Another Greek Pasta Salad

I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I am having guests for Thanksgiving.  None of my guests are blog readers, and that's a good thing.  They won't know how I worked my tail off this weekend, trying to tidy up the house.  I am still not done, but I think I now have the mess at a manageable amount.

Truth be told, I did not spend ALL weekend cleaning.  Against my better judgement, I turned the TV to the UW-Utah game, thinking I would watch for a few minutes then get back to cleaning.  No such luck.  I got suckered in, and, 2 glasses of Kraken and Diet Coke later, I found myself screaming with a few seconds left in the game.  What a nail biter.

Throughout the game, my phone kept going off with updates about another football game.  The HHS football team played Damien Memorial High School for the Division I state title.  Not nearly the nerve-charged game as the UW game, but still exciting, especially since Damien drew first blood.

I was pleasantly surprised at how many friends were at the game.  Not friends who live in Hilo, but friends who live in Honolulu.  Several sent congratulatory messages via Facebook.  One of the well-wishers was someone I worked with nearly a decade ago.  She is lucky enough to be retired now...ahhh, someday.  But hearing from her brought back memories, and that's when it occurred to me that her recipe for Greek pasta salad would make a nice addition to my Thanksgiving lunch.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Flo's Greek Pasta Salad

     1 lb thin strand pasta (angel hair, vermicelli, spaghettini, etc.)

     1/2 c vegetable oil
     3 tbsp lemon juice
     3 tbsp mayonnaise
     3 tbsp Greek seasoning (Cavender's is what we find here)
     1 can olives, sliced
     1 small jar pimientos, larger pieces sliced
     3 tbsp thinly sliced green onions

Cook pasta according to directions on box.  Drain and cool.  Combine oil, lemon juice, mayonnaise and Greek seasoning.  Mix with cooked/cooled pasta.  Toss in olives, pimientos and green onions.  Chill overnight.

Continuing the highlights of my recent Hokkaido trip..........

Sapporo, Japan

October 9, 2017:  Day 1

 

The Keeper made my hotel arrangements for me, and he chose a hotel which offered a complimentary breakfast.  Aside from "suite" type hotels, I am not accustomed to having breakfast provided, and I was quite surprised at what was on the buffet line.  Of course, I didn't take too much food since I knew we would be having breakfast at the Jougai Ichiba.

Jougai Ichiba was on The Keeper's itinerary.  It required a short hop on the train to get there.  I'm not sure which stop we got off, but I know we headed west from the Sapporo station.

Jougai Ichiba is also known as the Hokkaido curb market/Sapporo Central Wholesale Market.  I'm not sure why, as I did not see a curb anywhere, but vendors do have their goods on the sidewalk.  Vendors were very welcoming, suggesting we try the different foods.  I really wanted to buy a crab to eat, but I didn't know how long I'd be out.  And I certainly didn't bring my favorite weapon of choice (Joyce Chen kitchen snips).

Most of the vendors were selling either seafood or fruit.  Some of the seafood businesses had counterpart restaurants which offered to prepare the food for you.  That would've been fun to try, especially since I discovered that I like uni (sea urchin).  Perhaps I need to say that I like the taste of uni in Japan.  I've had uni in Hawaii, and it was either yucky or only okay.  But the uni sample the vendor let me try was sweet and buttery.  Yum.  I knew I would need to have more of it later.

The sweetheart of the fruit offerings has got to be the melon which every fruit stand proudly displays...yubari king melon.  The melon looks similar to the cantaloupes we see in the supermarkets.  But the yubari melon is more globular, and somewhere in size between a softball and a bowling ball.  There is usually a "T" shaped stem attached.  The orange fruit is extremely fragrant and sweet.  This fruit has the distinction of being the most expensive fruit in Japan.  I could probably eat one by myself (as a meal), but it would be my luck that I am allergic to musk melons.  I did allow myself to accept a sample from a vendor, but I quickly rinsed my mouth after eating it.

As promised, The Keeper took us to a restaurant above the shops.  From the picture menu, I selected the kitamae don.  I thought the uni and ikura would make me happy, but it was the raw scallops which put a huge smile on my face.  They were sweet and delicious.  It's hard to believe that I live on an island surrounded by water, but the seafood in Japan is superior.

After breakfast, we made our way back to the station, stopping at a 100-yen shop.  It was my first time at one of these shops.  Wow...the things one can find there!

We went back to the Sapporo station and made our way on foot to check out the old government building.  From there we walked down to Odori Park.  Most of us could not resist buying grilled corn.  The corn was so tasty.  It had just the right combination of salty and sweet.
















In spite of being full from breakfast AND corn, we stopped at the Ramen Yokocho in Susukino.  This was where Anthony Bourdain ate when he was in Susukino. 








The Keeper and I decided to try the the chashu grilled pork spicy miso ramen at Teshikaga Ramen (this is not the restaurant which borders the street).  The ramen was a little oily, but that was to be expected.  There were at least 3 types of pork in the ramen:  a spicy ground pork, cubes of soft pork, and the grilled pork belly slab.  And as you can tell from the picture, I was still in denial.  I still thought I liked corn in my ramen.

