city kitchen luau

i am a HUGE fan of the luau

the dancing, the music, the fire throwing

and

we can't forget about 

the 

kalua pig

from the moment the warriors pulled it from the imu

and carried it to the buffet

i was distracted

how can i do this at home?

cluttered my mind

i asked around

at the luau

at the hotel

at restaurants

people who looked like they ate a pig or two in their lives

no one was safe

finally,

i got it

simple, stupid

here's the thing

we are only 2 people

so a whole pig is a bit much

even for us

ladies and gents

this is so easy, you will want to put it in your weekly rotation

it is

porcine paradise

Kalua Pig
(printable recipe)

3 lb pork butt

2 Tbs (about) alaea hawaiian sea salt (or kosher salt)

kitchen twine

banana leaves

foil

water

Place pork in a shallow pan and let come to room temperature (about 1 hour).  Cut deep slits 1" apart across the top and bottom of the pork with a sharp knife.  

Rub the salt over the entire pork.  Wrap in banana leaves, one leaf at a time..in 3 layers.  Tie with kitchen twine.

Wrap in foil in 2 layers.

Line the bottom of a heavy oven safe pot with a piece of banana leaf.  Place 2 1/2 cups of water in the bottom and then lay the foil package on top. Cover with lid and place in preheated 350 oven.  After 2 hours check and see if the water has evaporated..if so, add a bit more.  Do not immerse the package in water...it should be working more like a steam than a boil.  This will take about 5 hours.  Ours was finished after about 4 1/2 hours.  Remove the foil package from the pan and place in a shallow pan. In the foil packet will be melted pork fat and juice.  Shred the pork and serve.  I suggest adding back in some of the pork juices/fat that will have accumulated in the packet....it will taste much more authentic.  However the meat is just as juicy without it..but will be lacking a bit of the buttery flavor.

Serve with rice, fruit, macaroni salad, poi...and you have yourself a citified luau.

after cooking

fry-day

it's friday

and it's also lent

i know i should probably be fasting

but come on

let's not get ridiculous

i do

however

 abstain from meat

which isn't difficult for me

but

it is torture for hubster

tonight for dinner

we are indulging a bit

fried calamari
(printable recipe)

1 lb squid cut into rounds

1 cup flour

2 tsp favorite spice mix or a mixture of salt/pepper/cayenne

generous pinch sugar (this gives it a bit of color when frying)--purely optional

peanut or other oil for frying

marinara sauce

lemon wedges

place clamari in a bowl of lightly salted ice water. let sit for about 10 minutes. pour oil about 3" deep in a heavy pot and heat over medium fire. remove squid  from water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. in a shallow dish, mix together flour and spice of choice. drop in flour and lightly dust. shake off excess flour and drop in hot oil heated to 350.   

The key is to not overcook the calamari. If you do, it will get chewy...so watch is carefully and take it out when it is lightly toasted and crispy...do not let it get dark brown.  Drain on paper towel and dust with salt.  Serve with lemon wedges and sauce.

F is for Fudge Ripple

ha!

6 weeks in 

and i finally get to say it

f is for fudge ripple

as in my blog

and its namesake

ice cream

growing up, there was always a carton of fudge ripple in the freezer

my mom would buy it

as

it was just about the only flavor

we all could agree on

i remember it tasting glorious

but i have a feeling

that given a pint today

i would probably turn up my nose

i'm thinking

 it might have been ice milk

not sure

and my mom would never

cop to buying ice milk

just like she would never admit

that 

when we didn't finish our glass of milk

at breakfast

it reappeared

fully chilled

at dinner

and it might have been powdered

but i don't have evidence of that

only speculation

in honor of the letter F

and my blog

i present to you

a scoop

of fudge ripple ice cream

creamy and melty

and

yummy

fudge ripple ice cream
(printable recipe)

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup vanilla sugar *

6 large egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

chocolate ganache

place the milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan over low heat.  Cook to a simmer. Meanwhile, place egg yolks in a bowl and whisk until they lighten in color a bit.  When the milk is at a simmer, slowly pour it into the yolks to temper.  Return all to the saucepan and slowly cook until it begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and let cool for about 15 minutes.  Stir in the cream and vanilla and refrigerate until cold.  Freeze in your ice cream freezer.  Once the ice cream is frozen, hand stir in the ganache. Make sure the ganache is cool, otherwise it will just make chocolate ice cream....which is also good.

