Leftover salmon or poke? *recipe is possible to make vegetarian

For some reason, we almost always end up with leftover poke (you can freeze poke and defrost it) and sometimes salmon. We have always eaten tofu patties due to us following the Seventh-Day Adventist faith, but we have also when at home, had tofu patties with fish or as we call it, Aku/Ahi Hash. These hash go good as a pupu, a main course or side dish, it doesn't matter. They are always good! I will have 3 recipes below that you can easily add in leftover fish so that it doesn't waste.

Fish Hash

• Ingredients:
• 1-2 firm tofu (or extra firm)
• Chopped onion & water chestnut (optional)
• Grated carrot
• Eggs
• Panko
• Leftover poke or salmon chopped to small cubes (leave out if you want to keep it vegetarian)
• Directions:
• Mix all top ingredients together until you are able to form them into patties
• Fry in a pan until golden brown on each side
• Let cool slightly on paper towels to get rid of excess oil
• Garnish with chopped green onion
• Serve with a sweet chili aioli (sweet chili sauce and mayo) or wasabi-mayo

Fried Poke Won Ton or Man doo

• Ingredients:
• Won ton or Man doo pi
• Leftover poke chopped small
• Chopped Kim Chee or Water chestnuts (for crunch and is optional)
• Directions:
• Mix together poke with kim chee or water chestnuts
• Spoon onto pi and seal 
• Deep fry until golden brown
• Serve with hot mustard and shoyu

Salmon Hash (different from aku/ahi hash)

• Ingredients:
• Salmon
• Mashed potatoes (another food you can freeze and defrost to use later)
• Corn starch or flour
• Directions:
• Mix together salmon and potatoes
• Form into patties
• Coat with corn starch or flour
• Pan fry until desired crispiness on the outside (I like mine very burnt an almost black)

Enjoy!

-L

Let's throw a brunch!

To be honest, I really enjoy having brunch on Sunday mornings. With that being "said", I thought I would share my ideas on what I consider to be the perfect brunch menu.

The Food:

Eggs (scrambled normally) *My version of vegetable soufflé and eggs florentine below
Biscuits (American) or Scones (English) 

• Served with jams or jellies (or lemon curd if you have)

Breakfast Meats (bacon, sausage, links, etc.)
Fruit or Fruit Salad (apple, pear, strawberry, blueberry, banana, or papaya) *Easy recipe below
Cheese (brie is my favorite)
Lox and Bagels or Toast (baguette or any european type loaf)

• Serve with a dill cream cheese, sliced tomatoes & red onion and capers

Vegetarian Fried Rice

Drinks:

Mimosa (Champagne or Prosecco)
Orange Juice
Guava Juice
Moscato d'Asti
Coffee
Variety of Tea (green, chamomile, peppermint, any herbal tea, etc.)

Table Setting:

• When possible, use real plates (especially if you have enough for everyone). I find plastic/paper to be tacky and it isn't eco-friendly.
• Glass flutes for the first four drinks mentioned above
• Coffee mugs and Tea Cups

Recipes:

Vegetable Soufflé 

• Ingredients:
• 7 eggs at room temperature
• 1/4-1/2 cup of heavy cream or milk
• any assortment of veggies
• spinach, kale, mushroom, bell pepper, tomato (fresh or sun dried), eggplant, zucchini, etc.
• fresh or dried herbs 
• rosemary, dill, basil, oregano, etc.
• cheese (feta or parmesan) 
• Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350º
2. Spray a large (6 cup) muffin tin with Pam™
3. Grate or chop your veggies and layer them in the tins
4. Top with cheese
5. Whip together the eggs, creams, and herb
6. Spoon it into the tins
7. Bake until the eggs rise and are golden brown on top

Eggs Florentine

• Ingredients:
• 1 egg per person (I always add a few more just in case anyone wants seconds)
• Frozen spinach (enough to cover the bottom of the pan at least 1/4-1/2 in.)
• chopped onion & garlic
• Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375º
2. Spray a 9 x 13 with Pam™ (bigger or smaller on the pan as need be)
3. Sauté chopped onion and garlic with salt
4. Microwave spinach, squeeze out excess water and add to onion and garlic
5. Pour into 9 x 13 and make wells for the eggs
6. Crack eggs into well
7. Crack fresh black pepper and sprinkle paprika over eggs
8. Bake for 15-20 mins 
• Longer or shorter depending how you want your eggs

