Hawaiian
Food, Recipes, |
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Once upon a time, I had
the delectable good fortune to call Hawaii home. I think often of
Karen Blixen as I exclaim to myself and anyone who will listen, "I
once had a house in paradise." My husband, youngest son and I
lived on the verdant slopes of Mt. Hualalai, above the picturesque village
of Kailua-Kona. It was more a homestead than a home; 3 sun soaked
acres of avocado trees, with Big Island forest pressing in against the
meadow that was our yard. Just past the meadow, near the Kona
Nightengales, into the forest there were
mysterious, unending lava tubes that begged exploration. The bottom
of our yard was lined with exotic banana trees, and in the mornings the
wild boars would tottle past our house in search of whatever wild boars
search for in paradise. Almost always there were wild turkeys about,
gobbling here, gobbling there. Lining the driveway were palms and
brilliant red heliconias. We had two huge lanais that spanned the
entire front of the house and overlooked the magnificent Kona Coast in all
it's glory. On any given day, or as the sun slowly sank once again
into the blue Pacific, or as night fell upon the land and the skies filled
with twinkling stars that defied description, it was on one of these
lanais that we could be found, smiling. Almost always smiling. And
eating. It
was on the lanai that I served up all the island style dishes that I took
so much pleasure in cooking in that kitchen, in that house up Kaloko, near
the cloud forests.
It was here, in the kitchen in this home, with the sweet island sounds of
Hapa filling the air, that I learned to cook local style. It is here
that I happily whiled away many hours experimenting with guavas and
lilikois, trying new marinades, usually with shoyu, baking with fresh roasted macadamia nuts,
trying Josh's fresh catch this way, then that, learning the island ways,
the traditions and then lending my own little touches. Now back in
Canada, I still experiment from time to time with my Hawaiian
recipes. Of course I can't run out into the yard if I need just one
more banana, but firing up some island specialties always takes me and my
family and friends back to paradise. What memories. Da
kine. What
glorious culinary adventures Hawaii was and still is. |
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discovering a mango tree. . . . . .
spicy seared Ahi sashimi. . . . . . . . poke. . . . . .banana splits for
breakfast. . .
frosty mugs of icy Fire Rock Pale Ale. . . . . . . . . .chicken
sate pot stickers. . .. .hot yeasty malasadas. . . . .angel hair pasta
with anything . . . . . mahimahi cooked beachside . . . . .guava juice. . .
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