SSSMOKIN'

David Izumi is a culinary genius. Once in a great while you meet someone who understands food very well. He appreciates each nuance of the food he cooks and knows how to marry flavors well. He even makes his own smokers. By trade he is an underwater robotics teacher at Kailua High but by passion he is the consummate cook, "...not a chef" he humbly contends.

I, along with about 20 others, had the opportunity on Monday to learn from and assist David at my church's, Hope Chapel Kaneohe Bay's, Smokeout. It was a prelude to our SuperBowl tailgate party to be held at HCKB on Feb. 1 at noon. Visit the HCKB website and look under "events" for more info if you are interested in attending.

Three members of the Men of Hope Ministry, which hosted the Smokeout and will host the upcoming tailgate party, stayed up all night to stoke the fire in Kaneohe's freezing weather. Freezing to us is in the low 60's. Charcoal (without the use of lighter fluid so as not to spoil the flavor) was used to ignite the kiawe wood which was kept at a low 220-225 deg. F.

The sharp, enticing smell of the smoke mingled with the cool Kaneohe morning breeze when I got there at noon. We were told to bring anything to smoke-"pasta, eggs, cheese" and meats and fish, of course. There were two upright smokers made out of water heaters, one made from a vertical oil drum and one conventional Weber smoker.

David's taught classes at WCC on smoking and has done this many times so he relies on instinct to tell everything: when the wood is ready for the food, when the food is fully smoked, when the fire is too hot or cold. He said that food can be fully cooked by smoking or just partially cooked with the final cooking left for later.

This is not roasting, grilling or broiling the food. It is exposing the food to a low heat over an extended period of time to impart some cooking and alot of smoke flavor.

Our feast that evening started with a teaser of wild pig smoke meat, succulent and surprisingly tender, a pupu straight from the grill of cod, then on to smoked candied walnuts, two pico de gallos (like salsas) of peaches and kiwis, a smoked cream cheese and crab dip, smoked hard boiled eggs, smoked cheddar cheese for dipping, smoked wet and dry rub pork ribs, smoked juicy brisket and whole chicken, creamy and cool coleslaw and the best baked beans any of us had ever had. Oh, and virgin mojitos with peach juice!

This would have been an impressive spread if it had been a potluck and everyone had brought their Best dish but no. All of these recipes were floating around in David's head and he had just to delegate to us what to do to create them. Nothing written down, not even a shopping list. And, in between the feast for 60 or so, each of us class participants had our own packets or pans of food smoked.

I marinated two racks of pork ribs in the recipe I created below which includes homemade guava jam, red wine vinegar, brown sugar. I left the ziplocs in the fridge for three days. The ribs were smoked for 5 hours. That's a photo of my ribs to the left of this post.

Mahalo, David,Sharon, Rodney, Rob, Eric, Bert, Charlie and all the Men of Hope Ministry helpers. We were truly Sssmmokin'!

- foodiewahine

David's Pico de Gallo
from the Honolulu Advertiser, Taste Section, Jan. 28,2009
· 4 (14 1/2-ounce) cans peaches (note: can use 10 kiwi fruit in a rough dice instead, use more mint, less cilantro, 1. ea. of fish sauce and chili sauce, 1 onion, 2 limes)
· 1 onion, finely chopped
· Juice of 2 limes
· 1 large handful cilantro leaves*
· 1 large handful fresh mint leaves*
· 1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce (or to taste)
· 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce (patis)
· Black pepper to taste
Mix all together, taste and correct seasonings. Allow to sit a short time before serving. Refrigerate if holding longer than a half hour.
Makes LOTS. A serving is about 2 tablespoons.
· Per serving: 71 calories, .2 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 1 mg sodium, 17.7 g carbohydrate *

My Guava Lacquered Smoke Ribs

Marinade
1 c. red wine vinegar
2 crushed bay leaves
4 T. brown sugar
1 t. chili flakes
2 crushed, minced garlic cloves
1 onion cut in 1/4 in. segments
1 juice of tangerine and ½ of it’s peel torn
½ c. guava jam
¼ c. red wine
Marinate 2 racks of raw pork ribs in Ziplocs for two to three days. Smoke, Barbecue or Broil.
___________________________________________________________________________
Note: Wanda Adams graciously attended our Smokeout and wrote three fabulous articles about David, HCKB and Smoking in the Food/Taste Section of Wednesday's, Jan. 28th's, Honolulu Advertiser. It will be available for viewing online on the Honolulu Advertiser's website for three months.

