes about the Inn and the classes.

Image - The Akaka Falls Inn, B&B and Cooking School façade - watercolor by Wanda Boyer, circa 1998.

All one summer, our cooking school hosted a series of keiki (children's) cooking classes, designed as a trip around the world. Food from a different country was chosen for each class. Countries covered were, if I remember correctly, Spain, Mexico, Italy, Greece, China, India and Japan.

The menu for each class consisted of a salad, entree, dessert and an appropriate beverage. We gave the students the name of the country we were going to cover a week ahead and they were to learn all they could about that country during the week - since our classes were all during the summer, they were out of school and their research did not interrupt their regular schooling homework.

The backyard at the Inn was quite large and housed over 30 varieties of fruit trees and plants (bananas, papayas, pineapples, mango, macadamia, mountain apples, vee apples, coconuts, figs, plus several different citrus), as well as an herb and small veggie garden (lettuces, mesclun mixes, spinach, cherry tomatos, basil, assorted peppers, rosemary, dill, chives, garden onions, etc) and quite a few tropical and exotic flowering trees and plant.

The kitchen and dining room used for the keiki cooking classes were the smaller and more intimate B&B kitchen and dining areas, with a homier feeling than the larger kitchen used for our regular cooking classes.

During the class, we would discuss the recipes, prep the ingredients, cook the food and while the food was cooking, the kids took turns going into the backyard in separate groups (some foraged and others cooked) to pick the garden stuff for the salad and to pick flowers and greenery for the table centerpieces.

Photo: Stacy and Melanie

The girls expressed an interest in making the table arrangements and learning complex napkin foldings from the many books on the subject in our Inn library.

When the food was served and we sat at table, after the young gentlemen pulled the chairs for the ladies, we would discusss all they had learned during the week about the country we were featuring.  It made for very interesting table conversations.

Besides the recipes, cooking and the learning of the different countries, the keiki also were 'gently' instructed on table and dinner time  etiquette.

Photo: Daniel & Asa admiring and serving the Spanish Paella they had just helped cook.  Salad in the foreground.

For one of my favorite Spanish Paella recipes click HERE

For my favorite Flan recipe click HERE

For the Spanish Paella class, we started with a mixed salad, the paella and ended with flan.  The beverage was a mock (virgin) sangria.

Virgin Sangria

 

1 quart pomegranate juice

2 cups orange juice

1 cup white grape juice

1/2 sugar

1 orange sliced thinly - rind on

2 lemons liced thinly - rind on

2 limes sliced thinly - rind on

2 kiwis, peeled and sliced thinly

Any other fruit you wish to add

Just before serving add a liter of Sprite for fizz.

 

In a large glass or ceramic pitcher, mix juices and sugar until sugar dissolves. Wash orange, lemons, limes and slice into thin slices.

Remove kiwi skin and cut into thick slices.

Place all fruit into juice and let flavors meld in refrigerator.

My friend Georgia Banyon used to help me with these Saturday morning classes.  I think we enjoyed them as much as the keiki seemed to.

 

On the morning of July 23, 2000 a fire destroyed the Akaka Falls Inn.  The photos above were collected from family, friends, previous Inn guests and neighbors after the fire destroyed all of ours.  The quality is not as good as I would want because they had been saved to floppy discs, but we are very happy to have these and many more that were sent to us from everywhere afterwards.

 

 

Off the Beaten Path - Hakalau Gulch

Needing to clear my brain after a couple of hours of doing research for a project, I got in the car to drive just a bit up the highway from where we live... decided to take the little Wailea-Hakalau road which starts just a couple of miles north.

Meandering through the village of Wailea I noticed this beautifully landscaped yard, nestled down below the road

Driving past the Hakalau Post Office I made it a point to stop at the top of the pali (steep slope or cliff) above Hakalau Gulch

Hakalau Gulch is the location of an old sugar mill that was destroyed during the tsunami of 1960.  The old ruins are still visible and have been incorporated into the now landscaped park-like area.

The bridge above is part of the Highway 19 Belt Road system that circles the island.  View towards the ocean from the little causeway that spans the Hakalau Stream.

View upstream from the causeway spanning Hakalau Stream

It's a peaceful and lovely location and a place where many of the people in the area go to picnic or surf.  The water beyond the sandbar is a bit too rough for swimming but inside the sandbar is a favorite place for kids to splash around.

