Easy Koko

After weeks of cholesterol (fat-laden baked beans, smoked brisket & multiple trips to Leungs), I needed some time to regroup.  I love fatty foods, but even I need a break from the lipids.

This is a good time to take a trip down memory lane to Mt. View Gramma's house.  She was always cooking...always making something in the kitchen.  One thing I remember was her enameled tub in the corner of her immaculate kitchen.  Her tub was usually filled with some kind of vegetable, topped with a flat wooden board and weighted down with a large rock.  My "duty" was to clean my feet and step on the rock.  It was only when I was much older (and I was told not to step on the rock...I guess it wasn't cute anymore) did I realize what was the end result of this archaic contraption.

I think the formal/polite words to use to describe this might be tsukemono or oshinko or (fill-in-the-blank)zuke, but most people in Hawaii use koko to describe any type of humble pickles.

The modern way of making koko is to use a pickle pot.  The pickle pot is a self-contained vat where the pressure to smash the vegetables is provided by a screw-down plate aided by a spring.  This constantly applies pressure to the vegetables.  I got my pickle pot from Marukai.  If you don't have a pickle pot, there is nothing wrong with using Mt. View Gramma's method...place veggies and other ingredients in a tub or bowl, put a plate over it and put something heavy on the plate.

There seems to be no law on how to cut the veggies to pickle, and while The Help told me they should be cut small, I've also seen people use large chunks of cabbage and cucumbers.  As far as the variety of vegetables...almost anything goes, but a cabbage or won bok is standard.  If you have ever dined at Miyo's, this recipe will produce a product very similar to the little plate accompanying the miso soup there (add grated ginger for the Miyo's version).  Sometimes, Miyo's will add bean sprouts to the vegetable mix and sprinkle a few sesame seeds over the top.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Easy Koko

     cabbage or won bok, cut small
     carrots (shredded, optional)
     daikon (cut into thin half moons, optional)
     cucumber (cut into thin half moons, optional)
     eggplant (cut into thin half moons, optional)

     1/4 c rock salt

     1/2 c sugar

     1/4 c vinegar

     2 c water
     grated ginger (optional)

Place cabbage in a pickle pot.  Mix remaining ingredients and pour over cabbage.  Screw pickle pot down and leave for 2 days.  Drain well.

If using vegetable scraps (about 1/8 cabbage):

1 tbsp rock salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp water
grated ginger(optional)

This past Friday was the Ho`olaule`a at D2's school.  I passed on a work trip to Honolulu to attend, and I have no regrets.  D2 did an awesome job, and I am so proud of her.  D1 was in the audience too, and even she said she was proud of her sister.  Sniff, sniff.

We are down to the final days of school.  For some lucky people, Friday is the last day of the work for this school year.  For those less fortunate, there are eight days left.  Yippeeeeee!!!

Remember the Salt Lick: BBQ Brisket

Its been about a year since I went to Texas, but the smoky aroma wafting from the Salt Lick is still clear.  The Salt Lick was truly an experience, but I don't remember the food being fantastic...I was too busy trying to take pics.  I should've been more careful because I brought Salt Lick grease home with me via my lens filter.  That would explain the haze on all of my pictures taken after the first day.

In spite of the food not being to my liking, I would definitely go back, and I would encourage everyone to make the pilgrimage there.  Having dinner at the Salt Lick is not merely a meal...its an experience for the senses.  And liking or not liking 'cue is of no consequence.

I wonder if they will cater in Hilo

the famed BBQ pit at the Salt Lick. . .where magic happens

What bothered me most about the taste of Salt Lick food was that the barbecue sauce looked yellow.  Even under the outdoor lights, I could tell it was yellowish.  And in the land of Q, the yellow color usually means the devil's condiment.  Because I was "in the moment", I just ate the food in front of me, but after reading Steve Raichlen's The Barbecue! Bible 10th Anniversary Edition, I'm certain that the hue was caused by Fucking Gross.  In order to purge that memory, I had to try making my own barbecue brisket and slather it in my own sauce.  With any luck, I could re-imprint my brain.