Now this is where my mind gets a bit fuzzy.  Perhaps it's from too much eating, but our next stop was the Shiroi Koibito chocolate factory.  I cannot remember how we got there.  I think we went underground and caught a subway/train.  I think.  I am pretty sure the chocolate factory isn't too far from the Jougai Ichiba, where we were earlier in the day.  But The Keeper said we needed dessert.

The Shiroi Koibito chocolate factory is known for the famous shiroi koibito, a cookie sandwich.  Two langue de chat buttery cookies are sandwiched together with white chocolate.   It reminds me a little of the Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies.  In addition to shiroi koibito, the factory also has "Candy Labo", the hard candy division.  The Keeper, Nakaz, and I bought a bunch of things from Candy Labo.  I haven't eaten my Candy Labo yet, but I sent some "magic candy" to Heather, a knitting friend in Kansas.

We took a walking break and sat down to dessert in the restaurant of the factory.  The Keeper ordered a gigantic parfait with shine muscats.  I didn't think I could eat something so large, so I settled on something which I had been wanting to eat for nearly 2 decades:  baumkuchen (layered sponge cake).  My dessert would've been fine, had I not been urged by The Keeper to try a shine muscat.  I figured I wouldn't like it, since I don't eat grapes, but the shine muscat turned out to be something other-worldly.  I have never eaten anything so fragrant.

And I don't think I ever ate so much food in a single day.  Little did I know, we weren't done yet.  The Keeper told me that there was a place in one of the malls adjoining the Sapporo station which served tonkatsu even better than Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin (Waikiki).  I found that hard to believe, so I told him to bring it on.  We ended up at Tonkatsu Wako.

The Keeper was right.  The tonkatsu was  tender with a crisp, light and airy coating.  But to be perfectly honest, I prefer the dressing (for the cabbage) at Bairin.  The dressing at Tonkatsu Wako was not the sesame-mayo dressing I was expecting.  It was more like a ponzu.  I like ponzu, but NOT with tonkatsu and cabbage.

And finally, after all this eating, we made it back to the hotel for, what I hoped, would be a good night of sleep.

Pesto Tortellini Salad

It's finally warming up.  I actually went to work without a jacket several times this past week.  I was even tempted to go for a swim.  Tempted.  But it was also windy and I really didn't feel like skimming leaves.

In spite of the Merrie Monarch Festival happening in town this past week, I had a very non-festive week.  Work, which should've been nice since it was a short week, was just blecchhhh.

I supposed teenagers will always be teenagers.  The after-prom shenanigans included the pilferage of the table decorations (kids were explicitly told, in no uncertain terms, that decorations were not to be removed from the tables) and defacement of linens.  Dealing with the aftermath, including tracking down the perps, makes for a pretty shitty week.

The culminating activity of the year, Commencement, was another source of shittiness.  Every year, I discover more adults "on the spectrum" (or at least I swear they are).  And students who are in the running for (and have hopes to win) a class award. . .not pono!  Being pono includes abiding by the direction of adults.  It does not include stirring up trouble by sparking "he said, she said" controversy.  I'm still pissed.

And since I'm on the shitty bus, here's another suck ass thing which happened.  My car repairs are gonna cost big buck$.  Dang!  I got that bit of bad news when I went to Kona this weekend.

In trying to end this post on a positive note, I'm gonna dig deep.  The Kona trip this weekend did yield something good. . .a jar of pesto from Costco.  OllieMama told me a while ago that Costco makes awesome pesto.  I'm glad I listened because she is right. 

We usually mix spoonfuls of pesto into cooked pasta, but in looking for something different, I tried this salad.  The original recipe called for half the pesto, but I wanted a more punched-up pesto flavor.  I also decided to toast the pine nuts because I like the extra-nutty flavor.  Like the crimes of theft and vandalism (the acts committed by irresponsible kids), this salad is so good it should be illegal.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Pesto Tortellini Salad

     1 pkg. (8-9 oz) refrigerated, ready-to-cook cheese tortellini

     1/2 c pine nuts

     1 small zucchini, sliced into thin strips

     1 c grape or cherry tomatoes

     1/4 c pesto

     1/3 c mayonnaise

    

Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Drain and cool.  Line a shallow baking pan with foil.  Place pine nuts in a single layer and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes.  Remove pine nuts from pan and cool.  Halve grape tomatoes or quarter cherry tomatoes.  Remove seeds.  Combine pesto and mayonnaise in a medium mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and toss gently.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cabbage Seafood Salad

I'm exhausted from my weekend.  Yes, from my weekend.  I spent Saturday morning at a volleyball game, and I was quite impressed with the Kohala Cowboys.  Country teams cannot be taken for granted.  They must dedicate lots of time to practicing and honing their skills.  No more volleyball until after spring break.  Spring break, what took you so long?

