Sonia Tastes Hawaii

"Collecting Mail Boxes"

 

A year or so ago as we were driving to the west side of the island on the southern route, I noticed a very unusual mailbox...it was a tall pink flamingo...I could not stop due to traffic behind me and there was no convenient place to pull over, but I made a mental note of the nearest mile marker so we could try to stop there on the way back.

Since then, I have started noticing the more unusual, original or different mail boxes around the island and always stop and take photos, I now have a little "collection".  

Sometimes it is not convenient to stop when I first spot them, so I try to remember where I saw it and try to return for the photos.

The first one in my photo "Mail Box Collection" - The Pink Flamingo, found on the makai side of Hwy 11 in South Kona district.

Bulldozer in Hilo

 

 

American Flag...also in Hilo

 

A Cottage in Pa'auhau Plantation

 

A Volkswagon Bus - not sure where this one was now...

 

An Old Stone Barn - in South Kona

 

A Yellow Carp - in Hilo

 

At a Japanese Temple - in Hilo

 

As I drive all over the island, I will continue to search for the unusual, original or different mail boxes...If you know of any, let me know where I can find them!

 

 

The Hawai'i Honey Festival

 

Just a few impressions that caught our attention during the Honey Festival this past Saturday, November 23rd at the Nani Mau Gardens...

Lots of people...we had to park on the lower forties and stand in line a bit before we were able to go in... We were pleased to see quite a few friends there.

 

 

Lots and lots and lots of honey for general public tasting to select "People's Choice".  This was the first year I did not participate as a judge for the honey contest.  A good thing, since there were over 100 different honeys to taste and judge this time! 

I should mention that the contest is open to all beekeepers in the state of Hawai'i, but the honey submitted has to be 'natural'.  No heating or alterations of any kind.

 

Above seen on a T-shirt made by our friend Erin Rose

 

Above - Bee friendly plant seeds were being sold

There were 27 exhibitors and vendors, presenters, music, exhibition bee hives, food and tours of the garden, tastings, activities for the keiki and much more going on all over the gardens.

 

 

Above - beeswax candles, samples of propilis, honey comb, royal jelly and other products.

 

 

We spotted several people walking around with 'Bees in their Bonnets' ... quite cute...

 

 

...more 'Bee Bonnets'...

 

We attended an excellent presentation on "Apitherapy" by Kate McWiggins, an apitherapist member of the American Apitherapy Society, Inc from Washington State. Kate spoke about the benefits of the different products and byproducts...besides honey and beeswax there is propolis, pollen and royal jelly..and she expounded on the bee sting/venom therapy to cure or alleviate symptoms due to several different illnesses.

Since at this time we do not have any apitherapists in Hawai'i, several people expressed an interest in having her return for consultations... If you're interested in seeing it happen, contact the Big Island Beekeepers Association (information below)

To support the Big Island beekeepers and honey producers read labels when shopping and search for local honey. You can find them in supermarkets and gift shops throughout the island.

The Big Island Beekeepers Association (BIBA) holds open monthly meetings at the Kamana Senior Center in Hilo and welcomes new members. BIBA is an invaluable source for information, classes, workshops, swarm removals, equipment and other supplies as well as honey and bees. See information below:

BIBA
www.bigislandbeekeepers.com 

Facebook
www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Island-Beekeepers-Association/247033161978013 

To read more about bees and honey in Hawai'i click on the following

http://hamakuatimes.com/a-taste-of-honey-p1808-89.htm

http://www.soniatasteshawaii.com/2012/11/a-honey-day.html

http://hamakuatimes.com/the-biba-honey-challengethe-view-from-the-judges-table-p1052-89.htm

1st Annual Liliko'i Festival & Winning Sauces, Dressings & Preserves CC Recipes-

 

Day before yesterday I shared winning results in the Dessert Category and yesterday the winning Main Dish Category (which included Soups, Salads and Entrées recipes in the 1st Annual Liliko'i Festival on the east side of the Big Island, which was celebrated Saturday, November 2nd at the Hawaiian Paradise Park Community Center (HUI) 

You can read about the event and get the recipes already shared by clicking on the following links:

Main Dish Category which included Soups, Salads, and Entrées.

