Homespun Honolulu

I knew it. You knew it. It’s been in the news. We’ve known about it for quite some time (since 2004 or so). But, to see it dissolve right before your eyes is not the easiest thing to witness. As an ardent fan of the dairy industry, that orange circle with the “f” in it didn’t simply mean “Foremost” to me, it meant milk!

I still remember, when I was little, how excited I was to see the cow on the lawn at Foremost. The cow was fake but I kept looking for real ones. It’s a dairy! I used to think, “They must be milking the cows somewhere!” They’ve removed the cow from the lawn. It’s gone. They were milking the cows… in Waianae and elsewhere. From what I understand, a lot of our dairy farmers are gone too. Things were no longer profitable.

I don’t know if it’s the statue being gone from the lawn or the site of the building deserted that has the most impact on me but I just needed to talk about it. I guess that maybe it’s an end of an era — a reminder of how old I am?

The removal of the equipment is pretty troubling. I can’t help it. I’m a dairy freak and milk is important to me! Yes, this is an old story but in no time at all, when someone says Foremost, the kids are going to say, “Who?”

Don’t worry, all is not lost — it’s Lani Moo to the rescue! Their logo also means more to me than just “Meadow Gold,” it means milk! Meadow Gold continues to come to the rescue for us cheese-loving, milk-drinking fanatics.

These trucks, much like the Matson, Coca-Cola, and Pepsi trucks, are ones I try not to get run over by while cutting through the grocery store parking lot. I will admit that I am hoping those trucks are carrying my pineapple cottage cheese! Did I mention that I’m a dairy freak?

I have to add here that Meadow Gold has always had a significantly larger name-recognition thing going during my lifetime. Their community involvement is tremendous and they have been known to work with other companies to support community events. I’ve seen it. That could be a huge part of it! I’ll talk about them later, I promise. For now, suffice it to say that I’m just glad they’re here!

I didn’t make this cow story up. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin covered the story back in 2004 when it first happened and one of their photographers got a great picture of the cow of my childhood, before it was removed. I wonder where that cow is now. Hmmm…

by CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL
Honolulu Star-Bulletin photo

Technorati Tags: Island Business, Meadow Gold, Dairy Industry, Foremost

Oysters are the culinary pearls of the sea,
A prized ocean delicacy for you and me
Dining on raw oysters? Check your fork…
Think twice my friend — you’re eating sea pork!

Photo compliments of Jon Aslund on Flickr

I made that up. What would make me say something like that? Well, while reading about them I couldn’t help but remember the stories I’ve heard about people getting sick from eating raw oysters. I usually hear people say they got sick because they ate too many of them. Well, apparently it may be more than that.

Let’s see… they are found in brackish water (water that is salty but not as salty as the open ocean). Now, I can’t help but see that description as a definition of our own coastal waters — where the fresh-water streams meet the ocean. The oysters feed off of what they filter through their gills. Anything floating in the water might end up stuck in their flesh. Hmmm… warning signs for streams talk about how the water may be contaminated. Need I say more?

To be fair, the dangers of raw oyster consumption are primarily aimed more at the Gulf oysters because there are a lot of laws and restrictions about harvesting the oysters from that region. But, I’m paranoid about the handling of food products as it is and I say it couldn’t hurt to be safe about it around here too. This site goes to great lengths to share information about the the health issues raw oysters may cause.

If you love oysters and you’re feeling offended, relax, nobody’s trying to ruin your favorite food. These guys are obviously serious about protecting people from eating this stuff raw. To make oyster lovers happy, they have even provided some mouth-watering recipes. Those recipes sound so good I was actually trying to figure out which ingredients I already have and which ones I’m missing.

Cook them! That’s the message. Remember, you’re eating sea swine. Come on, someone has got to have come up with that analogy already!

We were in the mood for Greek food the other day so we decided to go to the place with the easiest access. The Greek Marina in Hawaii Kai is easy to find, easy to park, easy to get into and comfortably unpretentious.

