Cripes! Earthquake!!!

By now, you've probably heard about the huge earthquakes and the lava in east Hawaii.

On Thursday, May 3, mid-morning, there was a quick jolt.  It was enough to send me running to the doorway, but not enough to rattle the only student in my class that day.  He sat unfazed until I told him to get in the doorway with me.  The shaking stopped just as he stood up to join me.

By that late afternoon/early evening, the news reported fissures popping up in the Leilani Estates subdivision, about 40 minutes away from where I live.  Aside from my sore shoulder, I had a rather calm evening and was looking forward to the May Day program the next day.

I felt pretty good, pretty top-shape, having dealt effectively with 2 technological malfunctions that week.  KikukatDad's 1st Generation iPad was unable to download an upgrade to the Star-Advertiser app.  For him, that was a deal-breaker.  He knew the time had come to purchase a new iPad.

In spite of being a technology-dunce, KikukatDad, who has never turned on a computer in his life, took to the iPad.  For over 6 years (it was my hand-me-down), KikukatDad has read his newspaper on the iPad.  He mastered scrolling, swiping, and zooming.  When he went to Honolulu for short trips, his iPad followed him.

After a quick run to Target and a short set-up at home, his new iPad was ready to go.  I delivered it to him and he was able to read his paper again.  The Help provided some navigational support to smooth the transition.  So far, so good.

On Thursday, shortly after the jolt, D2 came to my room to show me her cracked iPhone screen.  Weighing the options, I told her we'd get her screen fixed (she would pay for it).  She wanted to use the phone as-is, but I told her that was unacceptable, fearing the cracked screen would eventually give way and cause damage to the actual workings of the phone.  OfficeMax was able to replace her screen, and I was home in time to cook dinner.  Again, so far, so good.

Then on Friday, around 11:30 am, the sign fell off the wall, literally.  I was in the boss' office, complaining about a coworker and a student engaging in blatant academic fraudulence.  One of the vice principals had joined us in his office, as he was questioning a recent announcement.  Then the shaking began.  A sign from the wall behind me fell and landed a few inches behind me.  There was no desk to crawl under!  Well, there was, but I would've had to sit ON the boss!  So I did what any reasonable person would do...I jumped up and held onto the vice principal.  Not my proudest moment, but I did feel safe.

The students and staff were eventually corralled into the pool area.  I actually felt safe in the pool area. . .no second or third floor to collapse onto me.  No concrete to fall on my head.  But every measure of safety was thrown out when the shaking began.  I was floored that many students just sat on the bleachers.  I wanted to run.  Where to, I'm not sure, but I knew I wanted to run.  The shaking lasted a loooooong time.  A student managed to take video, and it was featured on Hawaii News Now (and other places have shown it since).  The vantage point of the video is actually very close to where I was when the shaking began.

We've had a few jolts since then, and it is unnerving every time it happens.  Thus far, the damage at home hasn't been bad.  I lost a Mikasa crystal drinking glass.  My room at school seemed intact too.  I'm fortunate.

I have a few friends who have had to evacuate, and my thoughts and prayers are with them.

In spite of the chaos last week, I don't think we've seen it all yet.  In chaotic times, I find myself resorting to fast and easy cooking.  Just a bit fancier than plain white sticky rice, warabi rice is quick and easy to make.  The ingredients are fairly easy to obtain here in Hawaii.  When things quiet down and tourists decide to check out the east side of the island again, warabi is definitely something to be tried (Suisan---warabi salad; Coqui's Hideaway---warabi fried rice).  If you are fortunate enough to receive warabi as a travel gift, try this rice recipe or my warabi kamaboko salad recipe.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Warabi Rice

     1-2 c warabi, chopped in 1/4" pieces

     1/4 c dried shrimp*, chopped

     1 kamaboko, diced

     2 pieces aburage, diced

     2 tsp salt

     1/4 tsp hondashi granules

     2 tbsp oil

     3 c rice (cook 3 c rice cooker cups as usual in rice cooker)

Heat oil and saute shrimp until golden.  Add kamaboko and aburage.  Fry until aburage is crispy.  Add warabi.  Sprinkle salt and hondashi and toss lightly.  Remove from heat.  In a large bowl, combine rice and warabi mixture using quick, light strokes.  