I didn't want to risk prison and reprint the recipe I used for the brisket rub, and it turns out I'll be okay because Steve Raichlen's recipe for Texas-Style Barbecued Brisket can be found on Epicurious.  I used my kamado to smoke the brisket, and I instructed The Help to keep the temperature at 250 degrees.  It took about 6 hours to smoke a 5-pound brisket.  BTW, do not try to find brisket (other than corned beef) in Hilo.  I had to drive to Kona Costco to get it.  I don't think most people in Hilo know brisket in any way other than stew meat or corned beef, which I completely detest because it's often accompanied by the vile condiment.





I think my brisket endeavor turned out well.  I served it with cole slaw, baked beans, and Ina Garten's  Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, which is my favorite mashed potato recipe of all time.  Too bad I don't always have sour cream on hand. The Help did a good job slicing the brisket thinly (between 1/8" and 1/4").  I was able to cut bite size pieces with the side of my fork.  In order to complete the memory imprint, I used my own BBQ sauce recipe to serve with the sliced brisket. I think my memory has been successfully excorcised!

The baked beans and cole slaw recipes were featured last week and the week before that. 

Toaster Oven Food: Baked Beans

Last week's post was cole slaw, a wonderful accompaniment to barbecue.  This week's post features another terrific side dish for 'cue:  baked beans.

If you grew up in Hawaii, especially if your family hails from plantation days, I'm almost certain canned Pork & Beans was served at some time in your home.  I often had it with cut-up hot dogs (red, of course).  Sometimes it was served alongside hot dogs (yes, red again) in buns.  When I lived in Honolulu, my roommate used to eat it with mayonnaise.  As she ate the pork & beans, she would mix in small amounts of mayonnaise (Best Foods, of course).  She said she learned to eat it that way from her dad.  She grew up in Kona (Holualoa, specifically), so maybe thats Kona style.

Although I ate pork & beans, I never thought it was anything special.  I didn't learn how to doctor it up until I was an adult.  Once again, playing league tennis in Hilo afforded the opportunity to sample this dish at one of the after-match potlucks.  Since that time, this is the baked beans I've made.  A bowl of this has been taken on fishing trips to the southern part of the Big Island:  Honomalino, Kahuku Ranch, Kapoho.  It was requested by one of Mr. Dependable's friends, a fucking idiot who promised me a mu (bigeye emperor fish) in exchange for this.  I guess I'm the bigger idiot.  I made the beans and never got the mu.

Two weeks ago, I began a new posting category, "Toaster Oven Food".  These are dishes which I can prepare in my toaster oven (Cuisinart).  Of course, all of these dishes can be done in a conventional oven as well. This baked beans recipe will easily fit in a toaster oven.  You may need to play around a bit with the casserole dish/pan you use.  Its just nice to know you can do this without heating up a huge oven and racking up the kilowatts.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Baked Beans

     3 cans (about 15 ounces each) Pork & Beans
     1 small onion, diced
     1 portuguese sausage, diced
     1/2 lb bacon, diced
     1 tbsp instant coffee crystals
     1/2 c ketchup
     2 tbsp shoyu
     1 tsp white vinegar
     3/4 c brown sugar

Fry onion, portuguese sausage, and bacon.  Drain fat.  Place pork & beans in a large bowl.  Add coffee, ketchup, shoyu, vinegar, and brown sugar.  Add bacon mixture.  Stir well.  Place in a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish.  At this point, beans can be refrigerated overnight.  Bake at 300 degrees for 30-45 minutes (45-60 minutes if refrigerated overnight).

Shaka continues to charm us with his antics.  The Help swears Shaka has been saying "hello" and making obnoxious burping sounds.  Most of his talking seems to happen in the morning, when I'm not home.  Aki is growing into his role as older brother.  He loves flying over to Shaka's cage in the morning.