Next time I drive over I will take more photos of the park and beach area, but today there were too many people enjoying a gorgeous day and I didn't want to intrude.

When you visit Hawai'i be sure to find the little off the beaten path roads and byways, and take your time...you never know what you're going to find.  \m/

 

 

 

 

 

Ho'oulu Lahui – Revitalizing Breadfruit Festival

Ho'oulu Lahui - Revitalizing Breadfruit Festival

On Saturday, March 3^rd, 2012 –Kua O Ka La Charter School  in Pu'ala'a/Kapoho area of the Island of Hawai’i, will host a Spring Breadfruit Festival. 

A lot of activities are being planned from a cooking contest, several workshops and 'ulu (breadfruit) poi pounding demonstrations; also how to make 'ulu pounding boards and many other activities all related to celebrating this versatile and life sustaining fruit.

Cooking Contest Categories:

Appetizer
Main Dish/Entrée
Dessert

Each dish will be judged for:

Best use of breadfruit
Taste
Appearance/Presentation
Originality
Healthy ingredients

Prizes:

First, Second and Third prizes in each category
One entry will be selected for ‘Best of Show’
One entry will be selected for ‘Healthiest Choice’

For general information on the rules for participating and for downloading the entry forms, (info is to be added within the next few days) please visit:

kuaokala.org

hawaiihomegrown.net

www.Breadfruit.org 

Deadline for Entries:

When you download the Entry Form and the Recipe Forms, complete and submit no later than Feb. 26 - please contact me to find out where to send them cubanwahine@hawaii.rr.com

Location of Festival:

Take Route 130 to Pahoa. Turn left at traffic light to Route 132. Bear left at fork just after Lava Tree State Park. Turn right at the four corners to Route 137. Next to Ahalanui Hot Pond Park in Pu'ala'a/Kapoho. Contest location and entry drop off on Makai side of road. Look for Contest Entry Drop-Off location. You must also drop off your completed Contest Entry Form and a Recipe Form per each dish entered.

 

New Year's Eve 2011

 

I never did make it to midnight last evening...but we did bid goodbye to the old and celebrated the coming of the new with a simple meal composed entirely of pupus and we did light a few pieces of fireworks just to join in the sporadic popping noises around us.

The 'menu', if you can call it that, was composed of just a few spreads on toasted slices of French baguette; whipped cream cheese to which we could add spoonfuls of Caramelized Red Onion & Figs, (a gift from a mainland friend); chunky guacamole made from the very last avocado of the season on our tree mixed with some of the delicious Harry & David Pepper & Onion Relish, (a gift from another friend) and my own pâté made with chicken livers.

My chicken liver pâté evolved from trying different recipes.  Although quite simple to make, the taste is complex and yet deliciously smooth.  If you like the taste of Pâté de foie gras but object to the force-feeding of ducks or geese to obtain the fattest livers possible, this recipe, albeit not the ultimate in haute cuisine, comes a very acceptable second.  Originally made with Sherry, a friend who tried it used Madeira instead and renamed it for me.

Sonia's #2 Chicken Liver Pâté -
Pâté de foie de volaille avec Madeira

2 Tablespoons sweet butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 pound chicken livers, chopped

1/4 cup dry Sherry or Madeira (*)

1 envelope plain gelatin such as Knox

Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

 

2 or 3 heads of garlic, unpeeled but tops cut

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese 

Sauté the chopped onion in butter until translucent.  Add the rinsed, dried and chopped chicken livers and sauté until all red is gone and livers are done.  Dissolve the gelatin in the Sherry or Madeira and add to the mix.  Add the salt and pepper to taste and finish cooking. 

Meantime roast 2 or 3 heads of garlic to which you've cut the tops and drizzled with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Quantity depends on your taste, but the roasted garlic taste will be quite mellow and will not intrude but enhance the taste of the livers.

To make the pâté:

In a food processor:  process the cream cheese and add the cooked chicken liver mixture.  Squeeze the roasted garlic into the mix and process until smooth.  Pack tight into a crock or ramekin.  Chill to firm up and serve with crackers, Melba toast, toasted bread points or rounds.

(*) Do not use the so-called cooking sherry.  Use a good dry drinking Sherry instead.  The Madeira is even better.