Fruit Salad

This has to be the easiest fruit salad you will ever make. The recipe is:

• Ingredients:
• Any kind of fruit you want (get creative and add in fruit you may not normally eat by itself)
• Can guava concentrate
• Directions:
• Cut fruit into bite size pieces and add to bowl
• If using bananas, add last
• Pour guava over fruit and mix
• Serve cold and Enjoy

I hope you will enjoy having a brunch as much as I do. Also don't overthink the menu or stress out. Enjoy the company you are with because that is what's important.

-L

Green Papaya Salad

I would say that roughly every other Friday, I find myself in Chinatown (Honolulu) buying produce with my Puna because it is 90% of the time cheaper and almost always fresher than the grocery stores. Yesterday I found myself in Chinatown with Mother Dearest looking for vegetables for the ox-tail soup for dinner last night (ox-tail soup is one of my step-dads specialties and will appear on my blog if and when I ever master it). Going to one of my usual ladies, she had shredded green papaya by the cash register and over hearing my mom and I talking about it, told me exactly how to make it (to my surprise, one of the easiest recipes in the world). This recipe will be different because it doesn't have exact measurements, everything is according to taste and preference.

Ingredients:

Shredded Green Papaya
Pa'akai (hawaiian salt)
Fresh Garlic
Chili Pepper
Lime
Patis or any fish oil (optional if you want to keep this vegan/vegetarian)
Sugar
Chopped tomato

Directions:

• In a large bowl mash together salt and garlic with a pestle (I didn't have one so I improvised, main idea is to incorporate them together)
• Add Chili pepper and sugar and continue to mix
• Add a little more salt and the patis
• Add fresh lime juice and mix together
• Toss in papaya and mix well
• Add tomato (add more chili, salt, sugar, patis or lime if needed)
• The Aunty in Chinatown told me remember this when cooking, "You need 4 things in this dish, salty, sweet, sour, and spicy! Is real ono dat way."
• Enjoy

Here are some great toppers for the salad:

• Tofu (fried or regular)
• Sashimi (I had it with albacore this morning with little bit shoyu on top)
• Shrimp (cold)
• Chicken (seasoned with sea salt and asian herbs, grilled and chilled)

You can also toss in any kind of vegetables you prefer (ex. cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini, onion, etc.)

This meal is very refreshing (and perfect for warmer days) and can either be served by itself for a meal or as an accompaniment to any asian meal (or here in Hawai'i any meal because we are not so anal about what is on the table). You can get very creative with this dish.

Bon appetite! 

-L

Du Gâteau au Chocolat ^_^

Whenever I am having a bad day, chocolate always makes it better. It never fails to put a smile on my face (especially good quality chocolate). When reading the book The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz, I came across a recipe for French Chocolate Cake and I finally made it tonight, with some slight changes of course. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 9 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 1 stick of unsalted butter (cubed)
• 1/3 cup cane sugar (I use cane sugar instead of white/brown sugar in almost all my recipes)
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons of coffee or a coffee liqueur 

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350º and generously spray a 9-inch loaf pan with Pam.
• In a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, heat the chocolate, butter and coffee together until melted and smooth.
• Remove from heat and stir in half the sugar, then the yolks, and lastly the flour.
• With an electric mixer, whip the whites with the salt until it forms peaks. Add the remaining sugar and continue to whip.
• With a rubber spatula, fold in one-third of the egg whites in the chocolate mix to lighten mix. Fold in the rest of the whites until the mixture is smooth and no white marks remain.
• Scrape the batter into the loaf pan, smooth the top, and bake for 35 minutes (be sure to not over bake it.
• Let the cake cool in the pan before serving.

Since it is the holidays, I enjoyed my cake with some brandy and eggnog. If I were serving this for dinner or at a birthday party, I would cut the cake into inch thick slices and lay them flat on a plate, cut and fan out a fresh strawberry topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and lastly a glass of bubbly (champagne, prosecco, moscato d'asti or stella rosa red).

Bon appetite!