Just two more days to keep it together at work.  Yay!  I can't believe I made it this far (and I know there is still a long road ahead of me to finish the year).  Prom is coming up soon and graduation will be here in two months.  Ugh.  I feel so unprepared, although I'm more than ready to relax.  I even have my liquid refreshments on deck, and in case Kraken falls short, I brought in reinforcements-wine from a recent Costco trip. 

On the cab ride back to her dorm (bags not even at ambient temperature), D1 laid it on me about the Pure Aloha Festival in Las Vegas coming up in mid April.  No, wait.  I got my story wrong.  She didn't tell me about the festival; she asked me to book her air travel (book=pay for).  Her friend's family will be selling 808 logo items at the festival so she claims she is going there to work.  If she had a car, she could drive to Vegas, but I don't dare suggest it, especially since I know what her driving is like.  I don't think she has ever been to Vegas and likely has no idea how crazy it is to drive there. 

In a few days, D2 will be off on another adventure.  This time the adventure will take her across the continent.  Glad she will be with Uncle Edz (happy 5-0 to you!).  Once again, I'm amazed at all the travel opportunity kids have now.  Times certainly have changed.

With D2 gone this past week, it was only The Help and me.  I figured this was a good time to use up the imitation crab sticks I bought in the jumbo pack from Costco.  D2 said they did not taste like kanikama and wanted nothing to do with them. 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Cabbage Seafood Salad

     3 tbsp butter, melted
     1/2 small onion, sliced thin
     1/4 c celery, sliced thin (optional)
     2-3 c shredded cabbage
     2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/2 c cornflake crumbs
     1 c imitation crab, shredded
     1 c mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 1 1/2 quart ceramic dish.  Pour 1 tbsp butter into a skillet.  Saute onion, celery and cabbage.  Add Worcestershire sauce and salt.  Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.  Combine remaining 2 tbsp butter with cornflake crumbs.  Set aside.  Add imitation crab and mayonnaise to sauteed vegetables.  Spread mixture in prepared dish.  Top with cornflake crumbs.  Bake for 15 minutes.

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.

Pastel Purple Potato Salad

This past week was Merrie Monarch Festival week.  I didn't do much to celebrate the annual festival, and I was away for part of the time anyway (work trip to Honolulu).  Once again, I missed my favorite event (Friday's hula kahiko competition).

In addition to the Merrie Monarch festivities, the Hilo High School gymnasium dedication was this weekend.  I wasn't going to attend, but the boss asked The Help to help him (the governor was coming), and The Help graciously obliged.  The Help likes my boss and does not mind lending a hand for him.  While The Help busied himself with the honorable governor, I tried to look busy.  I ran into a former coworker who made some remark about me pretending to work.  Ummmm, yeahhhhh, but at least I know how to teach kids and I'm not afraid to be in a classroom.  Take that, ya old bag!

For the most part, with the exception of the gym dedication, I tried to stay away from places where crowds gather.  I hate crowds.  It drives me berserk to get shoved and elbowed.  I even sought refuge in Kona, making a late Saturday run to Costco.

My drive to Costco was really not for frivolous purposes.  I was in need of a vacuum to replace my near-paralyzed Dyson.  D1 has been especially pissy lately about the house being messy.  I've been trying to keep the floors in the great room clean, but that was impossible to do with the Dyson I had. I ended up buying a small ball Dyson, which was roughly $200 less than the larger ball model.  I tried it out when I got home, and shit, it FEELS $200 less good than what I'd imagine the larger ball model to feel like.  Oh well, The Help said that it does work, which is 95% better than my old vacuum.

One thing I really wanted to do this week was make a stop at the Hawaiian food truck run by the Hawaiian church group.  I never had the chance.  By the time I got my act together to go, they had dismantled their site.  I guess I will need to wait a whole year to eat their food.

There is one downside to the Hawaiian food truck.  They do not automatically give a portion of potato salad with their plates.  I think you can order a side of it, but it does not come standard.  I know potato salad is not traditional Hawaiian food, but it goes great with kalua pig and lau lau.  Since I missed out on the Hawaiian food last week, I'm going to make sure dinner this week includes some type of Hawaiian food.  Of course, if you come over for dinner, you can count on having this yummy and pretty potato salad as an accompaniment for your meal!

 click on recipe title for printable recipe
Pastel Purple Potato Salad

     3 lbs russet potatoes

     1 lb purple sweet potatoes

     3/4-1 c bacon bits

     2 tbsp minced parsley

     mayonnaise

     salt to taste

Boil potatoes.  Peel and cut into 1/2" pieces while still hot.  When completely cool, combine with remaining ingredients.  Season to taste.  Chill until ready to serve.

Beneath the tropic skies of Hilo. . .

                                                              . . .loyalty and honor shall forever be thine.

April 11, 2015
Hilo High School Gymnasium Dedication

Baked Crab Sushi

It was nice to have a holiday last week.  And it will be nice to have a holiday later this week.  I'm grateful for holidays which occur soon after a long vacation.  It makes it easier to re-adjust to the work week.

By this time next week, I will be done with two proms (only one to go!) and a sushi feast at Takenoko Sushi.