I have a passion for moussaka and my mind focuses on it as soon as Greek food is the topic of conversation.  So, since I was focused there, that’s what was for lunch!

Moussaka is a dish of eggplant and hamburger that is to-die-for delicious. This one was not the best they’ve ever made but it was still good. It was… missing something but we couldn’t quite figure out what. Oh well. The salad as good as always but it can always have more feta cheese!

I do love those Kalamata olives! They are an acquired taste but they’re almost a necessary condiment when eating Mediterranean foods. I don’t know, they’re just a culinary must-have!

Cheese, or the lack thereof, is always the problem with spanakopita (spinach with feta cheese baked in dough), which is another thing that I should have ordered. I’ll just have to order some next time. There’s a good reason to go back!

There’s a little window into the kitchen where the waiters and waitresses pick up the plates of food to be served to their patrons. I couldn’t resist that photo opportunity!

These are grape leaves that the chef has separated with slices of tomato and cucumber. I like grape leaves very much but I haven’t tried theirs yet. There’s reason number two to go back!

Hummus is also something I like but I’m not too worried about not having tried any. What I am irritated with myself about is my failure to try their baba ghanouj — a roasted eggplant dip that I absolutely love! There’s a restaurant in downtown Honolulu that makes some really awesome baba ghanouj and I really wanted to compare the Greek Marina’s to theirs. There’s reason number three to go back!

Since we’re talking about Greek food, I guess I should mention that they also have souvlaki. I have very little interest in souvlaki because it’s not exotic enough, or not definitively Greek enough, for me! What is it? Well, to me, it’s nothing more than your choice of meat (usually lamb or chicken) on a shish kabob. It is well marinated, but I always look for things that I cannot get elsewhere!

Now for dessert! Most people are familiar with baklava and this one looks like it was loaded with pistachios! I didn’t try it, but Mom, who is the biggest critic of bad baklava, says it was delicious.

This mural covers most of one of the walls in the restaurant. It is a very representative mural of the Greek Isle of Santorini. What a beautiful place — so fresh looking in its blue and white buildings and surrounded by the beautiful blue ocean! Picture perfect for sure.

The service was great and our waitress was very sweet and patient. The staff were all very good about humoring me with my picture taking.

Greek Marina
7192 Kalanianaole Hwy. E-126
Honolulu, Hawaii 96825
Phone: (808) 396-8441

You can find out more about Koko Marina here and, after you eat, you can walk around a bit and look at some of the other shops and businesses. Koko Marina calls itself, “The last stop on the way to Hanauma Bay.” I had to think about that statement for a bit and, you know, I think they’re right. I’ll talk about Hanauma Bay in the not-too-distant future, I promise!

Maybe I’m dating myself with this but I thought of it when I saw “Four Foods on Friday.”  Mulligan Stew was a kids’ show many years ago that talked about the four food groups in an attempt to get kids to eat right.  It stuck, for some reason.  They didn’t do a very good job, however, of putting any emphasis on moderation.  If they did, that part didn’t stick!

Suddenly I seem to be obsessed with food!  I found out about this blogger and her meme when I was reading about what Skeet did with green beans.  The worst part was that I subscribed to this blog via email and I have started paying attention to stuff I like and keeping some of those emails and flagging them. 

Val gives food-related questions for people to answer and participate in this little food networking thing. Here is the current list of questions and my responses: 

1. Brownies. From a box or from scratch?

Let’s see, from the box because I don’t trust myself to make it better than the experts.  Besides, it’s faster that way and a nice half gallon of milk is a nice companion! 

2. Chicken noodle soup. Does it cure everything? Do you make it from scratch, from a can or from a package?

I’m gonna get slapped for this one but, I think chicken noodle soup is a terrible waste of calories.  If I think someone really needs it for health reasons, I’ll give them Campbell’s but I myself will go for vegetable soup or something with a beef broth base. So, from the can ’cause I don’t care for the stuff and I would rather not eat it… never mind make it.  :)   I guess it just doesn’t have enough taste to excite my taste buds.  Sorry.