This is a link to the main article:
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090128/LIFE02/901280340/-1/islandlifefront

I'm Back/Food Equipment Tips

Back on track for '09. I've been working the holiday seasonal shift at Williams-Sonoma Ala Moana doing food and equipment demos. It's been a hectic time but also rewarding in terms of what I've learned. Below is an email that I sent to friends and family.
________________________________________________________________________
Having breaks with the Williams-Sonoma associates who are all avid foodies or food professionals can be very interesting. Plus, bonus!, the treats are always especially yummy in the break room. Here are some great tips I've found so far.

W-S sells a commercial nonstick spray called Baklene that is terrific for all those Nordicware specialty pans, like their bugs and roses. The Nordicware rep told the crew that to make your cakes shiny as well, brush the pans with melted Crisco and then spray with the Baklene. Baklene costs more, 8., than Pam or Baker's Joy but it doesn't leave a sticky residue, it works better and the can weighs about twice as much as Pam in the regular markets. As far as I know, no one else in Hawaii carries this.

Breville makes the best pannini press. It can open wide for thicker sandwiches. You can also grill asparagus, chicken, etc. on it. One associate rhapsodized about it to the rest of us. Oprah had it on her O list this month so we have a little card advertising that next to the product.

Villaware makes the best Belgian waffle maker. The gal I work the most with, who's been there 14 years, says that she has 3 Villawares and you just need to butter the waffle iron once and it's good for the whole session. I've been demo-ing the All Clad Belgian Waffle Maker using the Baklene on the cold waffle iron. The All Clad faithfully churns out perfectly crisp waffles.

Just FYI. Oh, and if you do like to shop at WS anyway you should sign up at the counter for their email list which will tell you about most of their sales and samplings. I also think it's worth it to be on Borders and Barnes and Nobles' email lists for their monthly coupons!
______________________________________________________________

Another tip:

My wonderful church, Hope Chapel Kaneohe Bay, serves serious food several times a week at services and meetings. I volunteer at our Courtyard Cafe every other Sunday. So far, I'm aware of 3 professional chefs-church members who help out at events.

Steve, one of HCKB's chefs on staff, was the head chef at Longhi's Ala Moana for three years. I'd read Alton Brown's suggestions re: nonstick pans in his book "Gear" and wanted Steve's opinion. Alton says to forget buying an expensive and heavy nonstick pan and just get an inexpensive and lighter pan which you will have to resign yourself to replacing every so often. Steve agreed. He said that the double pack of 8" nonstick pans at Sam's Club for just 20. is better than what you can buy at restaurant supply stores. I got a set and am happy to report that they ARE a great weight and are easy to handle. It's a breeze to do a one hand flip of the egg for over easy eggs. Problem solved!

-foodiewahine


Copyright 2008-2009. Anything to Eat. All rights reserved. This material and all material on this site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The author disclaims all liabilities in connection with the use of the information contained within.

Food and Love

My oldest daughter, Collette, calls my cookies my little ambassadors. She understands that special link between food and love.

I have four stories to share.

In July, our family member was facing a serious medical challenge. My sister-in-law, Hedy, arranged to meet me in town to drop off a pot of jook for us. She's famous for her jook. We are constantly teasing her to make us her ham and chicken jook which is like silk. Jook is what is known as rice congee. It is a soft rice porridge that is one of the ultimate comfort foods for locals along with other favorites like Portuguese bean soup, ochazuke and oxtail soup. As I ate each spoonful it was like I was eating a bowl of Hedy's love and caring for me. I could feel it warming my body. It was infinitely soothing. That's a loving gesture I'll never forget.