Whether your own celebrations were as simple as ours or very elaborate, I hope they were enjoyable.  

I am very grateful for all the blessings received the past year and am looking forward to seeing what the New Year has in store for us.

Wishing everyone a very Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year!

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou, E pili mau na pomaika`i ia `oe! (Happy New Year, May blessings be ever with you!)

 

Celebrating with friends...Arroz con Pollo a la Chorrera

We had friends over for late lunch/early dinner yesterday and I wanted to serve a Cuban Style Arroz con Pollo a la Chorrera.

I had a really outstanding dish of it served at one of the La Carreta Restaurants in Miami just a few weeks ago and after watching a couple of YouTube cooking videos demonstrating how to make it and reading a few recipes on line, I called the restaurant to find out how they made theirs.

When I asked if I could have the recipe I was told no, because the chef was quite protective of his recipes BUT....then the person I was speaking with proceeded to tell me how they made it... No exact measurements or list of ingredients were given, but he did tell me that the chicken was cooked as fricasé de pollo first (no wonder it fell off the bone!) and the rice cooked separately and then put together towards the end of cooking...and replied to my question that yes, the chef used beer and chicken stock for the rice and sherry when making the fricasé...

 

Arroz con Pollo is a typical Cuban dish made with rice (arroz) and chicken (pollo).  A la chorrera is a coloquial term used for a 'wetter than usual' rice.  Most Cuban rice dishes call for the arroz to be 'desgranado', term used to mean fluffy rice, but for paella or arroz con pollo a la chorrera, you want the rice to be much wetter.  You achieve this by drenching it with liquids and cook as you would an Italian risotto, adding liquid as it evaporates or gets absorbed by the rice until you get it to the desired consistency.

 

Some people start the cooking process on the stove and finish in the oven.  I decided to use a combination of the recipes and techniques that I had been told, read and watched on video and came up with my own version.  I have made Arroz con Pollo in the past, but this was my first try 'a la chorrera'.  The entire process was done on the stove.

 

I first served a salad of thin, lightly cooked zucchini ribbons, raw carrot curls and avocado slices on red lettuce leaves drizzled in Calamondin Vinaigrette.

 

For the entrée, I used plump, boneless and skinless chicken thighs, as the results are moister and much easier to eat without having to pick the meat off the bones on the plate.

 

Arroz con Pollo a la Chorrera

 

8 chicken thighs, fat removed as much as possible

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 Meyer lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

 

Marinate the chicken in the above ingredients in a plastic bag or covered glass Pyrex dish for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

 

When ready to start cooking, sauté the drained and dried chicken pieces in a small quantity of olive oil.  You don't want to bathe it in the oil, but enough that the meat doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.  Turn over a couple of times to get the desired golden-brown crust.  Place on a dish and reserve, covered until later.

 

1 large onion, chopped

1 large green or red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium shallot, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

2 dried bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon Spanish or smoky paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt to taste

1/2 small can tomato sauce

1 cup dry Sherry

2 1/2 cups Valencia, Arborio or any other risotto rice

1/2 of a 32 ounce box of chicken broth (no MSG)

1 24 ounce can of beer

A generous pinch saffron threads (*)

1 Tablespoon capers (*)

1 Tablespoon fresh oregano

1 1/2 cups Petit Pois or sweet English peas

Strips of red pimento for garnish (optional)

 

Using the same pan and oil in which the chicken was sautéed, start your sofrito (the Cuban version of a mirepoix or Cajun holy trinity) by adding the chopped onion, bell pepper, shallot, garlic and bay leaves, and sauté until the onion and peppers are soft and translucent, but before the garlic turns brown.  Sprinkle with the paprika, cumin and salt (or you can use one of the Goya all-purpose seasonings with no MSG); add the tomato sauce and Sherry scraping the bottom to deglaze the pan and simmer for a couple of minutes.

 

Add the rice and stir around for a bit, a couple of minutes.  Add the chicken broth and half the can of beer, reserving the rest for later.  Add the saffron, capers and fresh oregano (I used the tiny leaves of my stick oregano bush)

 

At this point, put the chicken back into the pan with whatever juices collected while reserving, nestling the pieces into the rice.  Cover and turn heat to the lowest level; let simmer until the liquid is almost all absorbed.  Add the rest of the can of beer and let it continue cooking, covered, until the liquid is almost all absorbed.  Add more chicken broth or sherry if needed.