 3. Red skin potato salad. Do you think the red skin provides flavor or color?

You know, I think it actually does both.  I never thought about it but there is a nice, quiet flavor added and the color… makes it taste better.  :)  Obviously I’m thinking that it’s a bit of a psychological thing!  But, having the skin left on with regular potatoes wouldn’t present half the visual attraction and it would have a decided flavor that might be more than most people would like in a salad.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m one of those people that will eat the skin of that baked potato — I just don’t think it fits the whole salad thing.  The red potatoes are different that way. 

4. French toast. How do you make yours?

The problem with French toast is that you don’t usually think of it far enough ahead.  The bread, so I have been told, should be left out of the bag for a while to get a little stale so that it holds together but in my house it’s usually a spur of the moment thing.  So, when I make it I take the bread out and let it sit while I mix the eggs with a little milk, sugar and cinnamon (hubby like cinnamon).  I soak the bread in the mixture, put it in a frying pan with margarine and brown it.  Hubby likes the egg mixture to be overflowing and have a bit of an omelet thing going off the sides of the bread.  That’s it!  It’s a bread omelet!  Add syrup.  I’m not usually the one who eats it.     

Gee, I didn’t make a very good impression with those answers.  That’s okay, I was really wanting to share the blog and this recipe with you guys!  Pork chops!  I’m thinking I’ll try that one and replace the orange wedges with pineapple!  Yum!

And if so, which one works? I have tried ones that work, BUT, they require a heck of a lot of physical dedication. Not that this is bad, I actually like doing physical stuff. But, sometimes it’s just not practical. I know, I know… I’m supposed to “make time!” The problem is, making that time is getting harder and harder all the time! Okay, forget about the food versus exercise thing for now. We all know we need to do both. My concern is which ones really work?

My husband is aiming to get involved with one of them that he has seen repeatedly on the infomercials. I would just hate to see such a large outlay of cash go to waste.  Let’s put it this way, I know that I would be a lot better off financially if I had avoided some of the fads seen on the infomercials in the middle of the night. Insomnia and/or quirky sleeping habits are expensive!  Fortunately, there are sites out there that talk about how these weight-loss programs compare. They also deal with the issue of healthy diets and the ever-dreaded need for exercise.

Maybe these guys will help us find the right solution so we can lose weight and save money while trying. In addition to the comparisons, they are offering coupons for some of the programs. Before we sink more money into this kind of thing, I would love to hear if anyone has tried one of these and had success with them. For the record, and for those who are concerned about fad diets the way I am, there are also articles about health, and tips, if you’re looking for them.

I don’t want to hear about Atkins or the Shintani Diet!  The latter was Zippy’s biggest mistake in my opinion! I am curious to hear if anyone has tried any of the other, more-controlled diets that seem more balanced from a health standpoint. Maybe I’m being too fussy but along with obesity, there is also diabetes and heart trouble on both sides of our families so healthy diets are getting more and more important to me. I would say us but I seem to be the only one sensitive to this staff. I guess that means I’m the one who’s getting old!

Let’s see, what do you do on a Sunday afternoon, in Hawaii Kai, when there’s a marathon going on and the streets are pretty well blocked off? You find a place to have some lunch! When all else fails, eat!

There are several places we could have gone but being that travel was a little… less than convenient, we decided to try something different to make the afternoon just a little more interesting.

So, we opted to visit the Kona Brewing Co. in Koko Marina Center. We had eaten there before but it was a long time ago, so we were due for another visit. It was kind of nice because, it was pretty empty. Most of Hawaii Kai had either gotten out of town or decided to stay safely ensconced in their homes.

Even though the day started out rainy and gloomy, the skies continued to clear up and it was actually turning out to be a nice afternoon.

It was still overcast but not like it had been in the early morning hours when the runners all started out drenched.