Shaka

Crocodile Dundee stopped by on Wednesday afternoon with a package for me (courtesy of The Help).  It replaces the 2-waffle Krups Belgian waffle maker I've been using.  The Help thought it was taking too long to make waffles with making just 2 at a time.  His reasoning was that he could eat sooner with 4-waffles at a time.  We tested it out this weekend. . .recipes to come later.

top view

open

And for anyone out there keeping track, there are 15 days of school left in the school year...Zone adults have 18 days left.  I have 17 days left since I'm on personal leave today, preparing treats for BOTH Ds to take to a K-Kids potluck. D2 volunteered for cupcakes, and D1 decided to bring rainbow jello.

There will be big changes happening.  Soon it will be time to pack my stuff. . .

Introducing My Benriner

Mmmmmmm.  Just look over to the right at the cool, creamy cole slaw.  While most people would sink their teeth into the succulent smoked brisket, I'd make a beeline for the cole slaw.  Now don't get me wrong...I like 'cue just as much as the next person, but 'cue just isn't 'cue without good cole slaw.

Whenever I wanted to make cole slaw, I used to get out my bulky Cuisinart food processor, fit it with a slicing disc, and make quick work of a cabbage.  If you are planning to eat the cole slaw on the same day you make it, the 3mm slicing disc produces nice shreds.  If you are making this a day ahead, use a 4mm slicing blade.  You will get thicker pieces which won't be totally soggy and limp when you serve it.

I still have my nearly-20-year-old, trusty Cuisinart, and it gets used regularly.  But I found a faster, less cumbersome way to shred a cabbage.  I use my Benriner!

A Benriner is a mandoline.  Its made in Japan, which has caused me to pause more than once to try and to try and imagine how "Benriner" should be pronounced.  I am positive I'm not pronouncing it correctly.  The Benriner comes with a blade mounted on a platform, a finger guard, and 3 "teeth" blades.  The teeth blades are in varying widths, and the level of the platform can be adjusted for different thicknesses.  There are no measurements (that I can tell), so you just need to slice a few pieces and adjust (by turning a screw underneath the platform) until you get the thickness you want.  That is how I make quick work of a cabbage.

If you want julienne pieces, simply insert one of the teeth blades, tighten with the yellow screws on the side, and slice away.  For julienne carrots which are the right thickness for cole slaw, you will likely need to adjust the thickness from the cabbage slicing.  Changing blades and adjusting thickness are very simple.  The yellow screws on the side hold the teeth blade in place.  Taking the thing apart to wash is also simple.  The main thing is to be careful not to slice your finger because the mounted blade is super sharp.

Of course, like many other things, there are some things I wish I knew before I bought my Benriner.  I have the regular Benriner.  There are other models:  Super Benriner and Jumbo Benriner.  Both have platforms which are wider than the regular Benriner.  The slicing area of the regular benriner is under 3" wide.  Had I realized how easy it would be to use, I would have splurged for the widest model available! 

Some of my previously posted recipes would work well with a Benriner: Kimpira Gobo, Cold Noodles with Boiled Pork Topping (for slicing the cucumbers), Spicy Shredded Potatoes.  Even Cucumber and Chicken Namasu would work.

As far as pairing cole slaw with food, barbecue is king.  Whether its served in a mound on the side or piled onto a pulled pork sandwich, cole slaw and barbecue were meant to be together.  Seventy years of KFC has taught the world that cole slaw also goes well with fried chicken.  My former coworker BM told me to try it with meatloaf.  I did, and she was right.  The Help claims cole slaw goes well with pastrami, like in a pastrami sandwich.  I wouldn't know.  I don't eat pastrami.  The pastrami I've seen was/is usually eaten with the Devil's condiment.  I have bad memories of seeing it smeared all over the school lunch bun with pastrami slices coated in thick, ugly, coarse black pepper.  I also think pastrami smells like sweat.  Bleccchhhhh!!!

Okay, okay, this is just getting awkward now.  Without further ado, here is my recipe for cole slaw:

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Cole Slaw

     1 cabbage
     1 c mayonnaise
     1/4 c cider vinegar
     2/3 c sugar
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/8 tsp white pepper
     1 carrot
     1/2 tsp celery seed, optional

Shred cabbage.  Julienne carrot.  Combine all ingredients.  Chill until ready to serve.  Best if made 3 hours ahead of serving.