*i use vanilla sugar which i make by grinding used vanilla beans with granulated sugar. It is not necessary for this recipe. If you use plain sugar, you might want to bump your vanilla up a bit (maybe an additional tsp)..if you like your ice cream really vanilla-y

I am participating in alphabe-thursday over at 

jenny matlock

you should go check it out

and see what all the fun is about

this week

sponsored by the letter F

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Making Reservations

it's my birthday

and

i am in hawaii

so

the only cooking I will be doing

is

cooking up falsehoods

about my age

we are eating out tonight

at a restaurant whose owner

grows all the produce on his 8 acre upcountry farm

and serves fish caught fresh daily

my expectations are endless

instead of a recipe

i thought i would leave you with this excerpt

from a book called A Meal Observed

by Andrew Todhunter

this is a quote from Philippe Legendre

previously the chef at Taillevent (3 michelin stars)

"People who have no love to share eat poorly, and they don't cook. If you love cooking, you will cook, at whatever level.  People who like to be around a table, who like to share--they'll try to cook, even if it's only an egg.  I would much prefer to eat an egg with friends than caviar with strangers.  That's important."

and a photo

of a sight

on the road to hana

Tuesday Night Supper Club will resume next week

when I am no longer on vacation

and it's not my birthday

in the meanwhile

EAT UP!

volcanic sunrise

i love it for the name of a drink

but it is not a beverage

and it comes with a 3am wake-up call

this morning

hubster and i

drove 2 hours in the pitch black

from sea level

to 10,000 feet

from 60 degrees to 40

to join with others

in search of 

what has been hailed as one of the most amazing sites in all of Maui

sleep deprived

in need of warmth

and 

a steady hand

we were rewarded

with this

6 am

and then this

at 6:40

and this

at 6:44

and at 6:46

and then

finally

at 9:00am

this

i don't know when i have appreciated 

a cup of coffee

more

Aloha

E is for Eclair

the french really know what they are doing

when it comes to pastry

when i was a kid

i would pretty much have sold my soul 

for a chocolate eclair

they were so yummy

with all that delicious creamy custard

and gooey chocolate coating

all wrapped in a crispy shell

and then all at once

 it seems

they started tasting weird

and i didn't like them anymore

and when i went to culinary school

i found out why

shops were no longer using creamy custard

instead

they opted for the pre-made chemical concoction

passed off as vanilla pudding

with purchased shells 

that will ruin a taste memory in a heart beat

Eclairs

also happen to be one of hubster's favorites

and today i spent the early hours

whipping up a batch

they are not difficult

just a bit time consuming

Eclairs

1 recipe pate a choux

1recipe pastry cream

1/2 batch ganache

pate a choux
(printable recipe)

1 cup water

4 oz unsalted butter cut into pieces

1 cup flour

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

3 extra large eggs (about)

Sift sugar, salt and flour together. Place water and butter into a saucepan Heat and bring to a simmer, you want the butter to incorporate into the water, not just float on top.  Remove from heat and add flour mixture all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, until it is all mixed together. Place back on heat and continue to stir until the mixture begins to come from the sides of the pan.  You do not want to dry out too much,  but you want to reduce the amount of moisture a bit. Stir over heat about a minute or two.  Place mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment.  Turn mixer to medium speed to assist bringing the temperature down a bit, but not fully cooled.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. After adding the last egg check for consistency.  You want the mixture to be a bit firm, and sort of webby. When I say webby I mean it has a consistency where is stretches between the parts sticking to the sides of the bowl and what is on the paddle.  3 eggs should be enough. 

Place in pastry bag and pipe in 4" rods onto a lined pastry sheet. You can use this same batter for cream puffs, or deep fry for delicious donuts. The batter can be refrigerated for a max of three days before using.  

Bake in a preheated 425 oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 until the eclairs are browned and crispy.  The interior needs to be dry.  Let cool and fill with pastry cream and dip in ganache.

pastry cream
(printable recipe)

6 large egg yolks

5 Tbs cornstarch

2 1/2 cups milk ( i used 2%)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

4 Tbs unsalted butter

for pastry cream:  Whisk the egg yolks and the cornstarch in a bowl. set aside.  In a saucepan, simmer milk, sugar and salt.  Once it is simmering, temper the eggs with the hot milk.  Return to the saucepan and whisk continuously until the custard begins to thicken.  Once you see large bubbles coming up through the middle of the pot, remove from heat. Pour into a clean bowl (use a sieve if you feel you have overcooked), and stir in butter and vanilla.  Place clingfilm over top and refrigerate until ready to use.  

Ganache
(printable recipe)

1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate--chopped

1/2 cup cream

1 Tbs granulated sugar

1 Tbs corn syrup

2 Tbs butter

Heat cream with sugar and corn syrup over medium heat.  Once cream begins to simmer and sugar is dissolved, pour over chocolate and butter. Let chocolate melt and then whisk together until it is thick and shiny.