It was actually kind of nice to be in a restaurant on a slow day. It was quiet and the staff were helpful and moving at a more comfortable and relaxed speed but still getting us fed. I was hungry!

They had a lot of interesting looking things on the menu, like this Greek pizza.

I opted for this grilled fish… not sure what kind of fish it was but it talked about grilled and guava in the description and it was accompanied with steamed vegetable that I happen to like a lot, so it wasn’t hard to choose!

Sometimes it’s fun to eat at places that seem to cater to tourists because they have fun things to eat… like this mango sorbet. It was a nice, smooth dessert that was good tasting and not too sweet. It was just enough to top off the fish and kill any sugar craving without be too overbearing.

Big Island Steak House that used to be in Aloha Tower Market Place downtown had a mango sorbet that was excellent! I’m not sure what happened to them but they closed their doors some time back. There was another restaurant that opened in that same location but they’re gone now too. It was on the second floor so that may be a bad location with a lot less foot traffic than the eateries downstairs at Aloha Tower.

Anyway, at Koko Marina Center in Hawaii Kai, the Kona Brewing Co. provided us with a very nice lunch. The restaurant is clean and inviting, and even the ducks like to swim by for a visit. The atmosphere was warm with their Christmas tree up by the front entrance and their little stockings hung across the walkway. Simone was our waitress and she was very patient with us as we kept asking questions while we were trying to figure out what to eat. Thanks Simone!

It suddenly dawned on me that “Kona Brewing” sounds like we’re talking about coffee. Not exactly… the Kona Brewing Co. brews ales, i.e. beer. Those are hand crafted ales, according to the little coaster under our drinks, and they’ve been doing this since 1994. I almost forgot that I wanted to include their little statement on that coaster. This gives you a feeling for the personality of the company:

The Powerful Volcanoes, the inviting waters of the Pacific Ocean and the free spirit of Island Surfing inspire us to brew our Liquid Aloha.

How can you go wrong with that?

This was one of those great moments when an irresistible picture presents itself. All else must stop when you see it happen and you have a camera to capture the moment! I took this picture a few months ago and figured I would eventually find a way to use it. It never occurred to me that there would be something so very appropriate for this simple “Kodak moment!” Has this little guy got his head in the sand? Oh no, on the contrary, this is one very industrious and hard-at-work little insect!

While looking for a collection of Hawaii-related stories in a little shop the other day, I found something that peaked my curiosity. On a different shelf of unrelated items, some little jars caught my attention. The label said, “rare, Hawaiian, organic, white honey.” Huh? All kinds of questions popped into my head. Why is it white? Another industry to replace sugar cane? Why isn’t this in the grocery store?

When faced with all of these questions and an industry that I never even thought about, I had to be niele (that means nosy in Hawaiian) and find out more about it, of course! I had to have a jar of this stuff! So, I left the little shop with my new book and a jar of honey. What a combo!

When I got home to my computer I wasted quite a bit of time looking for stuff.  Then it dawned on me to go directly to the source. Duh! (I did that once with Norbest turkeys. Do you guys know that those turkeys are white too?!?) Anyway, on just one of those little 8 oz jars of honey there is an abundance of information, not the least of which is a web address!

Volcano Island Honey Company is located on the Big Island of Hawaii and their website has an abundance of information about our tropical honey for all of you little niele honeys out there. While we’re building our Hawaiian vocabulary, how do we say “honey” in Hawaiian? “Wai meli.”  What’s the literal meaning? Bee liquor. I love that!

Once I was able to drag myself away from the computer, I had to try the little delicacy I purchased, so I did. I can’t even begin to describe it and all of the thoughts that went through my mind. The biggest thought? “What have they done to the honey we buy in the store?” Seriously, that’s the first thing that went through my mind! (Apparently I’m not the only one to have had difficulty describing the taste! Scroll down until you see the paragraph on “Taste.”)