Two weeks ago I felt the urge to bake and bring some pineapple bars to my cousin's home. Her husband was seriously ill and was fast failing. All of their four adult sons had returned home and were helping their parents tremendously. I thought they might appreciate something home-baked for themselves and their many guests stopping by. When I delivered the pineapple bars I found out at my cousin's door that her husband had just passed away an hour previously. You know I wasn't fearful, I just felt calm and I had a certainty that I was meant to be with the family at this time. I wouldn't have wanted to be there earlier, that was a precious time for the immediate family.

The next day I felt the strong urge to make a big pot of my mother's shoyu chicken for that cousin's family. To me, this would be the a favorite "nursery" food and I hoped it would comfort. I thought it was funny in Paula Deen's book "It Ain't All About the Cooking" that one category that she describes of Southern food is food for funerals. Everyone brings their best dish, the actual beautiful plate and their most celebrated food, to the home of the bereaved. As it turned out a party sprung up around my Mom's shoyu chicken. My cousin with her sons, invited her brother and sister-in-law, her sister, myself and cousins over for dinner. I felt my Mom was there in spirit, partly responsible for getting us together, just as she used to for the whole family.


I attend Hope Chapel Kaneohe Bay, my wonderful, new church home. There is an intercessory prayer/healing ministry meeting that I attend called "The Upper Room", as in Pentecost. I've been going for a number of weeks now and just felt happy that Tuesday. I bake when I'm happy so I decided to make my liliko'i cupcakes for the Upper Room meeting that evening. The tropically flavor of this cake is one that everyone seems to enjoy. We usually don't bring snacks, instead concentrating on prayer and inviting the Presence of the Holy Spirit. I got a phone call just as I was dipping the cupcakes in their liliko'i glaze. Teresa, at whose home the Upper Room is held, called to tell me that tomorrow was her teenage son's, Freman's, birthday and she was going to pick up a cake on her way home from work before the meeting. I just told her "No need. I'm frosting it right now!"

These are just four examples of how baking and cooking with love, tapping into intuition and moving in the Spirit can bring about some pretty surprising results.

I used the recipe below but substituted my own Pineapple Chutney (Sam Choy's, published in a previous blog on anythingtoeat) for the cherry jam to make

PINEAPPLE BARS
Cherry Oatmeal Crunch Squares(Adapted slightly from the Essentials of Baking by Williams Sonoma, This recipe and the photo on the left were online at the blogsite called “Baking Sheets" )
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, very cold and cut into pieces
1 cup/10-oz cherry jam or non-chunky preserves
Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 9-inch square baking pan.In the food processor, combine flour, oats, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Pulse to combine.Add butter and pulse 8-10 times, or until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs. Set aside 2 cups of this mixture.Pour remaining crumb mixture into prepared pan and pack firmly against the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Stir jam to loosen, then spread evenly onto this layer. Top with reserved crumb mixture.Bake for 50-55 minutes, until bars are a light, golden brown.Allow to cool in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.Makes 25.
Note: If you do not have a food processor see the 5th comment below to learn how to make this by hand. I like to use the heartier preserves myself like guava jam, Meyer Lemon marmalade, any sort of chutney. I'm even considering mincemeat.

HO! FOODS!

The first of four planned Whole Foods Markets was unleashed on Hawai'i last week at Kahala Mall. Swarms of foodies with pent-up desires were there, as I was, at the jamming opening. Every fifth person had a "Media" button on interviewing earnest managers and customers with a pleased, yet dazed look on their faces. So many new choices!!! Ho! Foods! I had to jockey with a professional photographer to get that one perfect shot of the whimsical frosted rose cupcakes in the display case.

Combine a raucous country fair with an elegant gourmet deli and that about sums up the atmosphere. The mainstream shopper has discovered what natural, organic and/or vegetarian devotees have known all along-that unadulturated, natural foods equates to healthier, cleaner and more defined flavor. Cooks behind the pizza counter were loudly hawking their samples with great gusto. A caveat. Many of the canned and boxed products can be gotten elsewhere on O'ahu at better prices. However, it's the freshly made food counters of pizza, plate lunches, fresh fish, sushi, et. al. that line the perimeter of the Market that sets it apart from others.

