Sushi

Wonderful Ahi here in Hawai'i means I can make great sushi, and recently a friend taught me how to make real Miso soup. DBF gets spoiled if I do this too often...

Eating in the Philippines

I only took a few photos! Some fried banana fritters, squid awaiting the fryer,and coconuts!

The Gecko Likes the Cookies!

MMMMMMM! Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies cooling on a rack... with an early admirer snagging a taste!

Meringue Cookies

It is winter in Hawaii, and in honor of beautiful Mauna Kea iced with snow, I made meringue cookies with chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.
Okay, i had some eggwhites in the fridge from all the holiday baking, and I needed to use them.
This recipe makes wonderfully chewy meringues, which I like better than the crispy ones.

Some Time to Cook

My honey has been busy in the garden, which gives me ample opportunity for cooking with garden ingredients! I am a terrible gardener, but I can cook! This tomato broke it's branch before it ripened, so will end life as a fried green tomato.
The pie came as an accident. I had a bunch of eggs laid by a friend's chickens, and beautiful leeks from the farmer's market. I made crust for a quiche. DBF claimed to not like quiche for the over-cooked egg flavor. Pie crust quickly became a flat tart dough for sausage and leek tart... with runny yolked baked eggs atop. The quiche shell got a can of peaches and a makeshift brown sugar crumble and voila! Peach pie with whipped cream!

No, I didn't make gecko tea!

My man is trying to train this gecko to be his friend. I caught him checking out the tea and espresso, and finally choosing to lick honey off the honey bear. Pretty!

My Whale Photo on Schmap!

My Humpback Whale photo has been chosen for inclusion on the Schmap of Kohala Coast! This was a mother and calf that I photographed this winter. Yay! I am not a very good photographer, but I guess I am actually a Professional, since my photos have appeared in the (now defunct) Hawaii Island Journal.

RIP HIJ

So we were informed yesterday (the day AFTER a deadline. Grrrr.) that the Hawaii Island Journal, the last Hawaii-island-wide Independent media and my employer for the last 2 years, is closing.

Or more to the point, has closed. Effective immediately. The last one comes out today or tomorrow and I don't think there was any warning at all: No Farewell Issue or even a note from the editor or owner.

What has happened over the last year and a half, is the State-wide Stephens Media Group, a company based in Las Vegas and owner of the West Hawaii Today, Hilo Tribune...basically EVERYONE else on the island, introduced the Big Island Weekly, a supposedly liberal and entertainment weekly free rag, and direct competition to the HIJ. Supposedly they do this: Release a competitor rag, cause the local independent media to shut down, then cancel the fake weekly after it has accomplished it's task.

I enjoyed working for the Hawaii Island Journal, and will be sad to see what happens now. Not only for myself, who is out of a really cool job as a food writer, but for the whole island, which has lost it's own Independent voice.

Mmmmm Sushi!

This sushi is from an ahi-heavy meal at Sansei. The Nigiri is self-explanatory (those are spicy tuna rolls on the left side. The ones with the Tempura maui onion rings are foie gras nigiri with caramelized onions and mango dice. Decadent fusion, I know.
The nigiri photo was used in the paper with my article. Yum!

Bananas!

DBF has bananas growing in the yard. They are so good! Little apple bananas that are yummy and fresh and great with nutella!