I am sooo looking forward to going to Takenoko Sushi.  I've been there several times, and each time, the food has been absolutely delicious.  I had the omakase (chef's choice) several times, and while I got to eat stuff I wouldn't usually order, there were other items on the menu which sounded good but weren't included in the omakase offering.  On my most recent visit, I tried the salmon skin salad.  It was different from the version I'm used to (Hayama Japanese Restaurant), but it was really good too.  They also happened to have mirugai (geoduck clam) that day.  I'm not sure what I will have this time.

Meanwhile, I still need to get through the 2 proms in order to get my sushi reward.  I'm amazed I still have $ left to enjoy a sushi lunch.  Proms cost a lot.  Bids (for a couple) are easily over $100.  Then there are flowers to buy.  Most proms include a dinner, but I'm sure there is some feasting which occurs after the prom...late night snack at Kuhio Grille or Ken's. 

As a teaser for my upcoming Takenoko Sushi trip, I'm going to make baked crab sushi sometime this week.  Of course, I'll substitute shredded kamaboko (pink & white fishcake) for the imitation crab so D1 can eat it.  And since we are playing nicely with The Help, I will use a portion (less than half) of brown rice so he will feel better about having a few pieces.

Baked crab sushi, has become a very popular potluck dish recently.  Its easy to take to parties and can easily be doubled (use a 9 x 13" pan) for larger gatherings.  Using the small, pre-cut Korean nori (seaweed) makes it even easier to serve (no need to cut the nori).

Many variations of this recipe can be found, some of which only contain mayonnaise (no sour cream).  I find the sour cream helpful in mitigating the oiliness of straight mayonnaise.  The Ds aren't big fans of shiitake mushrooms (I'm not sure I am either), so I just use a little or leave it out entirely.  We all enjoy the surprising crunch of tobikko (flying fish roe). 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Baked Crab Sushi

     2 c rice (rice cooker measure), cooked
     2 tbsp furikake
     1 dried shiitake mushroom, soaked, squeezed and chopped fine
     1 pkg (10-13 oz) imitation crab or kamaboko, shredded and/or chopped
     2 tbsp tobikko
     1/2 c mayonnaise
     1/2 c sour cream
     Korean seaweed pieces

Combine shiitake mushroom, imitation crab, tobikko, mayonnaise, and sour cream.  Set aside.  Firmly press cooked rice into a square (8 x 8" or 9 x 9") baking pan.  Sprinkle furikake all over surface of rice.  Spread crab mixture evenly over furikake.  Broil until top is lightly brown.  Serve small portions of rice and topping in Korean seaweed sheets.

A year ago (Monday, March 24, 2014), I congratulated my friend CT for making the jump over to the dark side of town.  I knew the students would love her and she would be amazed at the amount she saved on gasoline.  This year, I am congratulating her again.  In a few short months, she will be starting another chapter.  Welcome, and really, what took you so long!?

Wi's Japanese Eggplant

Another busy week in the books!  I headed to Honolulu again on Monday to attend a training.  This trip had been planned for a while, but coming so close on the heels of an unexpected trip made it even more tiring.  A whole bunch of us from my school attended the training, and it was nice to be with colleagues.  I don't think I could've said the same about where I worked previously.  Taking a trip with any one of those clowns would've been hellish.  Oh, wait.  I did, and it was hellish.

Yes, HELLISH.  I took a trip with a colleague pickier than D2.  She kept saying she "wanted to try new things", but everywhere we went, she ordered the waitstaff to cook things SHE would eat, not what was on the menu.  She even admonished the waitstaff about lying to her about a dish.  I'm not kidding!  And probably the worst part...she stole hotel towels, something most people outgrow before their 21st birthday.  I know I will never room with her again, lest the thievery be mistakenly attributed to me.  I might be a bitch, but I am not a thief.  In kindergarten, someone at the sitter told the sitter that "kikukat takes things from people's lockers".  The sitter reported this to kikukat Mom, who proceeded to admonish me.  The next day I got in bigger trouble because I punched the girl in the mouth for talking smack about me.  Like I said, I might be a bitch, but I am not a thief, even way back then.  And a big "fuck you" goes to the sitter, for being an adult and just repeating shit she heard from a 5 year old.  Dumb wench!

Taking stock of my travels, I spent 5 days of the past 2 weeks in Honolulu.  That translates to 5 days of eating out.  I normally eat at the same places every time I go to Honolulu, but I actually broke new ground during these 2 trips.  We dined at Liliha Bakery, Aiea Bowl, Gyotaku, Kulukulu, Morimoto, and Kunio.  After 5 days of eating out, it was nice to come home and eat "home food".  The Help was nice enough to have prepared the Ds favorite, shoyu-sugar hot dog.

I did not grow up eating shoyu-sugar hot dog, but many of my friends say it was something served at home.  One thing I remember being served a lot of while growing up was eggplant.  It was sliced, seasoned, floured, and fried.  I enjoyed eating fried eggplant, but now I eat it another way, thanks to Wi.