And as good as this recipe is, I must admit that I have gone to KFC just to buy a tub of their cole slaw.

A year ago, I was busy preparing for my trip to San Antonio.    Even though it feels like its time to take another trip, I don't think I'll be going anywhere for quite some time.  The Help finally got his birthday present. . .

Shaka

We will be Hilo-bound for a while.  Sigh. . .

Shopping Info:
You can buy a Benriner (Super Benriner) online at Sur La Table for $64.99.  Just click on one of the links below for a replacement blade to get to the Sur La Table website.  You could also get a Benriner at Marukai, but if you don't live on the island of Oahu, Sur La Table might be a better bet.


You can buy a Congo African Grey parrot at Sweet Leilani Aviaries, just outside Pahoa Town.  I know Charlene currently has Senegal babies too.  Babies are hand raised with tender loving care.  Shakas sister is Maui-bound!

Toaster Oven Food: Sour Cream Biscuits

I missed 2 days of work last week.  In addition to the day off I took on Monday, I also spent a day taking care of medical stuff.  Yuck.

It was a good thing I was off on Monday.  D1 had a Key Club service project which entailed providing refreshments to 40 kids, so I was glad I could help with that.  There is no way Mr. Dependable would participate (or if he was willing, he would likely have been late).

I have no idea how D1 is going to manage all her activities next year.  She has cheer tryouts in a month, and she is hoping to make the team again.  If all goes according to her plan, she will have cheerleading, Key Club and class president to juggle next school year.  She will also need to take Driver's Ed at some point after early June (when she will be eligible to take the written test for her learner's permit).  Throw an AP class into that mix, and I'm already out of breath.  I'm feeling sorry for her and this school year hasn't even ended yet.

This is the time of year when work becomes fast and furious too.  Disgruntled parents have had enough and try to push schools around.  It all happens in late spring.  Too bad because I'd love smooth sailing for the next month.  Without any holidays left to look forward to, I'm just trying to survive til the weekend.  The weekend is when I can unwind and relax.  I enjoy sleeping in on Sundays.  Because I get up before 5:30 daily, "sleeping in" is sleeping past 7:30, which might not be what other call "sleeping in".  The weekend is also when I have time to bake things.

Speaking of baking. . .in late 2012, I had a pv (photovoltaic) system installed at my home.  It cost a pretty penny, even with the energy tax credits, but I'm glad I did it.  I don't think HELCO fees will ever go down.  Prior to the pv installation, I was only minimally aware about how my baking was adding to the electric bill.  Since installing pv, I've been very conscious about energy consumption, and I've been trying to look for ways to control my usage (blame the many cloudy days in Hilo, but I have never had a "Joe" bill. . .KumuKit commercial protagonist).  One of my recent adaptations has been using the toaster oven to do my baking.  My toaster oven can accommodate a pan up to 12" x 12".

One of the first recipes I tested in my toaster oven was sour cream pan biscuits.  I was shocked to see a well-risen, golden brown slab emerge from my toaster oven.  Since then, I've done a lot of other things in my toaster oven.  These are all things for which I would normally have fired up the big oven.  Now it seems like such a waste to use the large oven for something which fits in the toaster oven.  Wish I thought of this even before I got pv.

Regardless where they are baked, these biscuits will not disappoint.  They are sweet enough to eat with just a slab (yes, I meant slab) of butter, but because I have a sweet tooth, I love to smear jelly on them too.  The greatest challenge for me is being sure I have sour cream in the fridge.

 click on recipe title for printable recipe

Sour Cream Pan Biscuits

     2 C Bisquick
     1/2 c sugar
     2 eggs
     1 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (375 degrees for dark coated pans).  Grease a square pan (8" x 8").  Combine Bisquick and sugar.  Add eggs and sour cream.  Mix well.  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Bake for 25 minutes.