Dessert Category

The third category was Sauces, Dressings & Preserves - recipes below

The judges used the following criteria for scoring the entries:  Best use of Liliko’i, Taste, Appearance/Presentation and Originality with 0-5 points in each criteria to be awarded for a possible high score of 20 points per entry per judge.  Highest possible score 40 poinrs.

 (Photo credit: Sonia R. Martinez) Curry Passion Dressing with Crudité Tray

^1st Place – Freddi Maguilla – Kea’au 

“Curry Passion Dressing” 

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup strained liliko’i juice

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon honey

2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon hot curry powder

1/4 teaspoon Hawaiian salt (sea salt)

1/4 teaspoon ground fine black pepper

 

Mix and whisk ingredients in no particular order. 

Refrigerate for half an hour or longer for flavors to blend.  Keeps for about 2 days. 

Yield: 8 servings

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(Photo credit: Sonia R. Martinez) Liliko'i Caramel Sauce

^2nd Place – Thomas K. Aiu – Hilo

“Liliko’i Caramel Sauce” 

1 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 fresh liliko’i 

Place sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat; when sugar becomes amber along the edges, stir with a wooden spoon until fully amber.  Add unsalted butter. Heavy cream and the pulp, juice and seeds of the liliko’i. Lower temperature.  Caramel should look shiny, smooth with seeds throughout the sauce.  

Serve over ice cream, French toast, turnovers, or fresh fruit. 

Yield: 2-3 cups

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(Slightly blurry photo credit: Sonia R. Martinez) Liliko'i Lava Salsa

^3rd Place – Destiny O’Hara – Pahoa

 “Liliko’i Lava Salsa”

 3 tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup liliko’i juice

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon lemon rind

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Serve with chips. 

Yield: 4 servings

~~~~~~~~~

Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Rainbowfriends Animal Sanctuary and
Center for Spiritual Living East Hawaii

To follow up on the festival and to get information for future events, you can keep up with the Liliko'i Festival at their Facebook Page

“The Lilikoilicious Cookbook” is available on line and can be ordered by clicking here:http://www.lilikoicookbook.com/

 

1st Annual Liliko'i Festival & Winning Main Dish/Soups, Salads, Entrée CC Recipes-

 

Yesterday I shared winning results in the Dessert Category in the 1st Annual Liliko'i Festival on the east side of the Big Island, which was celebrated Saturday, November 2nd at the Hawaiian Paradise Park Community Center (HUI) 

You can read about it and get the recipes HERE

The following recipes were the winning entries in the Main Dish Category which included Soups, Salads, and Entrées.

The judges used the following criteria for scoring the entries:  Best use of Liliko’i, Taste, Appearance/Presentation and Originality with 0-5 points in each criteria to be awarded for a possible high score of 20 points per entry per judge.  

(Photo credit: Sonia R. Martinez) Tadpole Chicken 

1^st Place – Destiny O’Hara – Pahoa

 “Tadpole Chicken” 

5 pounds boneless chicken

1 large onion

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cardamom

2 cups liliko’i juice

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1 can tomato paste

2 cups water

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Sauté onion in butter until it becomes translucent. add brown sugar, honey, spices and vinegar and stir.  Stir in liliko’i, tomato paste and water.  Cook until bubbly then reduce heat and simmer while preparing chicken.

Place chicken in baking pan; add salt and pepper.  Pour sauce over chicken and bake for 1 hour at 350 F

Yield: 12 servings

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(Photo credit: Sonia R. Martinez) Tropical Chicken Soup

^2nd Place – Leslie Carroll – Kea’au

 “Tropical Chicken Soup” 

1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

1-1/2 cups finely diced cooked chicken breast

2/3 cup liliko’i juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup crushed pineapple

1 cup water

Fresh chopped cilantro

 

In a blender or food processor, finely mix ginger, cumin, green pepper, pineapple and sea salt. 

In a medium saucepan, add the blended mixture to the water.  Bring to a boil.  Add chicken and simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the liliko’i juice.  Serve hot with cilantro garnish. 

Yield: 4 (3/4 cup) servings

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(Photo credit: Sonia R. Martinez) Liliko'i Quinoa Salad

^3rd Place – Melissa Pang – Honolulu, HI

 “Liliko’i Quinoa Salad” 

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 cup water

1/2 cup liliko’i dressing (recipe attached)

1 cup dried fruit (1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup apricots, quartered, or choice)

1/2 almond pieces or choice nut pieces

1 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup red onion, fine chopped

1/4 cup celery, fine chopped

1/4 cup Chinese parsley, coarse chopped, reserve a few sprigs for garnish

Baby tomatoes, halved, reserve for garnish

 

Combine quinoa and water in rice cooker and cook until tender.  Cool.Combine cooked quinoa and liliko’i salad dressing, lightly mixing well.Add remaining ingredient and toss until combined.  Adjust seasonings,  Garnish with tomato and parsley before serving. 

Yield: 7 (1 cup) servings

 

“Liliko’i Dressing” 

3/4 cup liliko’i pulp, including seeds

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 garlic clove, coarse chopped

1 teaspoon prepared mustard (1/2 teaspoon if powdered)

Optional: 1-2 teaspoons no-cook pectin (for thickening)

 

Place all ingredients in food blender and blend until seeds are crushed and completely mixed.  Let stand at room temperature until sugar (and pectin, if using) is dissolved, about 30 minutes.  Refrigerate and use. 

This ono and versatile salt-free dressing can be used as a fruit, pasta or vegetable dressing as well as a sandwich spread, fish sauce, etc. 

Yield: 1-1/4 cups