*My grandma used iriko (small, dried fish) instead of shrimp, but iriko is very hard to find now.

Many of my Rav buddies on the mainland messaged me with their concern.  I am grateful to be in their thoughts.  I think the stress of the earthquakes/lava have taken a toll on me, even if I'm not in such close proximity to the area being affected.  My shoulder has been aching more and more, and nights of good sleep are fewer.

My main hobby and outlet have been affected as well.  I have a few projects going, but I am careful about taking frequent breaks to stretch my shoulder.  This weekend, I finished a beaded beret for DHS.  I hope to finish an MKAL project soon too.  

I received 2 skeins of gorgeous yarn (pictured) from Western Sky Knits as prizes I won in a contest in the Plum Dandi group.  

The Keeper gave me a ramen t-shirt from our favorite Hawaii ramen place, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka.

And Nakaz bought me a yummy lunch on Friday.

I feel the love!

Kamaboko Patties

It's nice to have had a holiday last week.  The next holiday will be spring break, so it is still weeks away.  And there will be no trip to sweeten the deal of spring break (at least not this year).  Oh well.

I was hoping to be posting a bunch of Instant Pot recipes by now, but that won't happen this week.  I've been trying things in the Instant Pot (IP), but I don't think I'm ready to throw out my Crock Pot and Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker just yet.  I learned that you CAN overcook food in the IP.  Last week, I tried making braised English-style short ribs.  It was a conventional recipe (stove top, oven) which I attempted to adapt to the IP.  I overcooked the ribs!  Yes, overcooked.  The meat was falling-off-the- bone tender, and that was not a good thing.  Short rib has a thick piece of non-meat which feels like a cross between rubber and plastic.  These pieces were attached to every bit of meat!  Gross.

And if that wasn't bad enough, I managed to spill short rib liquid on a placemat.  In spite of washing the placemat multiple times, the placemat, my washer and my dryer still smell like beef.  Seriously.  I will not be having beef for a while.

So until I get things like that  (as well as the clean-up) sorted out, I will not be posting any IP recipes.  I'm going to stick to safe recipes while I wait for additional IP accessories to arrive.  I ordered a silicone steamer, some mini mitts, and a 7" springform pan.  I have not ordered a glass lid yet, although I probably need to get one since I do not have a glass lid which fits it.  My friend Odie ordered a non-stick pan.  That might be something to order eventually.

With the Olympics on TV, I did not spend much time in the kitchen.  I wanted to watch my favorite events, the alpine events...Super G and Downhill.  I'm always amazed at how quickly those people make it down the hill.  I'm even more amazed at some of the freestyle events and how more of those athletes don't end up paralyzed from nasty falls. 

And it's not your imagination.  My last blog post was also about patties, clam patties to be exact.  I guess I like making patties.  In addition to being quick to cook, they are easy to serve and easy to pack as leftovers for lunch.  If you have burger buns on hand, these patties make a great sandwich filling too.  While these are good as is, The Help likes his with Bulldog tonkatsu sauce.  I like to have mine with a sesame kochujang dipping sauce.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Kamaboko Patties

     1 kamaboko, grated (medium coarse)
     6 shrimps, chopped
     1 can water chestnuts, chopped
     green onion
     3/4 c flour
     1/2 tsp salt
     1 tsp sugar
     1/4 c water

Combine flour, salt and sugar.  Stir in water.  Add remaining ingredients and combine well.  Using a small ince cream scoop, make patties.  Fry on both sides in oil until light brown.