 

Let it sit, covered for a few minutes until time to serve.  The rest of the liquid will be completely absorbed and the rice will be plump, succulent and full of flavor.

 

The Petit Pois or English peas are not added until the cooking process is done so the peas maintain their plump roundness.  Garnish with red pimento strips if desired.  I didn't, since I used red bell pepper in my sofrito.

 

(*) To get more color and flavor from the saffron, first soak in lemon or lime juice for a little while and using a spoon, mash it a bit to extract as much color as possible.  Since I used Meyer lemons in the chicken marinade, I used Meyer lemon juice to soak the saffron.

(*) When adding salt be careful if you will be using capers since they are also salty.  I waited until after I added the capers and tasted the broth before I added the salt.

 

Dessert was Crema Catalana, a Spanish version of crème brûlée and I served it with deliciously thin Moravian Ginger Snaps, a gift from a niece and nephew who live near the Moravian Village in Winston-Salem, NC .  I will share the recipe soon.

My table setting was in keeping with the eclectic ethnic mix that live in our island paradise;  this time, a mixture of my love for Oriental porcelain (Chinese Canton Rose Ware) and my Cuban and Spanish heritage and a touch of Moravian influence in the food served.

Happy New Year!

Feliz Año Nuevo!

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Our Christmas Eve or 'Best Night'

Christmas Eve day and evening celebrations are a tradition in our  Cuban side of the family...There is, of course, Noche Buena, which translates to Good Night but not as a 'retiring for the evening' greeting of farewell, but more like "Best Night"... Later the Misa de Gallo, or Midnight Mass and also earlier in the day, at least in my family when we were children, there was the tradition of visiting the convents, old people's homes and churches that displayed huge, elaborate Crèche depicting the Nativity.

My Hummel Crèche survived our fire of July 2000 and as such, doubly special...Some pieces are damaged....Mary's blue mantle is smoky and donkey has lost a lot of it's gray coat; Cow's head and neck lost coloring and Baltazar's head had to be glued back on...but I love it and love displaying it year after year nevertheless.

 

Some of the displayed Crèche from my childhood took up whole rooms and showed villages, lakes, rivers, mountains, shepherds, sheep, cattle, palm trees, villagers, of course the manger scene (sans Baby Jesus until Midnight) and off in the distance, the Three Kings on their camels following the Christmas Star.  No, Santa did not make an appearance in these Crèche scenes.

The Cuban celebration of Noche Buena started very early in the day or even the day before by digging underground pits, similar to how Hawaiians build an imu to roast whole pigs lavishly marinated in mojo, a sauce made with generous amounts of garlic in sour orange juice and olive oil (see a modern version of the Cuban style pig roasting as well as my friend Esther Musibay's delicious mojo sauce). The menu typically includes rice and black beans, yuca also served with mojo, and many other traditional dishes loved by anyone with a smidgen of Cuban blood running in their veins!  Desserts normally run to turrones (almond nougat style sweets, both the hard type from Alicante or the soft one from Jijona, Spain), flan or custards such as the crema Catalana. 

I love setting a festive table and each year try to come up with interesting and different ideas.  This year I went wild mixing bright red (candles, my mother's red goblets, red rimmed dinner plates) with deep burgundy tablecloth, Christmas plaids (ribbon swag on the table, napkins and all the packages I wrapped) as well as pieces from our collection of sea creatures (pearl oyster shells, angel wing shells, starfish, sand dollar, equinoid fossil (of an ancient sea urchin), a few banded sea snail shells and a few more....I added two strings of tiny, tiny little lights my sister gave me recently.

I love using my mother's red goblets circa mid 1960's courtesy of S&H Green Stamps!  The red rimmed dinner and salad plates were a gift from my friend Maritza.  The salad plates on the étagère are Christmas Garland from Fitz & Floyd and special because they also were some of the few things that survived our fire!

For the last 10 years or so, my son and I have forgone the typical Cuban style Noche Buena menu and we sort of let our fancy guide us as to what menu we will choose for our own Best Night meal.

This time we chose a very simple menu of only three dishes... A zucchini ribbons salad courtesy of my Gather friend Katrina Hall, which I served with a Calamondin Vinaigrette made with fruit from our own calamondin tree.  