-L

Things Iʻm thankful for this Thanksgiving!

Though personally I feel we should be thankful everyday for all we have, once a year we spend a whole day on the subject. Here are the things I am most grateful for this year:

• Iʻm thankful for being able to have traveled so much in the past year. I've been to Japan (just to eat and go shopping), Sweden to visit +Stephanie Newhouse , France for a wedding I will never forget and food I literally dream about, San Jose to see the PCQ, an unforgettable trip to Sin City with my closest friends and a trip back to Australia that was beyond an amazing!!!
• Family and my friends I consider family. They are my rock and I wouldn't know what I would do without them.
• Friends who add interest and good times.
• I finally am back in school.
• Our newest addition to our family, my nephew. The first of his generation.
• Knowing where I am headed in life.
• BA in Art History with a minor in Theater (though I hope I can double major)
• Masters Certificate in Museum Studies and a Masters in Art History
• PhD in an undetermined field
• My job at Gallery ʻIolani for getting me on the right track and especially to the gallery director and my mentor Toni for taking a chance on me.
• Iʻm thankful for the lessons I have been learning lately. They have all made me realize what truly is important in this life.
• and for me being me and getting comfortable in my own skin!

Though this list doesn't have everything I am truly grateful for, this does sum up all the important ones.

Happy Thanksgiving!

-L

Attempting my first overnight roasted turkey! :)

Since I returned home from Paris in May, I have been a "pescetarian"/ part-time vegan/ mostly vegetarian. But since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I will indulge in a little turkey. 

Tonight my brother came home with a defrosted 22 lb bird, for free if I'm not mistaken. Since turkey (the whole bird) is my Puna's favorite choice of meat, we decided to roast a turkey over night. This is the first time a turkey has been roasted in my house in about half a decade, maybe more. We enjoy our bird fried (though now my Gramps has an infra-red cooker so we cut down on the oil). Since I've never roasted a bird, I thought Iʻd like to give it a try, so Gramps showed me what to do.

This will probably be one of the easiest recipes I will ever post. This roasted turkey recipe calls for only 3 ingredients:

• defrosted turkey
• paʻakai (hawaiian salt)
• must be hawaiian salt, not sea salt
• butter

1. Clean the bird
• take out the neck, fat and that bag inside the body
2. Preheat oven to 200º
3. Throw some paʻakai on the bottom of a roasting pan
4. Put bird inside and salt the outside and inside
5. Put in lower center of the oven with a foil tent on it
6. When the bird starts to get some color (3-4 hours), rub it with more butter and add little bit more salt
7. Let roast for 12 hours

I put the bird in the oven at around 6:15 pm tonight and will let it cook till about 6:30 - 7:00 am tomorrow.

I will update this blog tomorrow morning and let you all know how it went!

-L

PS. We are having dinner tomorrow with an "infra-red"turkey. The roasted turkey is breakfast.

Pumpkin Pumpkin Everywhere

Since it is that time of the year, I would like to share some Pumpkin Recipes I have. Everyone can thank my dear friend Auntie Karla, whom is the reason I am sharing these recipes.

Pumpkin Crunch

Mix together:

• 1 15 oz. can of Pumpkin (either puree or pie)
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350º

Spray a 9 x 13 with Pam

Pour mixture into it

Top in this order:

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 blocks of melted butter

Bake for 50 mins

When serving this, I like to flip it onto a long plate and top with whipped cream (fresh is always better) and dust with cinnamon and fresh grated nutmeg.

Pumpkin Cake

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t allspice
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t nutmeg
• 1/2 t ginger
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (no spices)

Icing:

• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1 T butter
• 1/4 t vanilla
• 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1 T orange zest

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Grease and lightly flour a 10" bundt pan
3. Add flour, baking powder & soda and spices in a bowl. Mix with a fork until everything is incorporated.
4. Place eggs, brown sugar, oil, oj, and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed till blended, about 2 mins.
5. Stir in pumpkin
6. Fold in dry mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
7. Pour batter into bundt pan and smooth top. Bang against counter a couple times, then run a knife around the mixture to prevent holes from forming in cake.
8. Bake in center of oven for 45 - 55 minutes
9. Prepare cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixture until it is creamy. Gradually add in powdered sugar. 
10. When cake is cool, flip it onto a plate and drizzle the icing over it.