I am participating in alphabe-thursday over at 

jenny matlock

you should go check it out

and see what all the fun is about

this week

sponsored by the letter E

tiny bubbles

who leaves 80 degree weather

in the dead of winter

for a balmy holiday 

in Hawaii?

well,

i do

of course

we planned this trip

long before we knew that

summer would show up by

mid-february

lest you think i am complaining

I AM NOT

by the time you read this

I will be sipping a mai tai

on the beach

while hubster

gives don ho

a run for his money

aloha

kili 

(my hawaiian name which was printed on a grain of rice and purchased by me

in 1984

in celebration of my high school graduation

and boiled by me

sometime in the 90s

in false hope

that it would be funny)

Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai Ingredients:

 1 ounce Dark Rum

 1 oz Light Rum

 1 oz Orange Curacao

 2 oz Orange Juice

 1/2 oz Lime Juice

 Dash Orgeat or Grenadine

 Dash Simple Syrup (1 cup sugar and 1 cup water boiled until the sugar dissolves) 

Royal Hawaiian Mai Tai Instructions: 

Mix all ingredients and pour over crushed or shaved ice in a glass. Garnish with a cherry and a slice of pineapple

Tuesday Night Supper Club--Frittata

Today we have a guest host for TNSC.  Rose and I met at culinary school.  Given the chance she will tell you I was over prepared (she says I had way too many tools!) and I was focused (her side of the story is that I ignored her and had no idea she had been standing next to me all day). She may be partially right..but in my defense....
never mind..it's not about me....
Rose and I became fast friends and found a common bond at the stove. Although more than a decade my junior, I am continually inspired by her and her many talents.  She is a good friend and a great cook...

here she is:

Hi. My name is Rose and I am a busy mom of 2 boys; 3 if you count my husband.
Christy and I met in culinary school.  All though we have very different lives, one thing we have in common is our love for food, craftiness, and laughter.
I volunteered to guest host the "t-n-s-c", and I hope you all enjoy this recipe and be creative with it in your own kitchen. This is something I make about once every two weeks. It's super easy, kid friendly, and the possibilities are endless on what to throw in.

Fritatta with Ham and Caramelized Onions

Here is what I used

1 medium brown onion

olive oil

2 tsp sugar

7 eggs

3/4 c grated cheese- I used smoked fontina

3 Tb 1/2 & 1/2 (milk, or cream works too)

1/2 c red & yellow bell peppers, diced

1/2 c steamed broccoli florets

ham steak- cubed

fresh parsley

2 cloves minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

To make it easiest- you need a non-stick pan that is oven safe with a lid. I used a 10" sauté pan with straight sides.

Heat about 1 Tb of olive oil over medium-high heat. Slice up the onion, and toss in the pan- coating well with olive oil. After about a minute, sprinkle sugar over the onions, stir well, and turn heat to low. Let cook for 28 minutes, or until they are nice and caramelized. Remove from pan (don't wash it yet!), and set aside. (I usually can't help but eat 1/2 the bowl-it's like candy)

Preheat oven to 400. In medium bowl, scramble together the eggs and 1/2 & 1/2 until light and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in minced parsley and most of the cheese, reserving some for the top. In the same pan used for the onions, heat a little bit of olive oil over medium-high heat, and throw in the ham, veggies and garlic. Let sauté for 4 minutes. Sprinkle in caramelized onions, then pour in egg mixture. Gently stir around until it starts to resemble very, very runny scrambled eggs. Shake the pan to level out the eggs, put on lid, and place in the oven. After 11 minutes, remove lid and sprinkle rest of cheese on top, and cook until cheese is fully melted. Remove from oven, and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Or you can turn it out onto a pretty platter if you serve this to company.

What do you think G?

The great thing about fritattas is the versatility- it's great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Go mexican with chorizo, scallions, green chiles, cheddar, and cilantro with avocado and salsa verde on top. Or veggies galore- bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, onions, parsley and a smoky gouda. Or Italian with Pancetta, asiago, spinach and Italian parsley with some fresh grape tomatoes on top. I hope that some of you play around with the ingredients. And please let us know if you do!

Thanks Christy for letting me host!

sweetie pie

hubster loves rhubarb

and while digging through the freezer 

i came across some of last year's bounty

vacuumed sealed and ready to rumble

so i cooked it up with 

juice of a small lemon

some sugar 

(probably 3/4 cup for 1 1/2 cups of rhubarb)

and

a dash of vanilla

until it was simmering and soft

then i added

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in cold water

and cooked until it thickened

it cooled

and i spooned it onto a round of puff pastry

which i also had in the freezer

(folded the sides up a bit)

sprinkled on some sugar

and baked at 400 until golden

i will serve it up

with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

and a smile

Happy Valentine's Day!

