Gravlax

I am glad today is a holiday.  I really hate Mondays this year.   My students (the ones I grade) are great, but there is another component to Mondays which just makes me want to gag.  Best I stop there.

Before I go on, I'd like to congratulate the Ohio State Buckeyes for winning the National Championship.  I was glued to the tube the entire game.  I waited all season long for that. . .or at least since October 2nd.  A big mahalo goes to The Help for cooking dinner so I could watch the game.

I was hoping to make it to Costco this weekend, but it just didn't happen.  I had too much to do.  I'm preparing for a presentation this week, and I didn't want to just "wing it".  These people deserve better.

I am also working on a post for blog reader BrendaC.  I should have a post for her real soon. 

This week, although a short work week, will be very busy.  In addition to the presentation I'm giving, Kikukat Dad is having a birthday later this week.  His "new" favorite restaurant is Sansei, although he keeps hinting about Ruth's Chris Steak House.  If his birthday fell on a weekend, I would take him to Waikoloa for dinner, but since it's falls on a weekday, I will just invite him over for dinner. 

Of course, the invitation begs the perennial question, "What to make?"  Given that it will be a workday (for me, not him), the menu needs to be uncomplicated.  I think I'll ask The Help to cook some rib eye steaks.  I can do a Caesar salad, and we can get him a birthday cake for dessert.  But every time I have Kikukat Dad over, he seems to enjoy having something to pick on while waiting for chow time.  I've had boiled peanuts, roasted almonds, and spicy edamame before.  I think I will make some gravlax for him to munch on this time.  Gravlax is fancy, and since dinner is so simple, I think the gravlax would be appreciated.

I love gravlax, and Kikukat Dad loves it too.  I made gravlax last year and shared some with him.  It isn't difficult, and it is much better than any lox sold at the market.

For clarification purposes, especially for the relatives who are reading this, gravlax is NOT the same as the smoked salmon in the box from UGeo.  Gravlax is cured, not smoked.  No heat is used to make gravlax.  Gravlax might be more familiar as "lox", as in "lox and bagels". 

My family enjoys lox.  One of my relatives even brought it to a family party, much too the dismay of my late  uncleR, who had given specific instructions as to what everyone was to bring.  Ignoring uncleR's request, HE brought a platter of lox, bagels and fixins to the party.  While delicious, the platter stuck out like a sore thumb.  Kikukat Mom likes to eat gravlax plain.  I like it atop a bagel slathered with cream cheese and a sprinkling of capers.  It's good in sushi too.  Sushi Bar Hime makes a roll with lox, cream cheese, and asparagus.  The Help suggests using a sharp knife to slice it thinly across the grain for picture-worthy pieces.  He prepped the gravlax for the pictures (a good thing since I'd butcher the delicate flesh with my beast Henckels knife).

If I begin the process tomorrow, the gravlax will be ready in time for the birthday dinner.  I guess The Help will need to pull up his big boy pants, pinch his nose, and go to Suisan for a slab of salmon tomorrow.  While The Help likes eating salmon, he finds the smell of Suisan utterly unappetizing.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Gravlax

     2 lb piece of salmon with skin

     1/4 c rock salt

     1/4 c sugar

     fresh dill, coarsely chopped

Wash and dry salmon.  Place skin-side down on a large piece of plastic wrap.  In a small bowl, combine rock salt and sugar.  Spread evenly over salmon flesh.  Top with dill.  Wrap tightly in plastic, place in a shallow pan, and refrigerate for 24-36 hours.  Slice thinly to serve.

Hibachi Food, Potluck Food: Bacon Pickle Hot Dog

It's that time of year. . .hibachi season!  The next few months will be filled with graduation parties, picnics, Fourth of July BBQs, off-to-college parties and, eventually, tailgating.  Uh-oh.  Tailgating reminds me that the next school year is just around the corner (and we haven't officially ended this one yet!).

The Help and I came to the decision that we need to replace our current outdoor grill in order to be in top shape for hibachi season.  After several surgeries, it's time to just start fresh.  Hopefully the Weber grills will be on special!  We are looking at Weber because the replacement parts are easier to find.  Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Target have some off-brands which, while well priced, are difficult to repair.  The Charmglow gas grill on the patio has been looking like Frankenstein's monster for a while.  It is time.