ENJOY!

-L

Aunty Manuʻs Cornbread

Hands down this is the best cornbread... EVER!!! All courtesy of my Aunty Manu.

Ingredients:

DRY:
2 c Bisquick™
1/2 c cornmeal
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c sugar

WET:
2 eggs 
1/2 - 1 c milk (start with half, if mixture is too thick add another half)
1 stick melted butter

• Preheat oven to 400º then turn down to 350º
• Mix dry ingredients in a bowl first
• Add in wet ingredients
• Bake 20-25 minutes

If you like butter, add melted butter over the cornbread before you serve. I enjoy this especially with chili, lentil stew, or just by itself.

Enjoy!

-L

Why do we call it a bucket list?

For whatever reason why we call it a bucket list, here is mine:

1. Live in Europe for at least a year.
2. Obtain my BA in Art History and American Studies or Theater
3. Get my MA in Museum Studies and Art History
4. Receive my PhD (Field: Unknown)
5. Live in New York City for a year.
6. See the Northern Lights
7. Attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans
8. Visit these places/countries:
• Maldives
• Italy
• New York City
• Israel
• Ireland
• Tahiti
• New Zealand
• Singapore
• Taj Mahal
• The Pyramids
• Transylvania
• Roswell, New Mexico
• Glastonbury, England
• Highclere Castle, Hampshire, England
• Greece (specifically the Greek Isles)
• Monaco
• Morocco
• Dubai and Abu Dhabi
• Vancouver, B.C.
• Montreal, Quebec
• Miami, Florida
• Spain
• Russia
9. Return to these countries/places to explore them more:
• Australia
• France
• London
• Sweden
• Portugal
• Napa Valley
• Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama
10. Learn these languages (either fluently or enough to get by):
• French
• Italian
• Hawaiian
• Swedish
• Gaeilge (Irish Language)
11. Not necessarily get married, but find someone to share this life with
12. Have kids (biologically) before Iʻm 40. When I hit 40, no kids for me.
13. Adopt 1-2 kids
14. Star, Produce, Write and Direct a film (Horror film hopefully)
15. Become a Gallery Director/Designer based out of LA or SFO or ORD with trips to NYC, home (Hawaiʻi) and anywhere else the job will take me
16. Watch the Sunrise on the East Coast and the Sunset on the West Coast, all in one day.
17. Drive the Pacific Coast Highway with my friends
18. Drive from Maine to California
19. Surf in the Mediterranean 
20. Go skydiving and bungee jumping

I will add and cross off from this list as they change. :)

Curry Katsu Ramen

Tonight for dinner I got a little creative. We had no idea what to eat. My cousin Kawena recommended Saimin. For my Puna and me, Saimin is always a good idea. Since I had time though, I figured I would get creative. 

Before I stopped eating meat. One of my favorite foods was chicken katsu curry. I would order that every time I would eat at L&L. The idea for tonight is inspired from Zippys (who makes an amazing Chicken Katsu Curry Saimin). Last night for dinner we had fish katsu (which replaces the chicken) and we had left over boxed Japanese curry in the icebox (the one that is in a long box, is in rectangle shapes and comes in mild, medium or spicy). 

My biggest problem was figuring out how I was going to make the shiru (broth) for the noodles. Me being me though, winged it. This is what I came up with:

Ingredients-

Cooked Saimin or Ramen noodles (portion out into bowls)
Top the noodles with vegetables (choi sum, bok choy, won bok, spinach, bean sprouts, or canned corn)

Shiru:
Chopped onion and garlic
Julienned carrots
3-4 blocks of curry
2 small cubes of vegetable bullion
Dash of Hawaiian salt *to taste*
5-7 cups of water

• Saute onion, garlic, and carrots on medium heat for about 10 mins in a medium-large pot
• Pour in water and let boil
• Add in curry and bullion
• If you have a hand mixer, mix the soup until everything is smooth.
• Add in salt to taste.
• If you need more curry add in another block. If the curry is too strong add more water and salt.

Katsu (any variety):

Meat or vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, etc.)