For our Entrée we chose to make a seafood dish consisting of lobster, shrimp and scallops in a combination of Newburg and Thermidor sauce, served in individual little gratin dishes lined with puff pastry.

Lobster, Shrimp & Scallops in Creamy Sauce

2 sheets puff pastry

2 lobster tails, cut in 1/4 inch chunks

8 sea scallops, cut in pieces

12 shrimp, shelled and devained

1/2 stick butter

2 shallots, finely minced

1/4 red bell pepper, seeded, devained, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

4 Tablespoons medium dry Sherry

1 cup heavy cream, scalded

4 egg yolks, beaten

Coarse panko

Butter for dotting on the breading

Freshly grated Parmigiano Romano cheese

Unfold puff pastry sheets and roll a few times with a rolling pin.  Place sheet inside each graten dish, fit into the sides and bottoms and cut off the rest with kitchen shears or sharp knife (use the discarded pieces to make cinnamon pastries).  Prick the bottom with a fork and place in 350 F oven to bake and puff up.

Heat butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook the minced shallots and red bell pepper, stirring, until any liquid is evaporated and they begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add lobster, shrimp and scallop, paprika, salt, and pepper and reduce heat to low. Cook, shaking pan gently, about 1 minute or so. Add 2 tablespoons Sherry and 1/2 cup of the hot cream and simmer for about 5 minutes.

While the above is gently simmering, add the remaining 2 tablespoons Sherry and 1/2 cup scalded milk to the beaten eggs in thin, slow dribbles, whisking constantly so that eggs will not curdle.  It should turn into a creamy and smooth eggy custard.  Add custard slowly to shellfish mixture, stirring gently until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.

Pour the shellfish mixture into the graten dishes lined with the baked puff pastry.  Sprinkle with coarse panko, dot with butter and a few shakes of Parmigiano Romano cheese.  Place under broiler just long enough for the top to turn golden.

Dessert was a rich and silky Crema Catalana which is a Spanish version of a crème brulée.

I also baked a Red Velvet Cake and topped it with Cream Cheese Frosting to take to our friends Gail & Robert's house for a Christmas Day party.  I will post the recipe and photos for the cake later on.

Merry Christmas and Felices Navidades, everyone from our little Hawaiian cottage hale to your home!

 

 

More from the 'Taste of the Hawaiian Range'

 

There is so much to do and see at the Mealani's Taste of the Hawaiian Range that its hard to capture it all in one post.

Photo: Chef Scott Hiraishi of Sam Choy's newest restaurant Kai Lanai in Kona & Derek Kurisu of KTA Super Stores "face off' for an afternoon demonstration of "How To Cook Grass-Fed Beef 101".  Their recipes are part of my column for The Hamakua Times of Honoka'a and will be available on-line after October 26th at http://hamakuatimes.com - check the Monthly Columns tab.

The "Taste" as it is usually called, is I believe, the longest running foodie event on the Island of Hawai'i.  Chefs and their restaurants participate in challenging each other on using innovative and delicious ways to prepare the cuts of meat assigned to them for the event.  The cuts can be prime or can be anything such as tongue, tail, Mountain Oysters (bull testicles), tripe or any unusual part of the animal.  The challenge, as I see it, is to make you love their dish regardless of what the contents are... See my previous blog post for some of my favorites.

Photo: Colorful tomatoes and cukes from WOW Farm in Waimea

Besides the chefs and restaurants competing, there are also ranchers, farmer/growers; cacao, tea and coffee growers/producers; beekeepers with their honey and others such as cheesemakers; school gardens and Slow Food Hawai'i, just to name a few.
Photos: Chef 'Olelo pa'a Ogawa and Robby Mist of Glow Hawai'i

The students from both campuses of the Hawai'i Community College School of Culinary Arts participate by helping the restaurant chefs in their booths as well as in their own HCC booths.

Photo: students & instructors from HCC School of Culinary Arts Hilo Campus. Front from left; Nainoa Akiona, Roxane Daguio, Chef & Professor Allan Okuda, Vainiaku Polota, Krissel Lagua, Josh Pertubal, Darrel Constantino.  In back, from left; Julius Nillo, Chef Instructor Shawn Sumiki, Chef Instructor Brian Hirata, Kawika Haili and Chris Guerrero serving delicious kalua pork sandwiches.

