Shiro An

Happy 2016!  Happy new year!  I got a little distracted with updating this post, hence the late posting.  It's been a hell of a break!

I am still recovering from the holiday party season.  Having two holidays a week apart is brutal.  My family doesn't do much for Christmas, but it is still a monumental task to get the decorations put away.

The best part of the holiday season usually comes after Christmas when my cousins come to town.  This year, three of them made it to Hilo.  I had them over for a cozy NYE dinner.  I made prime rib, roasted garlic crab, garlic noodles, and caprese tomatoes.  I've included links to the Rasa Malaysia recipes (crab and noodles), but the noodle recipe is actually different from the one I use.  If you follow the Rasa Malaysia thread, the garlic noodle recipe was originally posted years ago.  Since then, the recipe has been re-tooled.  I use the original recipe from years ago.  I have not tried the new recipe (with the Maggi seasoning), so I don't know how it compares.  I didn't have time to check on a link to the original recipe.  And really. . .the original recipe was kick-ass, so I'm not sure why it needed to be changed.

For NYE dessert, I served amaretto custard bread pudding.  My cousin brought a Hawaiian Pie Company strawberry guava pie.  Both were delicious.

The Help was thrilled with the bottles of RedBreast and Laphroaig brought over from Oahu.  I am definitely not a fan of whiskey, but I cannot help thinking they'd taste awfully good in some kind of dessert.  Maybe when he is not looking. . .

Although the food and drink were fabulous, the best part was being able to just sit and hang with the cousins, something you cannot do at a restaurant.  My cousins are all so awesome, and we don't always have the luxury of being in one place all together.  They had a rough start to 2015, so I'm hoping 2016 will be a better year for them, despite the fact that Kikukat Dad is hounding them to go to Japan with him again.  I know, I know. . .I will owe them big time for the travel-sitting.

The second half of the school year begins tomorrow (for teachers...begins on Wednesday for many students).  Glad I got my grades and pacing guide done before I left for vacation.  I'm the lazy type who doesn't like to work, but there are a bunch of people I work with whom I adore, and it will be nice to see them again.

What I am NOT looking forward to is D1's departure in a few days.  Gotta brace myself for that.  Even though she drove me crazy at times (and cost me over $200 to replace a car key she "misplaced". . .wtf, can make dean's list but cannot keep track of a car key), it was really nice having her home.  Even Shaka is now saying her name!

Since I'm trying to stretch out the holiday season (since it means D1 is still here), I'm going to continue last week's recipe, which was microwave daifuku mochi.  While a variety of fillings can be used, including the ever-convenient pre-made koshian and tsubushian (comes in cans of plastic bags), my filling of choice is shiro-an, shiro meaning "white" in Japanese.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Shiro An (Lima Bean Filling)

     1 lb lima beans (dried)
     2 c sugar
     dash of salt

Soak beans overnight in water to cover.  Slip skins off before cooking.  Place beans in pot with water to cover and cook until soft.  Add sugar and salt and cook until mixture is almost dry and forms a ball, about 30 minutes, stirring constantly.  When cooking, add as little water as possible - if there is too much water, it takes much longer to cook to the stiff stage.  Yield:  50 "an" balls (using a #60 disher).

Almost Pike Place Chowder: New England Clam Chowder

This past weekend, the weather was miserable.  After weeks of hot, sticky humidity, we got bombarded by rain.  A new weather system formed just southeast of us, bringing a ton of rain to Hilo.

The Help and I survived a wet football game at Wong Stadium (affectionately called "Lake Wong").  The Help learned that Columbia rain products are not on equal footing with NorthFace; he was soaked, while my layers remained dry.   Maybe Santa will bring him a NorthFace jacket this year.

On Saturday, as the downpour continued, The Help made a strange comment, something to the effect of "so this is what it's like to live in Seattle."  Ummmmm NO.

Seattle rain is nothing like Hilo rain.  In Hilo, the rain comes down in buckets.  Walking ten feet in the rain is capable of soaking through layers of clothes (including a Columbia supposed-rain jacket).  Seattle rain is different.  It doesn't come down in buckets, but it's always present.  I had a hard time explaining the difference to The Help.  I did, however, make a big deal about the temperature of the rain.  Seattle rain is cold.