Egg (beaten)

Panko (Japanese Breadcrumbs)

Salt and pepper

• Mix together panko with salt and pepper
• Dip meat and/or vegetables in egg
• Toss it in the panko and coat
• Pan fry with oil until crispy
• Let dry on a wire rack to get rid of excess oil

This is how you should layer the bowl:

• Noodles
• Vegetables (choi sum, bok choy, etc.)
• Katsu
• Broth poured over everything

Serve it with hot mustard and shoyu. Side dishes that go good with this are steamed man du, cold tofu, kamabuko (pink and/or brown) and/or kim chee.

Enjoy!

-L

Easy Bread Pudding

With the holidays coming up, I thought I would share an easy dessert dish that is sure to add a little something to any gathering. It is also good for brunch or when you have bread that you do not want to go to waste. Besides bread (almost any type), you can also use croissants, biscuits, doughnuts, etc.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients-

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream at room temperature
3/4 cup milk at room temperature
3 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 stick salted butter at room temperature 
6 cups of cubed bread 
-optional (but my favorite add-ins)-
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350º
• In a baking dish, put in bread and top with cranberries and walnuts
• In a mixing bowl, whip together sugar and butter
• Add in the eggs, cream and milk
• Whip together until it starts to thicken a little
• Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg 
• Pour all over the bread
• Pat it down to help absorb the liquid
• Bake for 30-35 mins
• Let cool slightly and enjoy

You can get very creative with bread pudding. Add almost whatever you like. I have thrown in apples, chocolate chips, pear, the possibilities are basically endless. My favorite type of bread pudding is with croissants or left over glazed doughnuts. I havenʻt tried it yet, but I want to one day make it with Kam Bakeries Poi Doughnuts. My biggest problem there is not having any leftovers.

I recommend serving hot bread pudding with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Drizzling a little maple syrup (the real one, not the fake one) just about sends you over the edge.

Enjoy!

-L

Vegetarian Meatballs

Though I have never tried to use this in spaghetti and meatballs, I do enjoy eating this with a nice and semi-tangy glaze on it. This dish will satisfy your vegetarian friends and the carnivorous ones too!

Ingredients:

1 lb of vegetarian or vegan ground beef (Morningstar Grillers Crumble, etc.)
1/2 c or more chopped walnuts
1- 1 1/2 c soda cracker
1 medium onion finely chopped
4-5 eggs
1 c cheese (I like cheddar, but use what you have on hand)
1 package of Lipton Onion Soup

• Preheat oven to 350º
• Mix the above ingredients thoroughly
• Spray Pam in a 9 x 13 pan
• Form mixture into balls and place in pan
• Bake for 25-30 mins
• Make this glaze while meatballs are baking:
• 12 oz of apricot or pineapple jam with 1/2 c ketchup
• Mix together and thin out with a little water
• Take out pan and spoon on glaze over meatballs
• Bake for 10-15 mins more

These meatballs go very good with brown rice and sauteʻd veggies. I am working on coming up with a Vegan option for this. I will keep everyone posted!

Enjoy!

Lasagna Cupcakeʻs

Since the first time I made this, it has always been a hit amongst my friends and family. You can either serve this as a meal with a nice salad or serve it as a pupu (appetizer). Either way, it will most likely be a hit.

Ingredients:

"Lasagna Noodle"
1-2 packages won ton or mandu pi (I like the rustic look of won ton pi and I do not recommend using the Chun Wah Kam brand)

Cheese Mixture
1 container of cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded mozarella cheese 
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley or dried italian seasoning

Sauce Mixture
1 jar of marinara sauce (mushroom, roasted pepper, regular, etc)
1 lb of ground meat *beef, turkey or chicken* (I prefer a vegetarian or vegan option)
optional to add:
italian sausage
chopped mushrooms (i like porcini)
fresh chopped spinach
roasted red, yellow and/or orange bell peppers
sauteʻd chopped garlic and/or onion 
fresh rosemary, parsley, or basil

Tools:
2 mixing bowls
spatula or spoon (to mix)
2 standard cupcake tins (you will be making anywhere from 18-30)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375º and make sure racks are centered
• Spray your cupcake tins lightly with Pam
• Line it with your first layer of pi
• Combine your cheese mixture in one bowl & your sauce mixture in another
• Spoon about a tablespoon of cheese mixture first followed by the sauce
• If you are making this as a pupu, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake for 15-20 mins or until the crust is golden brown and slightly burnt on the tips of the pi (only if it is won ton)
• Let cool and before serving sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley
• Lay down next pi and repeat
• Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake for 20-30 mins or until golden brown and the tips are slighlty burnt
• Let cool and sprinkle with fresh basil and parsley
• Serve it with a salad for an easy dinner or serve as a side dish

This recipe has endless possibilities. You can change it up to your liking. 

