Sonia Tastes Hawaii

Glorious Salads......

 

I've blogged about my friend Chef 'Olelo pa'a Ogawa and her wonderful food several times in the past....this time, it's about a little luncheon she prepared just for the two of us.

 
 
Side gate to 'Olelo's home...

We're working on a project with a group in trying to revitalize the breadfruit as a major food source - here is a peek (and remember to save the date of September 24th for the Breadfruit Festival!) ... there was to be a phone conference this past Friday of members of the planning committee. 

In the past I've had problems participating in phone conferences from our phone, so 'Olelo pa'a invited me to her home to participate from there and promised to feed me....

 
'Olelo's welcoming front entrance....

On my way to her Waikoloa home I stopped at the Waimea Wine & Cheese Shop and picked up a small round of Langres, which I've tasted before and another of Epoisses, which was new to me.  Both cheeses are lovely although the Langres is mellower than the Epoisees.  'Olelo had crackers and toasted bread rounds she served with the cheeses.

She had prepared a beautiful Greek yogurt and fruit dish to get us started for the conference and we also nibbled on bits of breadfruit and Hawaiian ono fish she had leftover from some recipes she had been developing.

 

The bowl of Greek yogurt with strawberry papaya, strawberries, Poha berries a sprinkling of ground flaxseed, macnuts, toasted grated coconut and topped with a sprig of mint and a deep red Dianthus blossom.

After the conference Olelo served us a salad made with beets, red and yellow tomatoes, green onions, peas and served with salad greens from the Atebara farm

 

There was also a pipinola and tomato salad I didn't get a good picture of... Pipinola is the green shoots and tender leaves of the chayote vines.

The artichoke, sundried tomatoes in oil and feta salad sprinkled with chopped parsley

 

There were little bowls scattered about with finely grated parmigiano, freshly fried bacon bits and a remoulade type sauce to add to the salads as we wished.

Needless to say, everything was delicious and it was lovely spending time with 'Olelo pa'a again!

 

 

 

Girl's Roller Derby alive and well in Hawai'i...

 

For the second time this season, the Hilo Civic Auditorium was rocking and rolling with the sights and sounds of the "Spring-Fling-Her" meet between Hilo's Paradise Roller Girls and the Maui Roller Girls.

 

We had never been to a roller derby in our lives and I had never even dreamed I would ever go to one, much less scream and root for the home team....until March of this year when our friend Galyn called to tell us he had tickets for the Paradise Roller Girls (the local team) meet against the Garden Island Renegade Rollers (Kauai) we went not knowing what to expect....and found it so much fun we went again last night to the second derby in Hilo...

 
The White and the Black Swans...

You wouldn't believe the sights.... and the sounds are above normal hearing range, but no one seems to mind.... lots of people, lots of garish clothing and fun costumes, lots of music and dancing and of course, roller girls!

 
The names the team members choose for themselves are hilarious....the painted faces, the fun hairdos, the fishneck stockings and some of them even wear a bit of frill...  Check out the hair poking through the helmet of Southern Un-Comfort and the pigtails coming out of the helmet bottom openings of Bitchbgone....!

 
Every walk of life is represented in the audience....

 

from cute little kids to rappers, to Red Hat Society ladies

 

and everything in between....

 
you see a bit of the true spoonfull of that delicious melting pot that is Hilo!

 
This is what is called "Flat Track" Roller Derby....and it is better than a carnival....even some of the referees wear costume...and audience members dressed up in costume perform at half-time...

 
Members of the Puna Crocs performing....?

We have met a lot of people we know at both derby meets....and a group
of friends got together for the second time to share a tailgaiting potluck in the parking lot for a couple of hours before the auditorim doors open.

 
On the sidelines....a ref, the PRG's coach and the two swans discussing strategy...

Sadly, our PRGs didn't win on their home turf for the second time....but that doesn't seem to dampen the spirit of the fans who pull for them all the way to the last second on the clock!

The next meet is a double header scheduled for August 13th....See you there?

 

 

Merrie Monarch Parade - Hilo, 4/30/11

This post is late....I wanted to post it a day or two after the parade but the job of selecting and editing so many photos was daunting.... so, here it is...Better late than never....with more than ten times the photos shown ending on the 'cutting floor'

The Merrie Monarch Festival is an annual Hawaiian cultural event held in Hilo on the week right after Easter.  Now in it's 48th year, the event attracts visitors from all over the world and tickets to the 3 - night hula competitions are fiercely sought with the offices of the event being deluged with ticket requesting mail that needs to be postmarked no later than December 26th for the next year's event.

Hilo is a quiet and unassuming little gem of a town most of the time and that is how we like it...but during Merry Monarch Week, Hilo gets to shine and deservedly so.  The parade is always held, rain or shine, on Saturday; the morning of the last hula competition event which is held Saturday evening and sometimes doesn't end until the wee hours of Sunday morning.

This year's parade took place on a beautiful sunny day with scarcely any clouds in the lovely baby blue sky.   We were invited by friends at Local Hawaii Real Estate to view the parade from the vantage point of their offices on Kilauea Avenue, one of the streets on the parade route.  A tent was provided to shield us from rain or sun and chairs were lined up for about 15 or so guests.  Everyone brought delicious munchies and there was a pitcher of refreshing mimosas to share! 
Flags were flying.....

 
Bands were playing.....