On Saturday, The Help and I drove over to the dry side of the island to pay a visit to the conures at Petco and to stock up on provisions at Costco.  On the way back, we pulled off the road so The Help could gather dry branches to make into perches.  Someone must have cut down a huge tree because there were chunks of wood scattered on the side of the road.  I buy CalOak firewood from Safeway for about $5 for just under a cubic foot.  I told The Help that if I had a saw, we could chop the chunks into manageable size and bring them home for firewood.  The Help said he was glad we did not have a saw.  Now why would he say something like that?

As far as food goes, this wasn't a very exciting weekend for me.  I got to eat my ahi nicoise salad at Village Burger on Saturday, but I actually had pork & beans (yes, canned) and Hillshire Farms cheddarwurst little smokies too.  I guess the cheddarwurst little smokies was foreshadowing because Mama & Papa Help returned from Honolulu and brought back some kim chee sausage.  Papa Help saw it at Palama Supermarket and had to try it.  They loved it so the brought some back for us to try.  I thought it was okay (keep in mind I do not like Portuguese sausage). . .better than Portuguese sausage.  The Help loved it and can't wait to get more.  He ate it with rice, taegu, and some kind of Japanese pickled cucumber which tasted like chiso.

Jill's Caesar Salad Dressing

Pool season is officially here.  We hit 90 on Monday!  Tuesday and Wednesday were also 90 days.  Then the Hilo curse kicked in and we saw days of not even hitting 85.  Bummer.  Speaking of numbers.  .  .

If I counted correctly, there are 33 work days left in the school year.  For you luckier teachers, your count is 30.  So lucky, so lucky.  Oops, I just remembered. . .I have 30 work days left.  I'm on leave today, I have a doctor appointment later this month, and I'm taking personal leave in May to attend a ho'olaulea at D2's school.  She is the 5th grade attendant.  I also have 2 additional leave days I can take.  So far this year, I have been out a total of 4 days (2 sick leave and 2 personal. . .today is the 2nd personal leave).  In general, I don't think many teachers where I am abuse their leave, but I certainly know HGEA members who do. 

I took today off (and used personal leave, rather than a "mental health day") because I anticipated being wiped out from going out to dinner last night with Kikukat Mom's family.  I'm glad I did because last night was a late night.  We enjoyed a nice dinner at the Seaside Restaurant then went to CAE's for dessert.  I did not make the creamy fruit salad from last week...UJohn brought a fancy ricotta cheesecake for us to enjoy.

It was really nice to finally meet SN.  He didn't run for the hills.  Of course, he didn't get the full onslaught of family craziness since he "feigned" a bout of food illness (not my food) to excuse himself from the post-birthday dinner festivities (Now why didn't any of us ever think of that?  Punahou education was worth something.).  They'll get you next time!  Snicker, snicker. 

SN & LA

Seeing LA was nice too.  Now that LA lives in Honolulu (after slowly making her way back from her college days at NYU), she can visit Hilo more frequently.  Last year she came several times, including a business trip with a coworker.  They did a presentation at an accountants' conference.  She was bombarded with questions about her Hilo ties (her surname is a giveaway, no doubt).

When LA lived on the mainland (she worked in Chicago for years), she would still take the time to visit Hilo.  On one of her trips to Hilo, I invited everyone for dinner.  It was after the holidays and people were kinda disgusted with "party food".  I ended up making spaghetti and Caesar salad.  I figured a simple, no-fuss meal would be a good break from the fried chicken-bbq meat sticks-barely cooked shrimp leftovers.  While the spaghetti was much appreciated, it was the Caesar salad that got wiped out.  All gone!  That's good because a dressed salad does not store well.  I knew the salad would be enjoyed because it was something I really enjoyed when I first tried it.

This is another of those recipes which came to me as a result of being involved in league tennis.  One of my teammates, Jill, brought this to a potluck.  I was a little skeptical of the egg-less recipe at first because the Caesar salad dressing at the fancier restaurants (Salerno's in McCully Shopping Center) usually include a coddled egg.  One taste and I abandoned buying bottled caesar dressing and the thought that all Caesar salad dressing need an egg.  Even Dad, who isn't really fond of Caesar salad at restaurants, has asked for this (along with the spaghetti, which he never received).