Last Day

October 13, 2017:  Day 5

Saying goodbye to Hokkaido was a sad day.  Toyoko Inn graciously offered to hold our things while we spent the day traipsing around Sapporo.  In spite of Toyoko Inn being a basic hotel, I actually enjoyed my stay.  The place was clean and the daily breakfast, had I not been a piggie, would've been more than ample.

Most of my day alone was spent looking for yarn stores.  I managed to find Mariya, which was a total disappointment.  There was hardly anything of interest to me.

A few days prior, I managed to find a Kanariya outpost in the ESTA shopping arcade at the Sapporo station.  I was thrilled.

But I hit the motherlode again when I found this store, Yuzawaya.  I cannot read Japanese, so I asked someone to read the characters for me, even though the knitting sheep made me quite certain I was at the right place.

This was indeed an awesome store, and I bought some goodies to share with a few special Rav friends.

After all that shopping, I was totally hungry.  I knew I could find something to eat at the station, and it would put me closer to retrieving my bags at Toyoko Inn.

The Keeper was on the outskirts of the city exploring some kind of temple so he was out of play.  Just when I was trying to decide what to eat, I came across Nakaz, also looking for a meal.  We decided to indulge ourselves one last time at Tonkatsu Wako.  Since it was lunch, there was a slightly different menu...different combination sets.  Yum!  This was a great last-meal-of-the-trip, and it was nice to have good company as well.

There was another memorable food experience...a frozen fruit cocktail mochi.  I regret not getting any pics of it, but it was like eating a creamy fruit cocktail in a mochi.

A final thank you to The Keeper for getting me to Sapporo and back home (and every minute in between) safely.

Goodbye, Sapporo...until next time.

After many hours, I finally walked into my home.  Traveling is fun, but it's also nice to come home and enjoy the travel mementos (sake glass from Kitaichi Glass, Otaru).

Somen Inari Sushi V2

I am pretty sick. . .sick because I see Labor Day as the end of summer (the season, not the vacation. . .that was over a long time ago).  There's just something to love about the warm temps of summer.  I love endless days of sun.  I love how the pool heats.  I love the long days.  I've already begun sleeping with my electric blanket on.  Sad, sick. . .shucks!

A few years ago, I blogged about somen inari sushi.  When I recently tried retrieving the recipe, the link was not linking to the correct issue of Currents, and I was unable to locate the correct issue.  This was the perfect opportunity for me to look at ways to change the original recipe to suit my taste/convenience.

While the original recipe was good, I didn't feel it contained enough somen noodles, and I would end up with some unfilled aburage since there wasn't enough filling for all the aburage in the jumbo package.  Problem solved by adding more noodles and liquid.  If possible, make this on the day you plan to serve it.  If it sits overnight, the somen noodles will turn green. . .color leeching from the ocean salad.  While the taste is not affected, the eye appeal might be compromised.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Somen Inari Sushi V2

     1 large (31.74 oz) package frozen seasoned deep fried bean curd rectangles, thawed

     10 oz somen noodles (dried)

     2 blocks kamaboko, slivered

     8 oz ocean salad

     3 oz Tropics oriental dressing

Break somen noodles in half and cook as directed on package.  Drain and cool.  Drain aburage, pouring liquid over well drained somen noodles.  Squeeze aburage pieces gently and add liquid to noodles.  Add kamaboko, ocean salad, and dressing to noodles.  Toss gently until kamaboko and ocean salad are distributed throughout.  Carefully open aburage rectangles and fill with somen mixture.  Chill until ready to serve.  Makes about 55 aburage cups.

 I tried to blog in mid-August, but I was just too dang busy.  My friends and I made a trek out to the Manta Restaurant at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel to enjoy their fabulous brunch.  It was a beautiful day.  I'm too embarrassed to show my plate of food.

And sometime at the end of last month, the high school football season began.  I accompanied The Help to HPA for the game.  I'm proud of another Viking victory.