The Market has the largest array of specialty butters as well as a hefty selection of bar chocolates and cheeses. A few local producers are in evidence. Natural soaps from Maui, produce (e.g.,'ulu and herbs) packaged cookies, honey and jams. Throw in an in-house bakery of tempting pastries, recently baked breads, organic and natural meats and produce, a coffee/tea bar and a natural bath and body department and you've got the complete organic shopper's dream.

If you've ever been to a Whole Foods on the mainland you already have an idea of what to expect. The three destination places that I head to in any city while travelling includes a Trader Joe's, a Target and a Whole Foods. I have literally one duffel of omiyage I bring to my family from Hawai'i and the same duffel for bringing omiyage back home. That is a great time to find future birthday and Christmas gifts as well.

Forget the ripe bananas and yogurt smoothie smell we've come to associate with natural food stores. Whole Foods is the Valrhona of organic foods. I will still faithfully patronize the Kailua Down to Earth for their local-tastes savvy and the wide selection from their bulk bins. You just cannot beat the freshness and prices of their loose spices, teas and grains. I'll continue to be a faithful consumer at the two beloved Thursday Kailua Farmers' Markets and KCC's. Whole Foods just adds another welcomed option to the bountiful food offerings. Here's hoping they expand the local foods presence in their stores.

Samantha's Art

The painting on the left is entitled "Come Up Here!" and is one of a number of inspirational works which my daughter, Samantha, has done. I know I may be biased but I think her Art is beautiful and uplifting. Many others have told her the same. God has blessed her with so many gifts. Following is an email which she sent to family and friends after making the decision to have a painting of hers professionally scanned in order to make it available in high quality prints. Her contact information follows if you are interested in ordering a print.
-foodiewahine
___________

Here it is! I finally had one of my paintings professionally scanned and available for print(giclee). If you are interested in purchasing a print, please contact me through my email address at the end of this email message.

This is definitely a new venture for me. There is no pressure for you to order at all! My interest is to bless others with a more affordable copy of my work rather than having to pay higher for an original. I should be offering a wider selection but right now I'm experimenting with the whole idea of printing my work, and it does cost a lot to have a piece scanned into a giclee.

Thank you for supporting me in this endeavor whether its been through your encouraging comments or suggestions.

If you want to know more about this artpiece titled, "Come Up Here!" and my work in general, read on:
"Come Up Here" was originally painted at the request of a friend in Nov. '07. In Revelation 4:1, God invites John to heaven where he is given revelation about who He is and what His plans are. I wanted this painting to invite onlookers to encounter God. The eagle represents the person flying past the earth's atmosphere and into a heavenly realm. Its to encourage you that God wants to reveal Himself to you in all His glory.

In regards to my work in general, the Lord gave me three dreams in 2005 to start painting again after stopping when I was young. I didn't value art that much and didn't think it would take me anywhere. But I realize now it is a gift He has given me, not for my sake, but for others. Within the past year, I have had about three more dreams this time where I see the face or figure of Jesus in my paintings. He is telling me that my work is producing an invitation for others to encounter Him.

Thank you! May you be showered with God's love everyday and be filled with His joy!
*♥´¨)¸.·♥ ¸.·*♥´¨ ) ¸.♥·*¨)(¸.·´ (¸ ..♥·
Samantha Ah-Tye
ahtye7@gmail.com
Note: Samantha has a new blogsite for her Art at Encounterart.blogspot.com You can click the address in the column to the left of this post to view a sampling of her work.

Foodie Visit

I have to apologize for the delay in getting out this latest post. Suffice to say life has been interesting and challenging.

My dear friend, Tina Ho Wing, from LA and her daughter, Elisa, were here for a short visit Tina's graduated from a culinary school, has been a buyer for Wolfgang Puck's Food Network shows and is a culinary arts instructor at an LA high school. Tina has VERY discerning tastes and is a wicked cook and baker although very humble and down to earth about it all.