My friend Wi (not the girl I punched in the mouth) has shared some great recipes over the years.  Nobody makes jello like she does.  Her layers are also perfectly level.  Kikukat Mom says Wi makes the best warabi rice she has ever had.  Wi's warabi rice is indeed ono and has a nice caramel color all over.  Maybe one day I will make it and post the recipe.

Wi happens to be a generational friend.  She comes from an old Hilo family.  Her parents know my parents and their siblings, and her grandparents were good buddies with my grandparents.  They went to the same church, had kids around the same age, and lived on the same street.  In fact, it was Wi's grandma who made me fall in love with botamochi decades before Wi's mom became known as a Hilo mochi maven. 

Years ago, when we were both pregnant, we'd email back-and-forth about cravings we were having.  Okay, even when we aren't pregnant we email each other about cravings, but the pregnancy seemed like a good excuse at the time.  One craving Wi had was for eggplant, and she shared with me this preparation method.  This has since become my go-to way of cooking eggplant.  Now that The Help is watching what he eats, this is something we can both enjoy. 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Wi's Homestyle Japanese Eggplant

     Japanese eggplant, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
     1 tbsp oil
     Japanese dressing (mayonnaise & shoyu mixed together)

Heat oil in a medium saucepan.  Add eggplant, skin touching oil.  Cover and cook until side flattens, about 3 minutes.  Turn eggplant so another surface (still skin-side) will be in contact with hot pan.  Cook another 3 minutes.  Repeat 2 more times.  If necessary, cook a little longer until eggplant is soft.  Serve with Japanese dressing.

Cooked eggplant doesn't look so flattering in pictures, but trust me...this is delicious.

Hawaiian Style Potato Salad

I have been at work for 2 weeks, and one of those weeks has been with students.  I guess teaching is similar to riding a bike. . . you never forget how, some people are better at it than others, being able to ride a bike is not the same as riding it well, etc.  I've been out of the high school classroom for over 10 years, but after this past week, I'm convinced that returning to the classroom was the right thing to do.

While I was a resource teacher, I heard sidebar comments from many people, and the song is always the same:  resource teachers are not in the classroom because they cannot handle.  That is a common belief many teachers have.  And I think that's why many people are shocked when they hear I went back to the classroom.  I get lots of expressions (both verbal and non verbal) of disbelief.

So far, my return to the classroom has been alright.  I anticipated the 9th graders being handfuls, but the seniors were the most intimidating.  The seniors already have a good sense of school culture.  They have established their own norms for teachers.  I wasn't sure how I'd fit in the mix.

D1 was also full of worry.  She was concerned about how I'd be perceived by her peers.  I think she was worried that they would see me as the wicked witch, but I think she has been pleasantly surprised to hear that I'm actually "okay".  Whew.  One guy even told her I was his favorite teacher.  WooHoo!!!

Honestly, the most challenging part about being back in the classroom is lunch.  I am totally not kidding.  I stopped buying school lunch years ago because I couldn't see wasting $4 on stuff I wouldn't feed my dog.  I believe its even more expensive now.  I try to bring a lunch from home, but we don't always have suitable lunch fare on hand.  Luckily, there are a few fast food places on the same street as the school, and one of them even has a drive-thru.  That happens to also be the place with one of the best plate lunch potato salad in Hilo.

Most plate lunches in Hawaii (not limited only to Hilo) come with a generous scoop of potato salad, a very decadent mayonnaise-laden salad.  In order to keep costs down, some places substitute macaroni for all or part of the potatoes.  I don't like it that way.  I'm old-fashioned. . .I like salad with potatoes, and I prefer ONLY potatoes. . .no macaroni.

In addition to potatoes (and/or macaroni), the salad usually contains chopped boiled egg.  From there, things get a bit creative.  I add pitted olives, sliced (and squeezed) cucumber, and some kind of seafood.  I like the way the salad looks when shredded kamaboko is added, but nothing beats crab or lobster.  Many people now use shredded or chopped imitation crabmeat instead of the real thing.  Sometimes, I will also add in some finely shredded carrots, but I don't add too much of that because it turns the salad a yellow color.  Mayonnaise serves as a binder to hold everything together.

I don't make potato salad too often because it usually makes so much that its hard to consume all of it.  I usually make it for family gatherings, although uJohn prefers the salad made by Kikukat Mom.  While Kikukat Mom uses real crab in her salad, she also adds in green peas and broken up spaghetti noodles.  I'm okay with the spaghetti noodles, but I think green peas are just a hair away from mustard on the disgusting food scale.  Some people add chopped onion, but I don't.  Kikukat Mom said onions cause the salad to spoil faster.

I know Kikukat Mom doesn't like onions, but I don't have the courage to come out and say that she made up the spoilage story just to keep me from adding onions to my salad.  Sometimes you just gotta know when to shut up.

Click here for the recipe:
Kikuchan's Potato-Crab Salad

Tribute to Uncle George: Furikake Salmon

Today's post is dedicated to Uncle George, who passed away this past Friday after putting up a brave fight against that fucking demon, cancer.