I've been spending lots (too much) time knitting.  I managed to finish 4 projects in August, 2 of which are Christmas gifts.  I'm working feverishly to finish another project, a test knit for my fave designer.

Food Processor Food: Kamaboko Dip

kamaboko=Japanese pink and white steamed fishcake on a wooden board which is normally sold in plastic shrinkwrap

This past week of work went a lot better than the previous week.  Perhaps my body clock got used to waking up early.  Or perhaps my brain knew it would be a short week for the kids.

We had a student-free day on Friday.  While that might sound dandy, I'll take a day with students any day over a "planning & collaboration day" with adults.  Kids rock.

In spite of my reluctance to even try to enjoy Friday, it actually turned out well.  We got a lot done and I was pleasantly surprised at how well everyone present was so task-oriented.

Since there was hardly any traffic that morning (several other teachers were being tortured the same way), I made a small detour and picked up lunch from Asamis Kitchen.  I nonchalantly asked the counter person to add a wonton to my order.  When I bit into the wonton, I was shocked to find it was filled with some type of kamaboko dip.  I've eaten wonton with imitation crabmeat filling before, but the kamaboko dip in the wonton was a novel taste.  Kamaboko dip wonton is something I need to try on my own someday, maybe when D1 returns, since she says she likes kamaboko dip.  I have never seen D1 eat kamaboko dip.  Ever.  But she says she likes it.  Whatevers.

Anyway, while D1 was home for the holidays, she attended a party at a friend's house.  She took a container of kamaboko dip for sharing.  I had made a triple recipe of kamaboko dip since I knew my cousins would be over so there was more than enough for D1 to take to her party.  When I asked her if she liked the dip, she said she didn't have any.  She said she left the container on the patio with some intoxicated boys, and by the time she made her way back to the patio, the dip was gone.

So while I cannot verify that this dip recipe will work well as a wonton filling, I can attest that it is enjoyed as an accompaniment for chips, crackers, and/or vegetables.  I normally just serve it in a dish, but The Help thought it would be cute to pack it onto a clean kamaboko board in the shape of a kamaboko.  If you decide his idea is worth replicating, shape the kamaboko on the board, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill until ready to serve.  Remove plastic wrap just before serving.

Now you might today might be a good time to try making some kamaboko dip wonton, today being a holiday and all, but I'm a little busy today.  I'm spending the day at work, prepping for tomorrow.  I thought I would be able to get some prep done on Friday, but my time was consumed with other things.  When I thought I might have a moment of breathing room, I had to call the help desk to ask them to fix a mistake created by a colleague.  Apparently the help desk could use some help too.  The person who answered the phone was incompetent and sent me over to the wrong side for help.  When I said, "next time, make it a policy to ask which side I'm calling about before handing me off," the person who took my call said, "please be understanding because we are short staffed."  Dumbass.  My call had nothing to do with staffing!  It took over 30 minutes to get my issue resolves, 25 minutes of which were spent holding for the wrong person. 

 click on recipe title for printable recipe

Kamaboko Dip

     1 block kamaboko, cut into chunks
     2 tbsp celery, minced
     1 tbsp onion, minced
     3/4 c mayonnaise
     1/2 tsp garlic salt

Place kamaboko, celery, and onion, into work bowl of food processor.  Process until kamaboko is chopped fine.  Empty into small mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Long Rice Salad

Happy Labor Day!

Today is a much-deserved holiday.  Looking forward to the 4-day work week.  I've been awake since 4:45 am.  Yes, I know it's a holiday, but I had to take D1 to the airport for some kind of 1-day Key Club convention on Oahu.  I hope she brings back some yummy snack for me.  Not sure why, but I've been ono for Beard Papa (cream puffs).