...at last

i typically am confident

i was a girl scout 

so i prepare

for situations unknown

i am the one who is most likely to

do a dry run

whether it is a speech

or 

a route to a new place

although

i can handle off the cuff too

i just prefer not to

i am more comfortable with objective guidelines

than subjective ones

who isn't?

recently i have become obsessed

with this website called FoodGawker

if you have a food blog

you can submit photos 

photos you think are gawkable

that would make someone want to reach out and eat their screen

photos that people who are not me take

i am hopeless

or should i say

i was hopeless

submitting photo after photo 

and getting rejection after rejection

i was beginning to get a bit jolted

and forced to pull out my best groucho impersonation

"I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT PEOPLE LIKE ME AS A MEMBER"

but not really meaning it

because i kept trying

like a fool

the feedback was annoying

too much saturation--underexposed

and my favorite

food composition

what does that even mean?

like a jilted lover

i find myself scouring the site and saying things like

it looks too composed, who would eat that, they only pick their friends

can you imagine?

but now

i have changed my tune

because i had a photo accepted

and to be honest

i have no idea why 

i'm not sure it is any better than the others before it

but i'm not going to bring that to "their" attention

because today

i feel like sally field

"you like me, you really like me"

thank you FoodGawker

D is for Ding Dong

i just love that phrase

yer such a ding dong

ram-a-lam-a-ding-dong

ding dong the witch is dead

nothin' like a box of ding dongs

except

i never had a ding dong

until i was in college that is

when I was on my own

and could eat whatever i wanted

no matter how bad it was for me

my mom didn't believe in processed foods

oh

she knew they existed

but they didn't exist in our california rancher

not when

for half the cost

you could have something

homemade and delicious

or an apple

which was her favorite go-to snack

outside of a piece of cheese

i can still hear her voice

when we would come home from school

and complain of hunger

have an apple or piece of cheese

can you imagine the neglect? 

(insert sarcasm here)

so you can understand when

an 18 year old

with a pocketful of change

would immediately buy

a box of ding dongs

and then wallow in the disappointment

unbelievably, what i was missing

was nothing

compared to 

cheesecake

peanut butter cookies

biscotti

ding dongs pretty much suck

(my opinion)

but homemade ding dongs

pretty much rule

Amazing Devil's Food Cake
(printable recipe)

3 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped

1 1/2 cups hot coffee or hot water or mixture of the two (i use espresso with water)

3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp kosher salt

3 extra large eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sour cream + 1/2 cup milk or 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 

1 tsp vanilla

melt bittersweet chocolate in hot water/coffee.  Sift dry ingredients together (including sugar). Mix together the chocolate/coffee mixture, milk, sour cream and vanilla. In a mixer beat the eggs with the oil until thickened and doubled in volume (about 3-5 minutes).  Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients to the mixer, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix until just incorporated.

Bake in 2-9" rounds that have been prepared with cooking spray and lined with baking paper. 

*note...for ding dongs, i make in a sheet pan and use a cookie cutter to cut the rounds.
Oven temp should be 350 and bake until tester comes out clean. For the sheet pan, it will go fast...about 20 minutes. For the cake rounds allow about 50 minutes, but check on it after 30 minutes.


Creamy Fluffy Filling
(printable recipe)

i recommend this for filling...but not for frosting. It is lightly sweet and very sturdy

1 cup milk

5 Tbs flour

11/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup shortening--room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter--room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch salt

Over low heat, cook milk and flour in a saucepan until it makes a thick paste. Use a whisk to break up lumps. Let cool.  In mixer using whisk attachment, beat shortening, butter, sugar, salt and vanilla. Add in cooled flour paste and whip until light and fluffy.  Add more sugar if you want a sweeter taste.

Ganache
(printable recipe)

1/2 lb bittersweet chocolate--chopped

1/2 cup cream

1 Tbs granulated sugar

1 Tbs corn syrup

2 Tbs butter

Heat cream with sugar and corn syrup over medium heat.  Once cream begins to simmer and sugar is dissolved, pour over chocolate and butter. Let chocolate melt and then whisk together until it is thick and shiny..

To assemble: cut rounds of the chocolate cake. Spread a layer of filling on top of one round and top with a second round.  Fill in nooks and large gaps with a bit more filling.  Place in fridge to harden.  Meanwhile make ganache.  Set cakes on a cooling rack over a lined sheet pan.  Pour ganache over cooled cakes and gently tap the rack to move the ganache over the cake. Use a small spatula warmed over a flame to nudge and smooth out the ganache. 

Let cool at room temp or in the fridge if you are in a rush.  You may loose some of the gloss if you refrigerate.  Serve as is, or wrap in foil for authenticity!