UGeo and AChar, 1-1-13

Relationship-wise, Uncle George is the younger brother of Kikukat Mom.  He graduated from Hilo High School and, like many others in his time, did a stint in the military before enrolling in the University of Hawaii.  His former roommate told me UGeo walked the fine line between "being a genius and a total idiot".  Instead of studying for an exam, UGeo spent the night partying, not worrying, as he had written all the answers and notes on his arms.  When he took the test, he blanked out (forgot about his notes) and received 3 points for getting his name right.  He once caused traffic on University Avenue to come to a halt when he wandered into the street while in a refrigerator box (earlier, he had been scaring Varsity Theater go-ers by speaking to them from inside the box).  He emerged from the box when he heard cars around him honking.  Somehow, he managed to graduate with a degree in civil engineering and went on to work for the City and County of Los Angeles.  Upon the urging of a friend, who did not want to go to law school alone, UGeo quit his job in Los Angeles and moved to Spokane.  He earned a law degree from Gonzaga University, and worked as an attorney for the city.  At one point, he was the canine control officer, in spite of he himself having more than the allowable number of dogs!  Eventually, he moved to Seattle and worked as a litigator for the National Labor Relations Board.  Sometime between Los Angeles and Seattle, he got married to Aunty Char.

UGeo would make occasional trips back to Hawaii, and his first stop was always to a bakery to buy a box of long johns.  He would also make a stop to eat a plate lunch.  His trips were spent visiting friends and gathering local stuff to take back to Seattle.  On one of his trips, he paid a fortune for excess baggage. . .he had 10 pieces of baggage, each packed full with local food.  In typical UGeo fashion, he just shrugged it off and paid the ransom. . .there was no way he was going home without his goodies.

I got to know UGeo well when I attended UW.  He and AChar took good care of me for the 4 years I lived in Seattle.  It was nice to have someplace to escape to on the weekends.  My college friends expressed gratitude at being able to enjoy a home-cooked meal for our first Thanksgiving away from home.  When I began college, UGeo lived in a cute house on Garlough Avenue.  In my 3rd or 4th year at the U, he moved into a beautiful home on Marine View Drive (complete with a fruit-producing Rainier cherry tree).  I remember sitting in his living room and marveling at the panoramic views of the water towards Vashon Island. . .the Lincoln Park ferry terminal was on the way to his home.

UGeo was indeed as crazy as his former roommate had described.  He had a penchant for bargain shopping.  It was UGeo who introduced me to Costco, Nordstrom Rack, Ross, Marshalls, and the basement at either the Bon Marche or Frederick and Nelson (I cannot remember which one, as I always get these stores confused).  He could shop all day and didn't mind going from store to store.  He loved to take visitors to the OBerto factory to buy the flat ends of cocktail pep or smok-a-roni and the bits of beef jerky.  UGeo took me to Eddie Bauer to get my first Gore-Tex jacket, which, much to his dismay, was NOT on sale.

During my time in Seattle with UGeo, we enjoyed multiple visits by family from Hawaii.  Grampa Isaac, UJohn and Aunty Suki came for a visit, and along with UGeo and my friend LM, we piled in UGeo's stick shift Monte Carlo and made a run for the border (okay, okay, I just wanted to make it sound more exciting. . .we went to Vancouver for Expo 86).  We stayed at a bed & breakfast (my first time, thank you again, UGeo) and headed back to Seattle after a few days.  On the way home, we had some car trouble.  UGeo pulled off the I-5, and UJohn hopped out to take a look (UJohn can fix anything. . .UGeo. . .let's say he was a good attorney).  UJohn diagnosed the problem as a burnt out clutch, and UGeo said,"I didn't know a clutch could burn out."  UJohn told UGeo "if you had brains you'd be dangerous!".  UGeo made a face behind UJohn's back but said nothing.  Even with his job of taking on large corporations in court when labor violations occur, he was no match for his older brother and was smart enough to know better.  We managed to call a tow truck and had to be towed to the nearest gas station.  Luckily, we were back in the US when all that happened.

UGeo loved animals.  When UGeo moved to the Marine View Drive home, he set up a gigantic aquarium in the basement.  He had red-tailed sharks and some odd-looking bubble head fish.  When I went to visit him, I noticed one of the bubble head fish was gone.  UGeo told me the fish had a tumor so he attempted to surgically remove the tumor himself.  I'm sure you can figure out what happened next.  In addition to the residents of the large aquarium, UGeo had 2 Cairn terriers, Maggie and Charlie.  When Grampa Benny passed away, UGeo inherited Martino, his black cat.  I'm hanging my head in shame because thanks to me, UGeo also inherited my 2 teddy bear hamsters, Rum and, of course, Coke.  Coke was aggressive and chewed Rum's ears.  Eventually Coke escaped her Habitrail cage and came to her end in the sofa.  I won't go into further details about that.  Aaaahhhhh. . .those were good times (except for the bubble head fish and Coke).