Photo: Amanda Rieux, director of the Mala'ai School Garden,  Leslie Hill and Michael Crowel of the Wailea Agricultural Group, and Dick Threlfall of the Hawaii Island Goat Dairy.

Photo: Dragon fruit and tangerines - display by Adaptations, Inc 

There is always a huge display of locally grown fruits and veggies as a centerpiece - I always try to get a photo of it, because it is so overwhelmingly beautiful, but it is hard to capture the whole thing!

If you are in Hawai'i next September, check the dates for the next Mealani's Taste of the Hawaiian Range, a not to be missed food adventure!

 

  

 

 

Chefs Cook-Off at The Taste of the Hawaiian Range - Waikoloa, HI

The 16th Annual Mealani's Taste of the Hawaiian Range and Agricultural Festival had 35 chefs strutting their stuff at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort on September 30th.

 

This event is sponsored in partnership by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), the Hawaii Cattlemen's Association, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Kulana Foods and community volunteers. Sponsorship also includes the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, the Hawai'i County Research and Development, Big Island Resource Conservation & Development, Hawa'ii Community College Food Service & Culinary Program and KTA SuperStores.

 

The annual event showcases the bounty of our island home by allowing participating chefs to vie with each other to prepare culinary "tastes" using every part of 100 percent grass-fed beef, pork, lamb, goat, mutton and wild boar, plus fresh island fruit and vegetables. Attendees get to try as many 'tastes' as they can while grazing from each chef station and also visit vendor booths where they can meet the farmers and ranchers who grow our food, plus other educational booths. 

 

Each chef is alloted 100 pounds of the cut of meat assigned to them, which is selected through a lottery.  The cuts can be anything from tongue to tail and can include tripe, heart, Mountain Oysters (bull testicles) as well as some prime choices such as top sirloin or eye of round.

 

Last year was my turn to taste some (to me) exotic cuts, such as tongue and heart.  This year, I opted for the safer cuts... although I did taste the tasty tongue offerings by Cafe Pesto in Hilo.

 

This year, for the second year in a row, the line in front of the goat meat was so long we never were able to get a taste.  Maybe next time we will have to start with the goat, wherever it is, instead of trying to work our way around 'in order' of stations.

 

Although we enjoyed several offerings; including Chef instructors Alan Okuda and Sandy Barr Rivera and their students at the HCC-Hilo School of Culinary Arts Kalua Pork Sandwiches and Chef Edwin Goto's Village Burgers Sliders and the Beef Shank with Onion on a Crisp, two of my favorites, which I thought outstanding, not only in taste but also in presentation and use of local veggies, were the Kalua Big Island Beef on Fried Wonton by Chef Scott Kealoha Lutey and his team from the Eddie Aikau Restaurant and Museum and the Top Sirloin Steak Street Taco with Hamakua Springs Tomato Pico de Gallo by Chef Joshua Ketner and his team from Hilo Bay Cafe.

 

Kalua Big Island Beef

Chef Scott Kealoha Lutey of Eddie Aikau Restaurant & Museum

5 pounds Big Island beef 'clod' (shoulder)

 

Rub:

1 cup Alae salt
1/2 cup fresh cracked pepper

2 pounds Wow cucumbers sliced 1/4 inch
1/2 pound shredded carrots
1-2 Hawaiian chilies minced
1 cup sushi vinegar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon alae salt

3 each yellow Wow tomatoes sliced
Hirabara greens shredded

20 Wonton squares fried


Pre-heat grill (we used kiawe wood for the smoke flavor)

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees

 

Big Island Beef- Rub with alae salt and pepper. Grill beef letting meat char slightly 8 minutes per side. Place in a 4 inch deep pan and add water so its half way up the pan. Cover with saran wrap and aluminum foil. Cook in oven for 2-3 hours or until meat is tender enough to shred. Check beef for flavor; season as needed.

Cucumbers- combine with carrots and Hawaiian chili, vinegar, sugar and alae salt. Let sit for 1 hour to develop flavors

Plating:
Place wonton on plate top with shredded lettuce, top with Big Island beef, arrange cucumbers and tomato around beef.