Buon appetito!

Another chapter added to my book of life!

Tonight was my big night!!! and what a night it was. Though I have had a long day, everything was successful. My day started off with feeding my dog Bailey, watching last nights The Vampire Diaries and Scandal on Hulu, and straight to cooking the mini quiches for tonights catering.

Tonight was an amazing night. This was after all my first gallery opening and my first official (kinda) catering. I had such stellar comments on my food. Everyone loved it. And I made more than enough. When I calculate the food that I didnʻt use, I catered everything for about $100-. I should have listened to my sister in-law and made business cards since now I will be probably catering small parties now on. I have a few potential clients in the work. Iʻm very excited for where this new road will be taking me.

This catering tonight was just a simple 3 menu catering. I had the wraps (the recipe I posted last night), mini zucchini quiches, and a slightly spicy guava sauce over cream cheese. The recipes for the last two are:

Mini Zucchini Quiche:

Ingredients-

• 3 cups of grated zucchini
• 3 room temperature XL eggs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup of Bisquik
• 1 stick of melted butter
• 1/2 Tbs dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 350º
2. Mix all the ingredients together
3. Pour into mini cupcake tins and bake for 10-12 mins

Guava Jelly

Ingredients-

• guava jelly
• chili pepper water
• cream cheese
• cocktail crackes

1. Blend together the jelly and chili pepper water
2. Pour over cream cheese
3. Serve with crackers

Notes:

• For the quiche:
• You can bake in it what every you want. Just adjust cooking times as needed.
• You can substitute zucchini for any other vegetables. I have used kale, spinach, corn and mushrooms.
• You can also change the cheese if you want (cheddar, jack, pepper jack, colby, etc.)
• For the guava:
• Add chili flakes to add texture
• The sauce itself can be used for many different things. marinade it with meats, use as a dipping sauce or glaze. The possibilities are endless.
• You can even change up the jelly to use whatever you have on hand.

To celebrate my success tonight, I am actually about to head out to either Rumfire or Sway for a few celebratory cocktails with the girls. 

To end this blog, I just want to say some Mahalo to:

Kāhealani, Nalani, and Tuti for your kōkua with everything. Mahalo nui loa ʻoukou!

Dad, Aunty Kauʻi, Keliʻi, Rissa, Aunty Lia, Coco, Kawena, Melissa, Nalani A., Cookie, Victoria, and Kelani for coming out to support me tonight!

Toni Martin for handing me this opportunity. I am filled with gratitude for everything I have been learning in this one month since we have meet.

And to my potential clients, if you are reading this, I canʻt wait to work with you!

A hui hou,

Lopaka

The night before the big day!

Sipping on my one of my favorite wines, Pinot Grigio from Castello di Amorosa in Napa, and winding down after a long day... What is it about wine or vodka that just makes the day end on a good note? Well I think after what I accomplished tonight (with much mahalo and love to my friend Kāhea), I could use a drink (even though Iʻve already had a glass at dinner...

Tonight I prepped one out of the three pupu I will be making tomorrow for the galleries opening night. Mahalo nui e Kāhea nau kōkua! I made Spinach Roll Upʻs. It is a very simple, easy and flavorful appetizer. The recipe is:

Ingredients:

• Sun dried tomatoes (the one in the bottle from Costco is my favorite)
• Cream cheese
• Fresh spinach
• Tortilla (I use flour or wheat and donʻt recommend corn because corn does not roll as easy)