Oddly enough, in spite of Seattle having a myriad of sports teams, I never heard UGeo talk much about the Seattle teams, but he did occasionally go to games.  I remember Otee saying UGeo took him to some game (Sonics?) and he was appalled by how rowdy UGeo and his friends were.  He shouldn't have been appalled, especially with UGeo's history.  This is the man who threw his TV out of his apartment window after being upset at the outcome of a game involving his favorite team. . .are you ready for this. . .the Cleveland Browns.  He loved the Cleveland Browns, and his favorite player (when I was in Seattle) was Eric Metcalf.  He would tell anyone who would listen that he went to a Seahawks game and sat in the Cleveland Browns section and cheered alongside Eric Metcalf's family.  He said the Metcalf family was thrilled that he was a huge fan of their boy.

UGeo also loved to eat.  It was in Seattle at the hands of UGeo and AChar that I got exposed to all kinds of food.  They were with me when I ate at a Thai restaurant for the first time.  They were frequent patrons of Red Robin, where I ate my first "hamburger for dinner".  They showed me REAL fish & chips and always took me out to dinner for my birthday.  UGeo introduced me to my most favorite pastry in the whole world, the Potato from Nielson's Pastries.  He would actually need to get it for me because at that time, Nielson's was located in a not-so-nice part of downtown, and being a wide-eyed kid from a small town, it freaked me out to see all the bums hanging out on the street.  Thanks to them (and Grampa Benny), I know what  REAL Italian food is (sorry, but its not Olive Garden. . .although I love Olive Garden) and where to find the best birthday cakes in Seattle.  Are you listening, Mr. Borracchini?

I also got invited to his barbecues, which always featured his specialty. . .grilled salmon.  He would buy a whole salmon, fillet it perfectly, then throw it on the grill, which was fueled with coals and alder pieces.  I swear if I close my eyes and breathe in, I can still smell it.

Salmon has got to be the official fish of Seattle.  When you are in Seattle, you cannot help but eat salmon.  Its everywhere.  Every restaurant (maybe with the exception of Spud) boasts some kind of salmon specialty.  Except for the 6-month period following the fisheries class, I took advantage of every opportunity to eat salmon so I feel I have the right to declare myself a salmon afficionado.  And after consuming all that salmon, I must say UGeo did it the best.

Its been over 2 decades since I ate UGeo's salmon, and with his passing, I will never have it again.  I will never be able to ask him to show me how to expertly fillet a whole salmon, how to prepare the fire, and how to cook it so fricking perfectly.  But, thanks to him, I know how to find the best deals on salmon (or anything else).  In memory of the great times I had with UGeo (and AChar) in Seattle, I'm posting my own salmon recipe this week.  I'm hoping UGeo is looking upon me and smiling with approval.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Baked Furikake Salmon

     salmon fillet
     mayonnaise
     furikake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line pan with foil.  Place salmon fillet on foil.  Generously spread a layer of mayonnaise over entire top surface of salmon.  Generously sprinkle furikake over mayonnaise.  Bake for 25 minutes (if salmon piece is over 2 lbs, bake 35 minutes).

Teriyaki Glaze

     1 tbsp sugar
     2 tbsp shoyu
     1/2 tbsp butter

Combine glaze ingredients in a heat-proof cup.  Microwave on high for 30 seconds.  Let cool 5 minutes.  Pour over cooked salmon.

I would like to thank my cousins LA, Dus, and Otee (along with their parents UMiles and AKathy) for being there for our family when it counted most.  If you hadn't taken the lead and gone to Seattle, UGeo would not have been surrounded by love when his time came.  Thanks to you, many of the family were able to make it there in time to bid farewell.  Hugs and kisses to all of you.  You guys rock!

Carry Along Shrimp

I'm still trying to get used to the longer work day.  Cannot say I've mastered it, but I'm doing okay for the moment.  Last week was a totally busy week for trainings, but we started it off with a meeting that ended with my coworker chewing out the bosses.  As I left, she asked me to close the door.  Later, she told me that during her chewing out process, one of the bosses apologized to her because she was made to feel unsafe.

The irony is that I was the actual victim of the scenario my coworker referenced!  I was the one who looked like an ass in front of the entire office staff at the opening-of-the-year staff meeting.  It was apparent that three other coworkers were given a different set of directions from what I was given.  This resulted in me standing up and talking for 2 minutes about the wonderful experience I had at the Culture Matters day and the 3 of them taking close to 30 minutes to do an interactive (and with powerpoint slides), multi-sensory presentation.  Uhhhh am I the only one who thinks I got screwed?

Anyway, I've added this to my anecdotal records of all the times I have been slighted  . . . the multiple times I have been mistreated/chastised/chastised publicly due to another coworker's screw ups.  I may be making a call to the Office of Civil Rights.  I called them two years ago about the same boss, and they gave me advice, which included continuing to compile anecdotal records.  Most of all they empowered me to believe that I don't need to take it.  I have been hesitant to report the boss because I don't want this to reflect poorly on the High Commander.  If anyone reading this happens to be a labor attorney (like crazy uncle George who worked for the National Labor Relations Board in the Seattle office) or a civil rights attorney, free advice is welcome.