If you are having a barbecue (or invited to one), bacon pickle hot dog is a great contribution.  UJames neighbor, GarretK, made this for one of his parties.  Upon first glance, it didn't seem appetizing at all, but I was amazed at how the tart dill pickle enhances the smokiness of the bacon and hot dog.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Bacon Pickle Hot Dog

hot dogs, preferably red (found in Hawaii)
bacon, 1 slice for each hot dog
pickle spears, sliced thin, 1 slice for each hot dog

Slit hot dogs lengthwise, but don't cut all the way through.  Slice pickle spears lengthwise into quarters, sixths, or eights, depending on girth of pickle.  Shove pickle slice into slit of hot dog.  Wrap hot dog with bacon slice.  Broil or grill until bacon is cooked.  Cut each hot dog wrap in half to serve.

This weekend was a big graduation week.  For the first time in over a decade, I attended commencement and watched with pride when my students received their diplomas.  It was a great feeling to be able to congratulate the seniors as they made their way back to their seats.  Even the distasteful sight of the poorest excuse for an administrator #yofadagotuin did not dampen the moment.  The tassel changing was definitely a chicken skin moment, and it made me realize that my place is with the students.  I haven't felt this excited about my job in years!

The following day, Saturday, graduation excitement touched my own family.  CP, the first-born of the next generation, graduated from high school!  Congratulations, hugs and kisses go out to him!  Although I wasn't able to make it to the commencement exercises, I made him a lei to commemorate his momentous occasion.  If only his grandfather could have been there. . .he would have been so proud. 

This weekend served as a bittersweet reminder that in a year, D1 will be participating in her own commencement exercises.  If I could give her one bit of advice, it would be, "Make the most of your senior year.  Once it is over, there is no turning back."

Snacking on the Ridge: Ranch Pretzels

Surprize, surprize!  I am still not back at work.  Its some kind of furlough day.  Yay!  I'll take the breaks when they come.  Would be nice to get paid on holidays, but with the Travelocity Gnome in office, government workers will get nothing.

Seems like the teachers have a tentative contract for the next 4 years. . .just need to ratify.  From what it sounds like, most people think its a good offer because of pay restoration, step increases & raises.  I just worry about what indignities teachers will be subject to by agreeing to this.  Never trust a troll.

Contract or no contract, this will be a short work week all around!  The only work days this week are Wednesday and Thursday.  I was planning on finishing up my CSI: Miami series on Netflix, but sometime last week, the Ds got into it (yes, I'm proud that D1 thinks Eddie Cibrian is hot stuff...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, so I've been told by the Dom).  I  will save the 10th season and watch it when they catch up to me.  Should be summer by then, and the current season of my other favorite show, Criminal Minds, should be out on dvd or Amazon video.

When Uncle George came to town four months ago, he and Aunty Char spent some time at the home of his classmate ST.  ST gave Aunty Char a tub of these pretzels.  She claimed that she couldn't stop eating them and had never tasted anything so flavorful.  Aunty passed around the tub for everyone to eat.  One bite confirmed that ST's pretzels were garlic-heavy and not baked.  

I am well aware that there are many versions of this recipe out there (of course, you can only have so many variations when you are dealing with so few ingredients).  Some include garlic powder.  Some entail baking the pretzels while others merely suggest letting the pretzels sit for a while with the seasonings.

With my food OCD shifting into high gear, I cannot get over the idea of NOT baking the pretzels.  I do not mean to offend those of you who make the non-baked variation, but I would encourage you to try the baked version.  You will end up with a crispier product which will not get soggy from the popcorn oil.  Your mouth will not be coated in raw popcorn oil film, and your fingers will not be covered so thickly in white cheetos-like matter.  Trust me/

I've taken this to work functions, and when I can find the giant tub of honey wheat pretzels, I make a bunch of this and keep it in mason jars.  It makes a good grab-as-you-go-out snack.  It is also an excellent snack to take with you when you go horseback riding!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Ranch Pretzels

     18-20 oz honey wheat pretzel twists
     1/2 c popcorn oil
     1/2 tsp dried dill
     1/2 tsp lemon pepper
     1 envelope ranch dressing mix

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Combine oil, dill, lemon pepper and dressing mix.  Spread pretzels out in a shallow baking pan.  Pour oil mixture over pretzels, tossing gently to coat.  Bake for 40 minutes, stirring pretzels every 10 minutes.  Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

During Spring Break, we made the short drive out to Waipio Ridge Stables and enjoyed nearly 3 hours of breathtaking views while on horseback.  Here are some of my favorite pics from the adventure. . .

the tack room

D2 on Ka`eo

walk, walk, walk

D1 with Taro

D1 on Noni

at the halfway point. . .a good time to break out the ranch pretzels!