Anyway, The Help's comment about Seattle brought back memories of a recent trip to the Emerald City.  I had the opportunity to stop at Pike Place Chowder for a steaming bowl of their award-winning chowder.  It was every bit as good as the hype made it out to be.  No disappointment at all, although I was somewhat surprised at how small the place was.  There were hardly any tables/chairs, yet that didn't see to stop people from lining up.  I tried both the seafood bisque and the New England style clam chowder.  Both were awesome, and they are high up on my to-eat list for my next trip to Seattle.

So as a reward for opening his mouth, The Help found himself heading out in the rain on Saturday to pick up the ingredients for my copycat version of Pike Place Chowder's New England Clam Chowder.  Although my next trip to Seattle will need to wait for a while (I need to go to AZ first), I found myself sitting down to a nice, hot bowl of soup while lamenting those darn Dawgs!  WTF?!?

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Almost Pike Place Chowder:  New England Clam Chowder

     2 tbsp butter

     1/2 onion, diced

     2 stalks celery, diced

     1/3 c flour

     1 can chicken broth (add water to make 2 cups)

     2 cans (10 oz each) clams (minced, chopped or combination)

     1 c heavy cream

     2 bay leaves

     1 lb russet potatoes, cubed 1/2"

     1/2 tsp salt

     1/8 tsp pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add onion and celery and saute until soft.  Stir in flour.  Add chicken broth, clam juice (reserve clams for later), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes.  Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.  Add clams, salt, and pepper.  Serve.

I had quite a scare on Saturday night.  Sometime during the slaughter at Sun Devil Stadium, I decided to check my fb page.  My heart sank when I saw a post about a stampede at the Summer Ends Music Festival at Tempe Beach Park.  Prior to leaving for Tempe, D1 purchased her ticket online, so I knew she was there (rather than at the stadium).  The fb news clip said two juvenile females, who were close to the stage, were taken to a local trauma center with life-threatening injuries.  I immediately texted and called D1, but there was no response.  As a parent 3,000 miles away, all sorts of things went through my mind.  I breathe a deep sigh of relief when the phone rang as I was talking to Mr. Dependable about the events.  Darn kid said she had left her phone at home for safe-keeping and was unaware (until later) as to why she had been ordered by concert officials to evacuate Tempe Beach Park.

Later, as I was praying and hoping for the best for all those injured, The Help said he knew all along D1 was fine...said she would never have dished out the extra $$$ to be close to the stage.  Being pake probably saved her ass.

Bread Machine: Plain Not-So White Bread

The Help has discovered the bread machine!  Prior to his discovery, he was under the impression that the bread machine was a useful tool for preparing dough.  He never imagined it would be any good at actually baking a loaf of bread.  Imagine my surprise when he asked me, "can that thing actually make an edible loaf of bread?".

As an educator, I know first hand that people learn best when they can actually "do" something.  So for teaching purposes, I suggested that The Help try to make a loaf of bread by following a recipe.  He wanted something simple and plain, so we decided on a basic white bread recipe.  The Help did the measuring and dumping, interjecting his work with several "I don't think this is gonna come out" lines.  I explained the control panel on the bread machine and taught him how to set the machine for basic bread with a medium crust.  For dramatic purposes, I made him press the start button.

Three-and-a-half hours later, he was blown away by the golden brown loaf nestled in the bread pan.  He was tempted to cut into it, but I explained that bread needs to be cool before it can be sliced.  He was totally shocked to find out that the inside of the loaf was not a gooey, doughy mess.

Since then, The Help has replaced buying bread from the supermarket with buying the giant bag of bread flour from Costco.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Bread Machine White Bread

(2 pound loaf)

     1 1/2 c water

     2 tbsp butter, cut in chunks

     4 c bread flour

     3 tbsp dry milk

     2 tbsp sugar

     2 tsp salt

     1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Place ingredients into bread pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer of your bread machine.  Use basic or white bread cycle with crust color set on medium.  When bread is done baking, remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

If you don't already have a bread machine, here are some things to consider:

• For maximum versatility, purchase a machine which can accommodate a 2 pound loaf.
• If you like the idea of an elongated bread pan, look for a model with at least 2 mixing paddles.
• A hopper for holding "mix-ins" is very convenient to have.