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, mix the first 3 ingredients until very well incorporated with one another. I do not have exact measurements because I go by color and taste. I like it when it is a reddish/brown/orange color with specks of green from the spinach.
2. Using a 1-2 oz. scooper or just a tablespoon, drop by spoonfuls onto tortilla (if your tortilla isnʻt as fresh as you want it, but some between a semi-wet paper towel and heat in the micro for 10-20 seconds depending on your microwave).
3. Roll them up so that when you cut them you will see the spiral in the middle and push in the edges so it looks neater and clean.
4. Chill in fridge either over night or at least for 3-5 hours. You want them chilled so that they will firm up and be easier to digest.
5. Cut at an angle about 8-10 pieces and serve

Though I should be sleeping because tomorrow is the day for me to shine, I will finish up my bottle of wine and watch The Vampire Diaries, The Tomorrow People, Greyʻs Anatomy and Scandal. Though it is more likely for me to finish just one of those four shows, hopefully two... hiki nō!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

For those of you who wanted it, here is my personal recipe:

1 1/2 cups of room temperature butter (let it naturally come to room temp, DO NOT MICROWAVE)
1-1 1/2 cups of cane sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
2 tsp of pure vanilla extract (vanilla extract from mexico is the best)
3 cups of flour (1/4-1/2 more if you want softer cookies)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt (Ancient Sea Salt is my preference)
1 12 oz. package of chocolate chips  (my all time favorite is Ghirardelli dark chocolate. life is short! pay for good chocolate. you will not regret it)
rough chopped walnuts *completely optional*
fresh grated nutmeg (my secret ingredient that is never measured, i just go with whatever i feel at the moment)

"Tools"
cookie sheets (2-4 depending on cookie size)
two mixing bowls (one large, one medium)
spatula (the mixing one)
measuring cups and spoons
1-2 oz mini scooper (if you have)


Steps (please follow it specifically and you should have no problem)

1. Heat oven to 375º
2. In first bowl, mix together butter and sugar until there is no lumps
3. Mix in eggs and vanilla
4. Add flour, baking soda and salt to the second bowl and mix with spatula
5. Fold in about maybe 1/2 a cup at a time of dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until it is mixed well into a ball (if you do it right, your bowl should be smooth with nothing on the "walls")
6. Slowly fold in together the chocolate chips, walnuts and nutmeg 
7. Drop by the spoon full onto an un-greased cookie sheet about an inch to 2 in. apart (though it never hurts to use parchment or PAM), I use a mini scooper (1 oz. if Iʻm not mistaken)
8. Lightly push on the cookies to make them a little more flat
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes on the middle rack, may be less or more depending on your oven. When the cookies look just about golden, I take them out and let them finish cooking outside the oven.
10. Take out of oven and set aside to cool and harden on sheet
11. Enjoy with a cold glass of your preferred milk (cow, soy, rice, almond, etc.)

Some pointers so that your cookies will always turn out good...

• USE ONLY ROOM TEMPERATURE BUTTER, MICROWAVED OR MELTED BUTTER WILL RESULT IN FLAT AND CRUNCH COOKIES!!! How ever, if that is your preference, go for it.
• If you only have one cookie sheet, let the cookie sheet cool before baking your next set. A hot cookie sheet will result in weird cookies due to the fact that they are melting before they go into the oven.
• It is possible to roll up your unused cookie dough into a log, wrap in wax paper and stick in the freezer. Just defrost and cut as you need, that way you can enjoy cookies whenever you want.
• Donʻt worry if it does not come out good the first time or the first hundred times. I have been trying to master the chocolate chip cookie since elementary. It took me over a decade, and I donʻt regret the time it took to get where it is today.
• Enjoy and have fun while making this. I promise this can turn a bad day into an amazing one.

And please do not hesitate to ask me any questions. A hui hou!

The start to the rest of my life...

So though I have attempted to do a blog before, I think this time it will stick! I have decided today to write a blog because on Friday, I will be catering my jobʻs opening night for roughly 200 people with a budget of $140-. But I also plan to document my journey on the road of life, since to me, it feels as if it is finally beginning...

A little about myself:

26
Hawaiʻi
world traveler
part-time vegan
student
gallery assistant
tv-aholic
movie enthusiast
amateur foodie
aspiring artist, director, producer, gallery director
unofficial chef and baker
music lover

So now that you kind of know me, in the words of Simple Plan,

"Welcome to My Life"