The honey in the regular grocery stores is different. It’s sticky, it’s processed, it’s messy, it’s… it’s just not right! The honey from Volcano Island Honey Company is smooth, it doesn’t run, it tastes like sugar (without the aftertaste), it’s spreadable, it dissolves, it’s just, well, it’s just good! It actually becomes part of what you put it in — it enhances the flavor without taking it over. The list of ingredients says, “Pure Raw Organic Hawaiian Honey.” Hmmm…

Raw is not usually a word that most of us like to see when associated with a food product. Until now. If the honey is left too long in the comb it crystallizes and has to be heated to extract the honey. What happens? The taste, the color and the texture of the honey are altered! So, raw honey is actually something a real honey connoisseur will be seeking, if they know what they’re doing!

Did you know that honey will taste different if the bees harvest nectar from different flowers? Who would have thought? I didn’t see all of those different honeys offered by Volcano Island Honey while I was in the store where I bought mine. Some of them are seasonal. I have my eye on one of them and I will talk about that, and why, in a later post… once I get my hands on some!  I promise.

Then I wondered if there was more to learn or see. Oh boy, was there more! Certainly more than I can even begin to cover here! Check out the process for making the honey!  And all of this wonderful stuff is the result of, and nested in, keawe trees? These are the trees that supply the wood we use to barbecue food over! They’re certainly nothing to look at, but, I guess now we know why it’s the wood of choice for making food taste good! Apparently the bees agree with us.

Okay, we’ve got all of this knowledge but the website wasn’t finished there. We’re going for more than just a treat for Thanksgiving; we’re going for some Christmas giving as well! Here’s a rather different treasure trove of Hawaiian gifts for us to contemplate. Talk about “Made in Hawaii!”

I have to share this one little story.  For the record, I did try to find out if the moon has anything to do with honey harvesting or its production.  I couldn’t find anything directly related to the bees but, in the process of looking for any lunar impact, I did stumble on something interesting.

In 1984 honeybees became little astronauts aboard the space shuttle! Seriously! As part of an experiment, the bees actually managed to build a honeycomb in space… and with no gravity! That was all I was able to find in the way of any direct celestial involvement, but I thought it was pretty cool.

The only question now is to figure out which item holds more fascination for me — the jar of honey made by the bees or their website? Our Big Island residents get to go see these honeybees at work! I’m so jealous! I’m telling you, all of this makes a person look at bees in a whole different light! Yeah, yeah, I know, buy a ticket. An airline ticket. Until then, I’ve got my honey to bee with me!

Volcano Island Honey Company, LLC
46-4013 Puano Road
Honokaa, HI 96727
Phone: 808-775-1000
Toll Free: 1-888-663-6639

We can say that “fresh is fabulous” about almost anything. Salad Creations says it about the ingredients that go into their salads. Normally, I would be one of the last people to put salad on my list of things to talk about. It’s not too high on my list of things to eat either.

The amusing part of all this is that I am not a salad person. I like it alright, when my body decides that’s what it wants to be fed, but I won’t normally go out of my way to get it. Not long after Salad Creations opened on the corner of Bishop and Hotel Streets in downtown Honolulu, someone brought a copy of the menu back to the office. I saw the list of toppings, or “throw -ins” as they call them, and started salivating. The rest is history!

A little pricey? Yeah, but you’re very full — it’s lunch! The beauty of the “throw-ins” is that you can add as many of them as you want and the price stays the same! How’s that for a bargain? We’re talking good stuff here. Don’t try to strain to read the list on the picture. Here’s the list again:

The only time the price increases is if you add one of the specially-prepared meats from the list that include recipes of chicken, tuna, roast beef, ham or turkey. If you don’t want your salad in a bowl, you can have it in a wrap. Same ingredients, just wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla.