A whole bunch of my friends went to Honolulu this weekend.  There was an HSTA meeting as well as a food and wine festival.  I wish I could've gone to the food and wine festival.  My new favorite Hilo restaurant, Full Moon Cafe, was there.  I missed my smoky sashimi fix this weekend.  For all you Hilo expats living away, the next time you come home, Full Moon Cafe is a must-try.  Their menu is small and changes daily, ensuring that food is only made with fresh ingredients.  I cannot get enough of the smoky sashimi.  Actually, it's a smoky shoyu with chili pepper oil.  It is kick-ass!

As I was saying, this is a much-deserved holiday for me.  I feel like I've been working like a dog.  Things at work have been hectic, and last week, one of my new coworkers announced his departure.  That leaves a big hole because we really could've used his expertise this year.  Alas, Rhode Island pays better than Hawaii, and a former Hawaii administrator has been recruiting heavily on the East side of the Big Island...she already got another administrator to move.  I wonder who else will follow the pied piper.

I also wonder what else will be placed upon my plate (as well as the other teachers) due to our coworkers departure.  Come to think of it, I wonder what his advisorship was.  And on a very personal level, I wonder who will buy his car.  He has a cute Mini Cooper.  If it had Union Jack mirrors, it would already be in my garage!

As if things weren't hectic enough, last week Wednesday my new elliptical arrived.  I was expecting it sometime this week so I was surprised to come home from work to find The Help assembling it.  The box was huge.  I'm not even sure how he managed to get it into the house without my help.  I have been trying to adjust from the treadmill (now in my neighbors living room) to the elliptical, and it hasn't been easy.  I usually walked over 2 miles each morning on the treadmill, but I've come to realize there is no such thing as "walking" on an elliptical".  It is fricking hell.  I cannot last more than 5 minutes on the dang thing, and my thighs burn at minute 3.  At minute 4, I think I went into cardiac arrest from the dang elliptical.  After 5 minutes, I gave up.  It was no better on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday either...thigh burn, cardiac arrest, give up...every single time.

And sometime between the last post and this one, Kikukat Blog surpassed one million page views.  Wow.  I really didn't expect that!  I began this blog in May 2010, just as I was closing the second darkest year (hope it won't be third darkest!) in my career.  I was looking for a way to keep in touch with faraway family and friends...people who were near and dear to me and helped keep me sane.  So for those of you who read my blog, thank you for giving me this venue to bitch, celebrate, and hang with you.  I hope to see you at the 2-million mark!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Long Rice Salad

     1 large pkg. long rice*
     1 Japanese cucumber
     1 kamaboko
     1 pkg bean sprouts
     1/2  c sugar
     1/2 c rice vinegar
     2 tbsp shoyu
     2 tsp sesame oil
     1 tsp ginger juice

Cook long rice for 5 minutes in boiling water.  If using Nice brand long rice, cook 10 minutes.  Rinse in cold water, drain and cool.  Spread in an even layer on a serving platter.  Cook bean sprouts in boiling water for 3 minutes.  Rinse, drain and cool.  Spread over long rice.  Sprinkle cucumber over bean sprouts, followed by kamaboko.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.  Combine remaining ingredients in a jar.  Shake well.  Chill until ready to serve.  Shake dressing prior to serving.

*Hawaii might be the only place where we refer to bean thread noodles as "long rice".  In other parts of the world, I think it goes by "cellophane noodles" and "glass noodles".  There are several brands to choose from, and the brand I try to buy is Nice.  The Nice noodles come in a flat pack, rather than bunched in a compact bundle like other brands.  You will need 3-4 ounces (dry weight) for this recipe.

Mike and Matsu, you guys missed a great football Saturday!

The JV played Pahoa's 8-man squad and the varsity played HPA.  The JV game was interesting, as I had never seen an 8-man game before.  Pahoa had some big boys, but the scrappy Viks managed to dominate.  Mercy rule kicked into play.  I got to see my favorite JV running back do some damage to the Dagger defense.

