Kapolei Uncorked

Hawaii Food & Wine in Paradise was last week, and I was lucky enough to attend Kapolei Uncorked at the last minute (I had to change plans for a birthday trip to a new Korean Spa with my friend Mary, but she came with me, so it all worked out). The dinner was about 8 courses from some of Hawaii's most innovative chefs, and the dish pictured above was my favorite. Kona lobster tail and squid ink pasta with locally grown long beans in a light cream sauce. Even the shiso on the plate didn't bother me, and I really don't like that stuff.

Shabu Shabu: Not Just a Fun Name For Food

Shabu shabu and nabe are two styles of Japanese cooking that don't get enough play as they should. Both are broth-based meals in a pot, full of meat and vegetables and eaten with rice and noodles. It's yummy and healthy and surprisingly light. Shabu shabu uses a mostly water base for cooking (with a little konbu thrown in for flavor), and includes vegetables and anything from seafood to Kobe beef to Berkshire pork. Nabe is a seasoned broth and comes with pork seafood, a chicken sausage/meatball (shown above in the bamboo contraption) along with vegetables. You cook everything yourself. My shabu shabu/nabe experience happened at Ichiriki on Piikoi, but I hear good things about Shabu Shabu House on Kapiolani from my friend Mary...but then I found out that a waitress there asked her if she was a model, so she may be biased.

Old School, Part II

Pesto. It was called "The Quiche of the 80's" in When Harry Met Sally...and the 80's was most definitely its decade. But pesto never really went away; it just got a little less popular. I tried it again recently (thanks, Wendy) and now I want to eat it on everything. Pasta, pizza crust, bread, my finger...mmm, pesto.

Old School

Cheerios and whole milk. Back in the day, this was it. If you hadn't had this since you were a kid, have some now. It's surprisingly delicious.

Pizza Party

Who doesn't love pizza? I love all pizza--from Totino's Party Pizza's (yes, I still eat them, even after the recall) to gourmet thin crust pizzas with toppings like arugula and truffle oil. I love them all. And lately, I'm into making my own pizza. The dough is easy to make, and you can keep it in your fridge for a few days before using it. I like to mix whole wheat flour into whatever recipe I'm using. I also like to use less yeast sometimes, since my rolling and flattening skills aren't what they should be, and less yeast means less chemistry working against me. It's the perfect thing to have around as a snack. My favorite toppings are the classic Margherita: tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil. I use locally-grown cherry tomatoes and basil, just to make it special.

Stress+Baking=CALM

I've been a bit stressed out lately. Times are tough. But I've discovered something. Baking makes it all better...at least for the time being. There's something satisfying about measuring and mixing. I've always been a better cook than a baker (sometimes the precision required gets to me and I crack), but lately, I've been into baking, especially cookies. Cookies are fairly foolproof. There seems to be a bit more room for error and less precise measuring in cookie recipes. I've been making these peanut butter cookies from a pretty basic recipe, and I replace the white flour for whole wheat flour...and sometimes add dark chocolate chips. A sprinkling of sea salt on the tops of the cookies before baking makes them really special.

Ramen Nakamura...Heaven for Oxtail Lovers

Was in Waikiki last week so I had lunch at Ramen Nakamura, home to delicious oxtail ramen. I hadn't been in over a year, and I have great memories of the place. I love oxtail. Like, really, really love them. But here's the thing: in the last year, I've gotten into ramen. Prior to that, I was strictly a saimin/won ton min at Zippy's kind of gal. But now, I've gained a better understanding and appreciation for really good ramen...and I'm not sure I'm into Ramen Nakamura's style of ramen. The oxtails are delicious, but I'm not sure how I feel about the noodles...or the broth. Think I'll be sticking to my favorite, Goma Tei. And trying new places of course.