~~~~~~~~

Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Rainbowfriends Animal Sanctuary and
Center for Spiritual Living East Hawaii

To follow up on the festival and to get information for future events, you can keep up with the Liliko'i Festival at their Facebook Page

“The Lilikoilicious Cookbook” is available on line and can be ordered by clicking here:http://www.lilikoicookbook.com/

 

 

The 1st Annual Liliko'i Festival & Winning CC Dessert Recipes

(Photo credit Sonia R. Martinez) Liliko'i (passion fruit) blossom & green fruit on our vines.

The 1st Annual Liliko'i Festival on the east side of the Big Island was celebrated yesterday, Saturday, November 2nd at the Hawaiian Paradise Park Community Center (HUI) 

Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Rainbowfriends Animal Sanctuary and
Center for Spiritual Living East Hawaii

The weather was true to form; beautiful sunny skies with rainbows one minute and sheets of pouring rain the next, but everyone was happy to see the much needed rain!

As part of the festivities, there were several vendors, sales of the brand new Liliko'i Cookbook (see below for ordering info), keiki activities and games; entertainment, a cooking contest, cooking demonstrations, and a horticultural presentation by “The Garden Guy” Nick Sakowich.

(Photo credit Sonia R. Martinez) Basket of liliko'i harvested from our yard!

Audrey Wilson, food columnist for the Hawai'i Tribune-Herald and I were asked to serve as judges of the festival's cooking contest.

There were twenty beautiful and delicious entries in this first contest and I wish we could have selected several more winners.  Our congratulations to everyone who entered a dish in the contest.

The judges used the following criteria for scoring the entries:  Best use of Liliko’i, Taste, Appearance/Presentation and Originality with 0-5 points in each criteria to be awarded for a possible high score of 20 points per entry per judge.  The highest scoring entry and winner of Best of Show scored 39 out of a possible 40 points!

The contest categories were Main Dishes (Salads, Soups and Entrées); Sauces, Dressings and Preserves, and, of course...Desserts.

Since life is short and we should eat dessert first...here are the Dessert Category winning recipes!