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Jill's Caesar Salad Dressing

     1/3 c mayonnaise

     1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

     2 tbsp lemon juice

     2 tbsp water

     1 flat can anchovies, chopped

     1/2 tsp black pepper

     2 cloves garlic, chopped

Combine all ingredients in blender.  Blend until smooth.

D2 & the help

I'd like to wish happy birthday to three people who celebrated birthdays this past week.  My friend Sue on Pitcairn Island celebrated a milestone birthday.  Happy belated birthday, girlfriend!!!  I sent Sue a happy birthday email and posted on her facebook wall.  I need to postpone my Pitcairn trip til retirement because I don't have enough vacation leave to do that.  It takes a while to get there and return, and you gotta ride on a teeny tiny plane.

The Help's birthday was also this past week.  In fact, it was the same day as Sue's birthday (but The Help is a year older).  The Help got a dinner, an ice cream cake, and a big surprise, which will be ready in a few weeks.  Needless to say, he was totally shocked.

birthday boy

The third person who celebrated a birthday this past week was UM.  I'd like to send a big thank you to Otee for footing the whopper bill (Dad said if you were there, you'd want him to drink) for dinner at the Seaside Restaurant.  It was a nice opportunity to get together with the family. 

D2 and AS

grampy & D1

the cousins from Seoul

Sending prayers and thoughts to those affected by the tragic events at Boston Marathon finish line earlier today. 

East Meets West Fruit Salad

In less than a week, I will have house guests.  My cousin LA is coming to town!  She and her boyfriend SN will be here for his friend's wedding.  We are excited because this is the first time we are meeting SN.  LA's parents will also be in town to celebrate her dad's birthday.  Even though he no longer resides in Hilo, UM often comes here to celebrate with his siblings.

LA and SN will be staying with me (UM stays with Kikukat Mom).  I am entering panic mode because my house is very messy at the moment.  I will need to do some blitz cleaning on Friday afternoon/evening since they arrive on Saturday.  I hope SN isn't allergic to cats or mess.  He went to a private school, so maybe he might be scared off by the kitty hair and clutter.  LA is tough so I'm not worried about her.  She survived NYC during the 9/11 attacks.  A little kitty hair won't bother her!

While the lovebirds (LA & SN) will be busy with the wedding on Saturday (provided SN gets over the initial shock of my house mess), the rest of the family will likely get together.  I hope there will be no opportunity for UL to cook on a hibachi.  I also hope there will be no opportunity for AS to get plastered in a restaurant and display offensive behavior.  Shame!

Since I am often asked to make some kind of dessert for family gatherings, I'm anticipating this coming weekend will be no different.  In expectation for warmer weather, I was hoping to make this fruit salad.  Unfortunately, we seem to be entering into another ice age rather than spring.  I love Guy Hagi (local weather bunny for the soon-to-be-geriatric set. . .sorry, Guy), but he seems to always be delivering bad news about the weather.  Well, even if I end up making a warm fruit cobbler, my heart will be pining away for a cool, fruity dessert.

I love this creamy fruit salad.  I think its a variation of halo-halo, a filipino dessert.  The creaminess comes from cream cheese and condensed milk.  You may vary the fruits and sweets.   It makes a whole lot, which is why its good to serve at a gathering (versus trying to eat the whole thing yourself).  Coconut gel, pineapple gel, kaong (sugar palm nut), and macapuno, can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets (or at the Chinese store).  They are sold in shelf-stable jars.  If possible, try to look for white/plain kaong.  Some stores carry kaong which has been dyed a horrific magenta color (see picture at right. . .the kaong is visible between the mandarin orange segment and the kiwi).  If you use that, be warned that eventually, the entire salad will take on a pink tinge.