#11 rocks

By the time the varsity game began, it was already dark.  The Help told me my assignment was to shoot "emotion".  I think I did well.  The picture above shows elation.  It's apparent the players and coaches are happy.  I was able to capture the player getting air!

The picture to the right shows reverence and respect.  The boys listen politely as one of the coaches speaks with wisdom. 

The varsity game saw a repeat of the mercy rule, and I was most glad to see that no player was seriously injured.  As a parent, being down on the field is a little disturbing.  I do not like the sound helmets make when they slam against each other, nor do I enjoy hearing the wind knocked out of a player.  It really is spooky when someone takes a little longer to get to their feet.

But what I hate even more than the raw side of football brutality is asshole poser photographers who use flash on the field!  Apparently, the dickhead wearing the red HPA t-shirt had no regard for safety, judging from his flash bursts blinding the players (HPA player included).  Show some respect for the players, asshole! 

it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out why the Kamakani receiver missed this pass

Oh, and I almost forgot...emotion in the last picture is despair. 

Somen Inari Sushi

Its the last week of school/work before winter break, and I have food obligations for at least 2 food-centered events this week...an office luncheon (me) and a class activity (D1).  I'm sure D2 has something but I just haven't been notified yet, so make that 3 food-centered events this week.  D1 hasn't voiced an opinion for what she wants to bring (I'm thinking brownies), and I'm thinking about bringing somen inari sushi to the office luncheon. 

People often ask me where I find my recipes.  Although I have a huge collection of cookbooks, which I continually pore through, there are many times when I sample a dish at a party or a meeting then feel compelled to ask for the recipe.  Somen inari sushi happens to be a product of the latter.

 At our family Thanksgiving luncheon at Aunty Janice's house a few weeks ago, Cousin Vinny brought a platter of these fancy pockets.  I took one and persuaded D2 to try it.  Thinking she'd balk at being asked to take a bite of the aburage (she is a sworn tofu enemy), I let her taste a kamaboko sliver first, followed by a noodle, and then by something from the ocean salad.  At that point, she grabbed the aburage and just took a huge bite.  By the time we left Aunty Janice's house, she had consumed at least 5 of the somen inari sushi and was looking forward to diving into the ones we were taking home. There was no way I could've brought home enough, and she was disappointed when she had polished them all off.  After I showered, I texted Cousin Vinny and asked him for the recipe.  The recipe, "Stuffed Aburage", is on page 13 of the newsletter. 

My friend Colleen's mom made something like this for a party nearly 2 decades ago, so I know the recipe has been around a while.  I think I didn't attempt it sooner because I was daunted by having to prepare the aburage.  I didn't realize it came already pre-cooked and pre-seasoned.

Cousin Vinny gave me unsolicited advice on where to find frozen pre-seasoned aburage rectangles (KTA, of course), and he even gave me advice on how to deal with the liquid that gets squeezed out from the aburage.  All his knowledge lead me to question who actually made the dish. . .Cousin Vinny or his wife/boss Aunty Mia.  Cousin Vinny gave credit to Aunty Mia for making the dish, as he was busy making the baked beans, which we also enjoyed.

The One and Only Cousin Vinny and a Copycat

The baked beans was a whole conversation on its own, and The Help and I agreed it was one of the best baked beans we had ever eaten.  Unfortunately, Cousin Vinny was unable to provide a recipe. . .he just "threw in this and that" as a result of a telephone kokua call to Sweetie (his sister-in-law).

I was under the impression that the best cooks worked in my area, but after Thanksgiving, I'm pretty certain that the best cooks are masquerading as employees at Hilo High (Cousin Vinny and Sweetie both work there).

Local Style: Warabi-Kamaboko Salad

Happy Kuhio Day!  I'm so grateful today is a holiday.  Last week, work was brutal.  Going back to work after a vacation is so difficult.  To make things worse, I had two days of training scheduled (I was the trainer).  I think the training really took the wind out of my sails.  I can only hope that this week will be better, but it already includes a drive to Naalehu for an all-day meeting.  From where I live, driving to Naalehu means leaving the house by 6:00 am, as I refuse to drive over the speed limit anywhere in the national park.  Thats how I'll get to spend my Friday.