 

Top Sirloin Steak Street Taco with Hamakua Springs Tomato Pico de Gallo

Chef Joshua Ketner of Hilo Bay Cafe

  

Top sirloin cut to one inch thick steaks

 

3 inch diameter white corn tortillas (from Emma's Mexican Food at Shipman Business Center in Kea'au)

 

Lime wedges

 

Rub:

Ancho chiles, toasted, seeded and ground

Dark chili powder

Smoked paprika

Black pepper

Oregano

Fresh rosemary, finely minced

Garlic granules

 

Marinade:

Olive oil, garlic cloves, Maui onion, green onions, cilantro - as much as needed to soak all the steaks.

 

Mix the dry ingredients above with olive oil to form a thick rub.  Rub and massage the steaks with the rub and then place in the marinade.  Let soak for 2 days.

 

Grill to desired doneness over high heat to achieve caramelization.  Cut into strips.

 

Pico de Gallo:

Hamakua Sweet 100's tomatoes, quartered

Jalapeño, seeded and diced

Green onions, chopped

Cilantro, rough chopped

Maui onion, diced

Ground cumin

Lime juice

Salt and pepper

 

Mix all ingredients and store covered in refrigerator overnight for flavors to meld.

 

Oil the tortillas and put on grill to toughen a bit. 

 

Plating:

Place thin strips of the grilled top sirloin steak on the hot tortilla then top with Pico de Gallo.  Serve with a lime wedge.

More about the Mealani's Taste of the Hawaiian Range in a couple of days!

 

Breadfruit Recipe - 'Ulu-Kiawe Pound Cake with 'Ulu-Kiawe Ice Cream

One more winning recipe from the Cooking Contest at the Breadfruit Festival celebrated on Saturday, September 24th - Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook, HI.

A total of 29 different dishes were entered in the Appetizer, Soups/Salads/Side Dishes, Main Dish/ and Desserts categories.  The rules of the contest called for original recipes featuring breadfruit as the main ingredient. 

 

'Ulu-Kiawe Pound Cake with 'Ulu-Kiawe Ice Cream 

Cake:

1 cup steamed, mashed 'ulu (not too ripe)

1 cups kiawe syrup*

1/2 cup milk

1 cup butter

4 Tablespoon kiawe honey

4 eggs, separated

1.75 cups white flour

1/4 cup kiawe flour**

4 ounces vanilla pudding mix

3 Tablespoons baking powder

dash salt 

Ice cream:

1 - 1/4 cup steamed, mashed 'ulu (not too ripe)

3 Tablespoons kiawe syrup*

1/8 cup cream

3/4 cup milk + ¼ cup cream

1/8 cup kiawe honey, softened

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 cup cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

dash salt

1 teaspoon ginger puree (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)   

Cake:

With an electric mixer, beat 'ulu, syrup and milk until thoroughly mixed. Add butter, honey and egg yolks and mix until well blended.  

In a separate bowl, combine flours, pudding mix, baking powder and salt. Mix into wet mixture by hand. 

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the other ingredients with a spatula.  

Pour into greased Bundt pan and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour 10 minutes – until a knife inserted comes out clean. 

Ice cream:

With an electric mixer, beat 'ulu, syrup and 1/8 c. cream until well blended. Add ginger, if using, and mix well. 

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, honey and sugar until foamy and pale in color.  Add salt and cardamom, if using. Set aside.  

Heat 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup cream together in a saucepan until simmering. Slowly beat into the egg mixture. Pour ingredients back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly over very low heat, until custard begins to thicken.  

Remove from heat and beat in ulu mixture until well blended. Sieve through a strainer to remove lumps.  

Stir in 1 cup cream and vanilla. Refrigerate until cold or overnight. 

Stir chilled custard. Then freeze with an ice cream maker and store in the freezer until ready to serve.  

NOTES: Kiawe (Prosopis palida) aka mesquite on the mainland, is a highly nutritious bean pod for both humans and livestock. Though native to coastal South America, trees are naturalized in Hawaii, and grow prolifically along the Kona coast. Harvest beans while still on the tree and fully yellow.

*To make syrup, boil 3 cups of broken bean pods with 6 cups of water for one hour – or until about 3 cups of liquid remain. Strain out bean pods (which can be fed to livestock or chickens as a high protein feed). Add 1/4 package of pectin and bring back to a boil. Add 1/2 cup of kiawe honey and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Bring back to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute. Pour into bottle and refrigerate.