 
The Aloha Festivals King & Queen and Royal Court made an appearance in a beautifully decorated float... Every year a King and Queen and Royal Court is selected to represent the Hawaiian Monarchy.  The investiture of each year's Royal Court takes place in late August with hula kahiko (ancient hula) and mele (chants) and much ceremony at the rim of the Halema'uma'u Crater inside the Kilauea Caldera, home of the volcano goddess, Pele.  Each year's Royal Court makes appearances around the island during festivals celebrating Hawaiian history and culture. 
Floats literally buried in greennery and flowers.....

 
The Pa'u riders..... Pa'u riders represent each island in the state by wearing the colors and flowers that represent their island in both their clothing and the beautiful and elaborate lei arrangements, of course, made with real flowers...including the lei worn by the horses!

 
All manner of vehicles get decorated.....

 
Colorful noteworthy sights.....

 
The loaded Kona "nightingale", a reminder of early island coffee days...; the rider with the adorable keiki mounted in back (notice her very appropriate riding hat, her fancy dress and pink cowgirl boots!); the horse and carriage....the horse looks like he was joining the revelry...; the beautiful handmade wooden canoe, representing the many paddling groups around the island and finally, the caboose of the parade...the bright yellow fire engine truck is always at the end of the line!

Mahalo, Winston, Trevella, Galyn and Larkin for inviting us and for a wonderful time!

 

The 3rd Annual Ka'u Coffee Festival - Pahala, Hawai'i - 5/14-15/11

 

 

I was invited to participate as a judge in the cooking contest held this past Saturday as part of the Ka'u Coffee festivities in Pahala.

 

 

Most people have heard of Kona coffee....and except for the last few years, Ka'u coffee was not a major contender in the world of coffee.  All that has been changing! 

 

 

 

Ka'u, one of the largest ahupuaʻa (regions) of the Big Island of Hawai'i was known mostly for its vast dessert in the drier areas and sugar cane in the more fertile areas.  All that changed when sugar cane was no longer a viable product and farmers in the area had to reinvent themselves to be able to support their families. Many turned to coffee growing and today, just barely 11 years after the first major plantings, Ka'u coffees have come into their own, placing within the top 10 in competitions and being recognized as serious contenders in the coffee world.  Just recently in Houston, the Kailiawa Farm, one of the coffee growers in this southermost region of the island won the 'Coffee of the Year' award in the 2011 Specialty Coffee Association of Americaʻs (SCAA) annual international cupping competition with over 120 specialty coffee entries from 17 different coffee growing countries. 

 

Lots of delicious food and coffee vendors; games, music and entertainment headlined by Cyril Pahinui; hula, pageantry, a cooking contest; coffee cuppings, tours of coffee farms and the 'Ka'u Coffee College', which will be open to the public on Sunday.

 
I was bowled over by the many entries in both the sweet and savory categories of the food.  All entries were required to use coffee and encouraged to use as many other local products as possible.

 
Each first place winner took home $100.  Second & thrid places received prizes of gift certificates.  The highest scoring recipe, Strawberry Mocha Trifle entered by Crystal McIntosh, won the Best Taste of Ka'u with a cash prize of $250!  Find the recipe and photo below.

Contest entry categories:

 Dessert I: Cakes, cookies, and pies
Dessert II: Drinks, candies, other desserts
Main course/Entrée

 Smoke meat, pupu/appetizers, savory snacks
 
Contest entry divisions:

 Professional (working chefs, culinary teachers or post-secondary students of the culinary arts)
Amateur (adults who simply enjoy cooking at home and cook for their own enjoyment and for the satisfaction of their family and friends)
Student (High School and Middle School students who enjoy cooking for their own enjoyment and for the satisfaction of their family and friends)

 

Strawberry Mocha Trifle

Brownies:

1 cup butter, melted

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2/3 c. cocoa

1 1/3 c. flour

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. white chocolate chips

Ka’u macadamia nuts chopped

½ tsp baking poweder

½ tsp. salt

 1 c. Ka’u coffee

Hershey’s syrup

1 pint whipping cream

6 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp vanilla 

5 c. strawberries soaked in 2 c. melted strawberry jam 

Garnishes:

1 Ka’u Strawberry

 2 chocolate leaves (1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips melted + 2 Ka’u lemon leaves, clean)

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease 13X9 pan.  Stire butter and sugar until blended. Beat in eggs, then vanilla, until well blended.  Stir in cocoa, mixing well.  Sift flour, baking powder & salt into small bowls; stir together.  Add flour mixture to chocolate batter, mixing until smooth.  Sir in semi-sweet & white chocolate chips.  Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake 25-30 minutes or until firm.  Cool, then cut into 1 inch cubes.  Place half of brownie cubes on bottom of large glass bowl.  Bruch with coffee, then drizzle with Hershy’s syrup.  Layer ½ of strawberries using slotted spoon.  Then ½ of whipped cream.  Repeat layers,  garnish with strawberry & chocolate leaves.

Whipped Cream – beat whipping cream & sugar in chilled bowl until stiff, add vanilla in last minute of beating.

Chocolate leaves – brush melted chocolate onto 1 side of clean leaves until covered.  Freeze overnight or until firm. Peel off lemon leaves.

Congratulations to the organizers of the festival and all of the participants for a well-run and fun event!  Mahalo nui for inviting me to be a part of it!

I had so many photos and am sorry I had to narrow them to just the above.....!