new digs

 A few weeks ago, I actually made it to Honolulu for an quick, overnight trip.  While there, The Help went to check out his parents' new digs.  I got to enjoy some much-needed delicious food.

shrimp look fun and taro puffs

char siu bao, har gao & siu mai

joong, lo bok gao & more har gao

scallion pancakes...better than what I'd make at home

honey walnut shrimp

fried string beans

peking duck

 I don't know when I'm going to get to go on a trip again.  I was supposed to go in to the office today, but I was "saved" by D2, who convinced me this was a good time to have her bff Kara over for a sleepover.  I'm attending a workshop on Friday, and I officially begin work in a week.  I was supposed to go to Kona on Saturday, but Mr. Dependable pulled a fast one on me and I ended up with the kids this weekend.  We made the most of it and actually went to a bon dance.

Puna Hongwanji

While the picture above may seem benign enough, there was a definite cost to this outing.  Somewhere between the church and my car (parked on the side of the road), I stepped in dog shit.  I drove off smelling a faint odor, but it got stronger as the foot heaters began working.  Before I even hit the Panaewa stretch, I was gagging violently.  I ended up pulling off to the side of the road by Mauna Loa Mac Nut.  Cleaning my black patent dkny slippers proved futile, as there were deep treads in the sole of the slipper and there was no way to dig out every morsel of crap.  Knowing there was no way I could make it home otherwise, my slippers got hurled into the bushes, never to be seen again (hopefully...I hope nobody is THAT desperate).  I bought those slippers years ago in Connecticut. 

I can't believe I'll be at work in a week...when most of the public school teachers in the rest of the state will still have a good 2 weeks of vacation left.  I hope that when I receive my paycheck (reflecting a 17% raise) this will all seem worth it.  I had planned to buy a fisheye converter with my first fat paycheck, but now I need to use it to pay my credit card bill with the replacement slippers on it.   I still plan to go through with purchasing that fisheye converter eventually, but in the meantime, I gotta stay away from bon dances.

White Trash

Being home was nice.  It wasn't nice being sick, but being in the comfort of my home was nice.  I got to watch a lot of tv.  I noticed many commercials have that holiday feel to them already.  I guess its not too early to start thinking about Christmas, and I'm thinking of sharing some White Trash with my colleagues (the ones I like only).

Looking for something sweet and salty at the same time?  Look no further.  White Trash combines the silky sweetness of white chocolate with the saltiness of pretzels and cashews.  While there are a bunch of recipes out there, this is one of those recipes where you can add your own touch to it.  Vary the type of M & Ms and the nuts.  Macadamia nuts would be very decadent.  And with Christmas just around the corner, a chunk of this in a cellophane bag tied with a festive ribbon makes a nice gift for those worthy.

With the High Commander moving into the house next door, its certainly not too early to start thinking about office Christmas gifts.  Last year I handed out bags of mini pizzelle, homemade, of course.  In doing so, I took notice that several of my office mates are frugal, never treating anyone, never bringing in treats to share.  Shame.  The High Commander, is one of THE most generous people I know.  Last year, she took her entire team for lunch at Nihon Restaurant!  It was a lunch buffet and open non-alcoholic bar.  For Halloween she gave each member of the entire District staff a See's Candy Bar.  It bewilders me that some people can't see that the High Commander treats people well AND values that quality in others.  Others certainly haven't taken the time to internalize that quality themselves.  Amazing. . .how dense can people be???  Anyway, getting back to my post. . .

 

click on recipe title for printable recipe
White Trash

     2 10-oz. bags Snyder's Sourdough pretzels (short and fat)

     2  10 oz. bags M & Ms

     11-12 oz. salted cashews

     2 11 oz bags white chocolate chips

     1 tbsp oil

Combine pretzels, M & Ms, and cashews in a large bowl.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.  In a 4-cup glass measuring cup, heat white chocolate chips and oil on medium-high power for 2 minutes.  Stir.  Microwave on high for 10 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  Pour over cereal mixture in bowl and mix well.  Spread onto prepared baking sheet.  Let cool until chocolate hardens.  Break apart and store in an airtight container.