Ironically, my cousin works in the complaints section of the Department of Education's Office of Human Resources, so I suppose if things get really bad, I could go to her.  But I don't want her coworkers to think I'm getting special treatment as her cousin. . .and really, with her voice, I don't think even my cats would take her seriously!

Last week,  The Help commented that my post about Kilauea Lodge lacked the zest, zeal, and colorful bitching which are normally rampant in my blog.  I think he was proud that I was exercising my inner censor.  Believe it or not, I intended to tone things down a bit since I have way more blog traffic now.  But this latest boss episode was just too much.  I'm just so disappointed in the boss. Again, the High Commander set the bar high, but not everyone can be the same.  Auwe!

Other than the trainings and me being shortchanged an apology, I had an okay week.  I didn't cook (thank you, leftovers, Hilo Lunch Shop, Restaurant Osaka, KTA, McDonald's, Hilo Rice Noodle, Tamari, The Rents), I worked on my online class, and at the urging of Kevo, JoFer & Weezee, I began reading Fifty Shades of Grey. I'm almost done, and I fully intend to buy the next 2 books in the trilogy.  Then Imma gonna look for Christian.

About my leftovers. . .a few weeks ago, Longs had large size (16/20) shrimp on sale.  A 4-pound box was under $25!  It was too good a deal to pass up, so I bought a box...I would've bought more than just 1 box if I had the room in my freezer.

D1 likes scampi (something about the butter and garlic being addictive), but I prefer grilled shrimp.  I usually rotate my repertoire for grilled shrimp. . .I have 3 recipes which I rely on.  They are:  Carry Along Shrimp, Mimi's Shrimp (recipe from a local cookbook) and the other needs no recipe (Italian dressing marinade).  Carry Along Shrimp is actually the favorite grilled shrimp recipe of The Help and The Rents.  My favorite is Mimi's.  Sorry.

I'm guessing this recipe got its name from the fact that you can throw the shrimp and the marinade into a ziploc bag and "carry" it "along" with you to a picnic.  Whatevers.  What I do know is that this works best when the shrimp are large (no smaller than 21/25).  Its a small pain to get the shells off, but its definitely worth it.  While this goes well with rice, I like it as an accompaniment to a tossed salad. 

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Carry Along Shrimp

     1/4 c mayonnaise

     1 1/2 tsp sugar

     3/4 tsp oyster sauce

     1 1/2 tsp finely minced garlic

     1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper

     3/4 tsp lemon juice

     1/2 - 3/4 lbs shrimp (size 21/25 or larger)

Remove legs from shrimp.  Butterfly the shrimp through the back without cutting completely through body.  Combine all other ingredients and whisk together thoroughly.  Combine shrimp and sauce, making sure sauce covers all parts of shrimp, even cut in the back.  Soak for 1 hour.  Grill.

Birthday Confetti on Salmon

In honor of someone's birthday, why not honor them with confetti . . . confetti on salmon! 

In the 90's, while I was living in Honolulu, the Honolulu Advertiser, sponsored a recipe contest.  Winning recipes were featured in the food section of the newspaper with a story about the person who submitted the entry.  Unlike other recipes which appear in newspapers, these recipes were submitted by "regular people" who were not employed in the food service industry.  In other words, "regular people" were capable of recreating these recipes.

Confetti Salmon/Salmon Confetti was one of those winning recipes.  It was around that same time that I remember Mom making an oven-baked salmon frosted with mayonnaise and onions.  Of course, Mom's version was the best, especially since I didn't eat tomatoes back then.  In a familiar vein, once I began eating tomatoes, gateways to many different dishes opened up for me.  This is what led me to give Confetti Salmon a try.

As its name implies, the topping is what gives this dish the appearance that multi-colored confetti was thrown over a slab of salmon.  Credit for this recipe goes to Steven Tsai, who was a writer (not food) with the paper.  Like me, he had also spent some time in the Pacific Northwest, making him an amateur salmon expert!  Thank you, Steve, for sharing this recipe!

Happy Birthday!

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Birthday Confetti Salmon

     1 1/2 - 2 lbs salmon fillet, bones removed

     mayonnaise

     1/4 c onion, diced fine

     1 tomato, diced

     1/4 lb mushrooms, diced

     4 tbsp bacon bits or 4 slices bacon, cooked and cut fine

     2 tbsp capers

     juice of 1/4 lemon

     salt and pepper to taste

Place salmon, skin-side down, in a shallow pan.  Spread a layer of mayonnaise over entire salmon.  Sprinkle mayonnaise with onion, tomato, mushrooms, bacon and capers.  Squeeze lemon juice over.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes.

I sure could've used a Goma Tei restaurant in Hilo this past week.  I stayed home from work on Thursday and Friday, spending most of my time in bed.  I spent Saturday in bed.  I tried to join the living yesterday, but never ventured outside of my property. . .after the small chaffeuring mishap on Friday when I bravely (and stupidly) attempted to take D1 to the Mooheau Park Bandstand for Black & White Night. . .the episode left me a bit fearful about driving while on meds.  If only Goma Tei were here. . .I know the tan tan noodle broth would've cured my ills in no time.