^1sr Place & Best of Show – Joni Neel – Hakalau 

With just three ingredients and perhaps five minutes of your precious time, you can have a dessert that will be the talk of your dinner party – Joni Neel.

Sonia's note: Amazing how sometimes the simplest recipes can be the best.  Everyone who tasted this dessert loved it.  Comments from the public ranged from "the best custard I've ever tasted" to "spot on!".  The consistency was light and smooth, the taste not too sweet.  It really was spot on!

“Liliko’i Posset”

 

2 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup liliko’i juice

 

Bring the cream and sugar to a boil in a medium heavy non-reactive saucepan, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat to simmer and stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes.  Take off the heat, whisk in the liliko’i juice.

 

Pour into small cups or classes, cool slightly, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until set.  About 4 hours.

 

Serve slightly chilled, garnished with raspberries and a dusting of confectioners sugar.

 

Yield: 6 servings

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^2nd Place – Julie Miller – Kea’au

 

“Liliko’i Cheesecake”

 

For the crust:

1-1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

8 Graham crackers, broken up

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 unsalted butter

 

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Put all ingredients in food processor until finely ground and sticking together, about 1-2 minutes.  Press mixture into a 9 inch spring form pan and bake until golden; approximately 15 minutes.  Cool.

 

Turn oven down to 325 F

 

For the filling:

2 blocks (8 ounces each) cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup liliko’i juice

1/2 cup fresh mango

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup sugar

5 large eggs at room temperature

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons lime juice

1-2 teaspoons lime zest

 

In a food processor: purée mango and liliko’i until smooth.  Add cream cheese and process until smooth. Add sugar, yogurt, and cornstarch, combining well.  Add eggs, lime juice, and zest.  Pulse to combine.  The eggs need to be well incorporated but don’t over mix.  Pour into cooled crust.

 

For the topping:

1/2 cup liliko’i juice

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon plain gelatin powder

3 Tablespoons sugar

Seeds from 1 or 2 liliko’i

 

Pour half of the liliko’i juice and all of the lime juice in a bowl; sprinkle with the gelatin and let it ‘bloom’ for 1 minute.  Boil remaining liliko’i juice and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan until sugar dissolves.  Whisk in hot mixture and lime zest into the gelatine mixture until smooth.  Refrigerate until it just begins to set.  Stir in seeds and pour over the cooled cheesecake.  Refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.

 

Bring cheesecake to room temperature to serve.

 

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

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^3rd Place – Heather McNeill – Kea’au

 

“Liliko’i Chiffon Pie”

 

For the crust:

1-1/4 cup (9) Graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1/3 cup fresh toasted coconut flakes

 

Preheat oven to 375 F

 

Process crackers in food processor until crumbly; add sugar, butter and toasted coconut, pulse again.  Press into pie plate and bake 8 to 10 minutes.

 

For the filling:

4 eggs - separated

3/4 cup liliko’i juice

1 Tablespoon plain gelatin

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon salt

 

Combine the egg yolks, 1/3 cup of sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup liliko’i juice in a double boiler, cook over boiling water until thickened.  Dissolve gelatin in 1/4 cup liliko’i juice; stir into double boiler mixture until dissolved; add lime juice.  Remove from heat and cool until slightly thickened.

 

Beat the egg whites until foamy and gradually add 1 cup of sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.  Fold the egg whites carefully into yolk mixture until fully blended.  Spoon into pie crust and chill until firm.

 

For the topping:

2 cups water

1 cup liliko’i juice

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch mixed in1/4 cup water

 

Pour water, liliko’i juice and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan over medium high heat.  Take 1/3 cup of the cornstarch and water mix and add to pan.  Bring to a boil and boil for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened.  Drizzle over pie.

 

Yield: 8 servings

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To follow up on the festival and to get information for future events, you can keep up with the Liliko'i Festival at their Facebook Page

“The Lilikoilicious Cookbook” is available on line and can be ordered by clicking here:http://www.lilikoicookbook.com/