If you like canned fruit cocktail, you may also use it.  I go to great lengths to avoid canned fruit cocktail because canned pears and grapes (other than fermented liquid) give me the willies.  I cannot stand those little hard granules in pears, and grapes are kinda close to the Devil's condiment on my list of foods to avoid.  I have tried and tried to like grapes, but I just cannot.  I think it has something to do with the area where the grape is attached to the stems and the disgusting seeds.  Plus it takes so dang long to peel them; the skin doesn't come off nicely...it breaks up into bits and gets all over.  I've gone through a ton of napkins just to get the skin off my fingernails.  What?  You say you don't peel grapes?  You've got to be kidding me!  Euwwwww.  Don't even get me started on jaboticaba.

Now that I've totally grossed myself out with the grape description, I need to pull myself back together.  I've got too much to do before Saturday.  I can't afford to lose my focus.  The Ds need to get cracking with their rooms.  The more they clean, the less I will need to do on Friday evening.  The purr-mobile is a total mess, but I can't clean that until Friday, when I'm done using it for work.  The hallway bathroom also needs to be tidied.  There are enough hair care products on the counter to open our very own Fantastic Sam's!

LA is one of my favorite cousins. . .I will not be the reason for SN running away.  We've got other family members who have the potential for making that happen without even trying!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

East Meets West Fruit Salad

     1 block cream cheese, softened
     1 can condensed milk
     1 jar coconut gel, drained
     1 jar pineapple gel, drained
     1 jar kaong, drained
     2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
     1 jar macapuno
     1 cantaloupe
     1 kiwi
     2 c blueberries
     1 lb strawberries
     1 mango, if available

Beat cream cheese and condensed milk.  Add diced fruits and sweets.  Chill until ready to serve.

It was a busy week in Hilo. . .Merrie Monarch Festival time.  This year was the 50th anniversary of the festival, and Hilo was crawling with tons of people.  Traffic everywhere was crazy.  The Help reported seeing people holding up traffic at an intersection while trying to look at a map.  While I made it a point to stay out of the downtown area, I did manage to sneak a plate of Hawaiian food (okay, okay, the Hawaiian food stand is located outside of the downtown area).

The most popular (this is just my opinion. . .don't wanna offend anyone) Hawaiian food venue during the festival can be found on the main highway (Kanoelehua Avenue) and is operated by Ka Uhane Hemolele O Ka Malamalama.  The entire Keawekane ohana and friends are always hard at work preparing tons of plates.  I have tried all kinds of stuff (pastele, butterfish luau, laulau), but my gold standard is the kalua pig plate (Hawaiian style).  Hawaiian style plates come with lomilomi salmon, chicken long rice, white rice, and haupia.  Local style plates come with white rice and macaroni salad.  Gotta pay extra for the poi (worth it!).  I like how they chop all the lomilomi salmon ingredients really small because I hate getting a mouthful of onion.  And there are pieces of salt salmon in the lomi...these days, many places seem to forget that part.  By the time this post hits the internet, the festival will be a fond memory and the food stand by HPM will be dismantled, but don't despair.  During non-festival times, the Hawaiian food truck can be found parked at Hilo bayfront. 

In the salt mines. . .The High Commander did it again!  She bought me and a whole bunch of other people lunch in an impromptu show of appreciation for our work.  She handed a Benjamin to my coworker and asked her to take orders and go to get the orders.  Wow!  Generosity is a character trait which impresses me, and its easy to look up to and respect a leader who has traits we value.  The work drives me mental, but when you have a leader you respect, you know that the road, though bumpy, is going to lead you somewhere you want to be.  And maybe that should have been reason enough to listen to her when she told me the fish mcbites I ordered was nothing special.


The tangent to this story. . . my coworker and I were just gushing about how the High Commander has the grace to show aloha and appreciation for hard work.  Upon hearing us, one of the lieutenants mentioned nice things she and the other lieutenants do for the foot soldiers they supervise, and then she us asked what our boss does for us to show appreciation for all that we do.  I would've loved to capture the look on her face (and upload the pic to this blog) when my coworker and I answered in unison, "nothing".  The lieutenant was totally floored.  Yup. . .no aloha spoken at my office.