The Ds spent this weekend with me.  The house is not any neater than it was before they returned from Honolulu, which leads me to believe I'm the messiest out of us all.  I was hoping the weather would start getting warmer, but it wasn't to be.  Saturday was totally gloomy, and my trip to the Farmer's Market became an essay in how to avoid puddles, extremely slow people, and extremely rude people.  I was behind a throng of people, and I saw this lady pushing her way through the crowd, rudely shoving her body in gaps, trying to get through.  I was horrified when I saw her face. . .it was a local (well, she was born in a foreign country) teacher.  It was THE same teacher whom I saw in Ross who made the cashier, after being rung up, put all her stuff on hold because neither she nor her partner (male) had the $8+ to pay for her purchases (looked like kiddie clothes).  This is the kinda stuff that drives me crazy.  This lady is a science teacher, so obviously she must know how to add.  Isn't it just common sense to know that if you don't have a credit card, you need to have enough cash to cover your purchases?  Ross (haven't been there in a while since its still Lent) has actual price tags on their items, so its not like you need to check out before you have an idea of how much your purchases will cost.  This is the same lady who told me she needed to wear sunglasses in class because of light sensitivity and then in the next breath said how she loves to hang out at the beach.  Hello!!!  No wonder kids get all kinda crazy messages.  The teachers are crazy. . .well, SOME teachers are crazy.

The farmers market trip yielded a pound of biew kew longan, a basket of Waimea strawberries, prickly Japanese cucumbers, and a bunch of warabi (also known here as ho`io. . .I may be missing an okina, or vegetable fern. . .it is NOT the fern that is known to be carcinogenic).  With this wet weather, I'm sure warabi must be thriving in the gulches.

Warabi is something you either love or hate.  I belong to the former.  I love seeing a pan of warabi salad when I go to parties.  Unfortunately, that doesn't happen often so I usually get warabi from the Farmers Market.  I have also seen warabi for sale at KTA and RC tells me Marukai sells it on Oahu (at the price of gold).  Warabi can be prepared in a variety of ways, and my favorite way to eat it is in a salad.  Because its parboiled, it still retains some crunch without being woody. 

My favorite warabi salad recipe uses dried codfish, a flavor which I love.  Some recipes call for dried shrimp, but the flavor of fubuki tara is the best.  Unfortunately, it is not always available in stores, so I buy a big bag when I see it and store it in the fridge to use as needed.

Another ingredient this recipe calls for is shiofuki konbu.  Shiofuki konbu is dried seaweed strips that looks like its coated in white granules (salt).  Some people enjoy eating shiofuki konbu with tea rice.  Sesame oil and shiofuki konbu are complimentary ingredients, and a quick salad can be made by tossing sliced cucumbers, grated carrots, shiofuki konbu, and sesame oil.  Both fubuki tara and shiofuki konbu can be found in the asian foods section in most local markets.

 click on recipe title for printable recipe
Warabi-Kamaboko Salad

     1-2 lbs warabi

     1 tbsp white vinegar

     1 block kamaboko, cut in strips

     3 tbsp sesame oil

     1 pkg (1.5 oz) shiofuki konbu

     handful fubuki tara (shredded codfish), long pieces cut shorter

Wash warabi well.  Cut into 1 1/2" lengths, keeping tops separate from thick stem portions.  Boil water in a large pot.  When boiling vigorously, add vinegar.  Stir briefly.  Add stem portions and cook 3 minutes (do not let water boil), then add tops and cook an additional minute.  Drain.  Plunge into ice water until cold.  Drain well.  In a large bowl, combine warabi with all other ingredients.  Chill and serve.