**Kiawe flour can be made by drying the bean pods in a food dehydrator or oven set to 150 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-4 hours. Pulse in the blender until bean pods grind down but beans remain whole. Sieve flour away from beans. Store in the refrigerator. 

YIELD: 12 servings

SOURCE: Dana Shapiro, Honoka'a - 3rd Place Winner in Dessert Category 

~~~~~~~

For more about the Breadfruit Festival and recipes please click on the following links: 

The Bounty of Breadfruit

A Breadfruit Kind of Day!

Breadfruit Recipes - 'Ulu Summer Rolls and 'Ulu Salad

Breadfruit Recipes - 'Ulu Cornedbeef Patties w/Sweet Chili Aioli & 'Ulu Pops

Breadfruit Recipes - 'Ulu with Coconut Milk 2 Ways & 'Ulu and Codfish Salad

Breadfruit Recipes - 'Ulu Quiche and 'Ulu au Gratin with Three Cheeses & Ham

Breadfruit Recipes - Scalloped 'Ulu Cream of Coconut Herbes de Provence & Gingered 'Ulu Salad

 

One more winning recipe and one that missed winning by just a few points from the Cooking Contest at the Breadfruit Festival celebrated on Saturday, September 24th - Amy B. H. Greenwell Ethnobotanical Garden in Captain Cook, HI.

A total of 29 different dishes were entered in the Appetizer, Soups/Salads/Side Dishes, Main Dish/ and Desserts categories.  The rules of the contest called for original recipes featuring breadfruit as the main ingredient.

 
 

Scalloped 'Ulu Cream of Coconut Herbes de Provence

 

2-1/2 pounds 'ulu - peeled, cut in quarters and parboiled

6 (6.8 ounces each) cartons UHT Natural unsweetened coconut cream

4 Tablespoons Herbes de Provence

2 Tablespoons sugar

1-1/2 cups Parmesan cheese

 

In a mixing bowl mix coconut cream, sugar and Herbes de Provence.

With a mandolin slice 'ulu into thin slices.

Fold cream coconut mixture in to the sliced 'ulu.

Line a 12 x 15 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

 

Place 'ulu slices in an overlapping line filling the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle 1/3 of a cup of Parmesan cheese on top of 'ulu slices.  Repeat layers of overlapping 'ulu and sprinkling of cheese.  You should be able to make 4 layers.  On top of the last layer add the remaining Parmesan cheese.

 

Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil then bake for 45 minutes to an hour.  Let sit for about 10 minutes to cool down a little.  Cut and serve.

 

YIELD: 24 servings

SOURCE: Garrett Kihara of Kailua-Kona, 

2nd Place Soups/Salads/Side Dishes Category

 

 

 

 

Gingered 'Ulu Salad

 

3 cups firm 'ulu

1/2 cup chopped ginger

4 finely chopped garlic chives

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon Bragg's amino acid

4 Tablespoons organic canola oil

1-1/2 cups quinoa

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2-1/2 ounces arugula

1 Tablespoon organic olive oil

 

Boil 'ulu until knife will penetrate (45 minutes to 1 hour). Cut in half, remove core. Cool at room temperature, peel and cut into 1 inch squares.  Combine 'ulu, ginger, garlic chives, pepper, amino acid and canola oil in covered pan.  Stir often until 'ulu and ginger become toasty-golden.  Keep at medium heat to avoid burning.

 

Cook quinoa.  cool to room temperature.  In serving bowl combine quinoa, 'ulu mix, cilantro, arugula and olive oil.  Mix gently

 

NOTES: Gingered 'ulu salad for dinner is great with grilled fish and makes a great lunch on its own.

 

YIELD: 8 - 10 servings

SOURCE: Angelica Stevens, Captain Cook, HI

 

To read previous blog posts about the Breadfruit Festival and get recipes please click on:

The Bounty of Breadfruit

A Breadfruit Kind of Day!

Breadfruit Recipes - 'Ulu Summer Rolls and 'Ulu Salad

Breadfruit Recipes - 'Ulu Cornedbeef Patties w/Sweet Chili Aioli & 'Ulu Pops

Breadfruit Recipes - 'Ulu with Coconut Milk 2 Ways & 'Ulu and Codfish Salad

Breadfruit Recipes - 'Ulu Quiche and 'Ulu au Gratin with Three Cheeses & Ham