My one complaint for this place would be the desire to have a plain tortilla that leaves the taste of the inside alone instead of interfering. Whole wheat has a flavor all its own and, unless you’re a true whole wheat fan, it’s not always a welcome one. Perhaps the general manager, Jerry Mullen, can be persuaded to step outside the box and have some of the other kind on hand for those of us who refuse to always eat healthy. Healthy is good but flavor is everything!

The wraps are great if you’re on the go and need it “to go.” The salads can be “to go” as well, but you can always have a seat and kick back if you want to just sit for a while and enjoy their air conditioning. The tables are clean and the climate is cool.

The staff are always friendly and helpful and they offer great advice. I’ve never had one of them steer me wrong yet! Even in the choice of dressing! The Honey Dijon is good (that’s low fat, lite Honey Dijon). Couldn’t prove it by me! It’s good! I’ve almost filled out a buy 8 get one free card and I still have a lot to try!

So, anyone can have fresh lettuce, right? Yeah, but do they have a choice of four different kinds of lettuce? That’s mix and match if you like. Do they have all those trimmings? A choice of 16 homemade dressings? How about 6 kinds of soup that are prepared fresh daily? Don’t worry about your sweet tooth, they have fresh baked cookies too. Give it up guys, it doesn’t get much better than this.

The best part? They’re open until 5:30! We all have those days when we just can’t quite get away until everybody else is closed (except McDonald’s). Salad Creations is open late enough to allow you to take a salad home for dinner! You have got to love a place that plans on feeding you, no matter how late you go to lunch! Mahalo to Jerry Mullen and the staff at Salad Creations for making sure we all get fed!  Downtown so needed a place like this!

Salad Creations
1102 Bishop Street
Honolulu, Hawai’i 96813
Phone: 808-585-9549

One of Honolulu’s more high-end restaurants has kind of left me on the fence. I like the location, the view is wonderful and the architecture is attractive. Parking, however, is problematic. It does not leave a good impression when you need a handicap stall and are told to either use the valet or drop off and go park about a hundred yards away.

So, I’m going to tip a valet to park in the stall that is right where I am standing and if I want to park my car myself I have to walk the length of a football field? (That’s a rocky, lumpy, not-made-for-heels football field.) This is not customer service. That’s strike one in the parking lot before we even get into the restaurant. I’m sorry, I am a strong believer in tips because I know staff are notoriously underpaid, but I also believe in tipping for a reason, i.e. service provided. There was no service to be had in the parking area! Valet service is supposed to be there to assist, not to hinder.

Now, we’ve left the parking-lot incident behind us and decided we would go in and try it anyway. Everyone is very nice and there is a warm reception from the hostess at the front door.

We were seated by an attentive and friendly matradee. The food looked and smelled wonderful. What a colorful variety!

Read the rest of this entry »

This news actually came out a couple of months ago, but I wanted to be sure that nobody missed it! Researchers at Penn State did a controlled study and found out that macadamia nuts are good for you! Specifically, they are good for your heart.

Well, I think roses and macadamia nuts for Valentine’s Day would be a good thing. You can always get the chocolate covered ones if you must have chocolate. Now that Hershey has bought Maunaloa Macadamia Nuts those chocolate-covered guys should be better than ever!

According to the Honolulu Star Bulletin, this discovery was one that researchers at the University of Hawaii have known about for years. The “discovery” of the lowering of cholesterol levels comes as no surprise to local scientists.

I will make an editorial comment here. I tend to be picky about my macadamia nuts and I like them as close to fresh off the vine as possible. As far as the plain nuts are concerned (which generally means they are dry roasted and at least lightly salted), I prefer the Hamakua Plantation nuts you see pictured here. They taste fresh and never taste like they just came out of a tin can.

Where can you get them? Longs Drugs carries them right next to the other two competing brands. Longs is my drug store of choice for just about everything other than groceries. I’ve spent many hours browsing through the isles at the craziest hours of the day and night! It’s hard to get out of that store without dropping $70+ every time. Those macadamia nuts are about $10 a bag so they certainly won’t help you get out of the store with a small tab!