Tina's been to Hawai'i many times since her Mom is from here and she has an extensive network of local family and friends. From the airport I proffered Nico's Fish Market, Sam Choy's BLC or Young's Fish Market. Without a moment's hesitation Tina opted for Young's. This is the best direct-from-the airport choice for ex-pats or anyone who loves Hawaiian food. While Tina reminded me that L and L is populating the mainland with new Hawaiian Barbecue franchises we agreed that there's still something to be said for laulau freshly made and freshly steamed. I admit that I haven't been to a pa'ina lately and have gotten by on frozen laulau. Young's reminded us of how superior the real deal is. The juices from the laulau practically spurted out when we cut into the bundles with a fork. It had the perfect ratio of pork to luau leaves. It's no wonder Young's is the best place to go on O'ahu for Hawaiian food if you don't have a luau/pa'ina in your near future.

The second day was my choice. It was a delicious dilemma. We narrowed our options down to a plate lunch but of course it had to be something a bit out of the ordinary, likely from that new food genre of gourmet plate lunch. Although Sen. Barack Obama recently gave a nod to Zippy's and Rainbow, I wanted something more. I'd tried Kelvin Ro's baked goods before at KCC so I checked out Diamond Head Market and Grill ("DHMC") a day before Tina was to come in. It was one of those, where have I been all this time, moments. I know, I know, people will say, "What??? You are only discovering this place, now?"

DMBC is a small storefront on Monsarrat Ave. It's divided into a smallish deli on the left and a plate lunch counter on the right. Kelvin Ro, formerly the owner/chef at Kahala Moon, is the owner/chef of DMBC and does catering on the side. We loved the myriad and imaginative choices for entrees, sides and desserts on the Deli side in particular: from duck confit to take home and heat for a special dinner to mochiko salads in plastic clamshell containers. The desserts were alluring: Lemon Crunch Cake (just like Alexander Young Hotel's but with the addition of a bright lemony filling), Liliko'i Cheesecake (Tina's comment was that while it tasted "tropical", truthfully, not that much of that distinct passion fruit flavor) and about a dozen other offerings. Maybe the most intriguing of the plate lunches was the Kim Chee Fried Rice for breakfast which Tina will save for a future visit.

From Waikiki we went on up Tantalus Drive to the Gift Shop at the Contemporary Art Museum. We intended to have tea and yet another dessert from their award-winning Cafe but unfortunately were too full to eat another bite. The grounds are beautifully kept with a spectacular view of Diamond Head. Don't forget to spray yourself with bug spray at the Entrance because the mosquitoes can be bothersome.

The last day of Tina's visit we decided to check out the restaurants at McCully Shopping Center. Just a bite to eat because Tina and Elisa had been feted at Nobu's (!) by her cousin, Dr. Edward Ho, and his gracious wife, the night before. I highly recommended Phuket Thai to Tina based on my past pleasant experiences with both of their restaurants. That turned out to be Tina's pick. So glad we went there because it was the perfect ending to her visit for us. We shared the special of Thai Green Curry Chicken with Green Papaya Salad, Sticky Rice (absolutely critical) and Thai Iced Coffee. It was exactly the kind of light meal we both craved and it was perfectly executed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I made a Thai Red Curry Pork at home a couple of days after our shared meal and included some fresh bamboo shoots from the Kailua Farmer's Market. I've posted about this little gem of a food find before. The market is held in the parking lot next to Kailua Intermediate School on Thursdays at 9 a.m. Bamboo shoots have to be boiled for 20 minutes in water to extract the bitterness but the resulting flavor is outstanding and the texture is much more crisp than the canned product.

-foodiewahine

Lychee Time

A large paper shopping bag's worth of red, plump lychee. What a delight! Thank you, Alanna, Wendy and Blake who have carried on their family's tradition of delivering lychee from their Aiea home to us, fortunate recipients. When I think of it I believe this tradition is going on 60 years. It was first started by Blake's parents and has continued on through the next generation.

Lychee and mangoes were the first indication that summer was here when I was growing up. We'd eat green lychee with a slight pink tinge straight off the tree at Judd St. because we couldn't wait for the fruit to ripen. We'd then have an upset stomach for the rest of the afternoon. I'm sure that people on the mainland have stories of doing the same thing as an impatient kid with ripening but still greenish Georgia peaches or pink-red strawberries on the vine.

I'd have to say that lychee is my favorite fruit. The first ripe lychee of the summer may just about be the best. You break the red, spiked, papery peel of the lychee with your thumb. At first the surface of the translucent flesh is shiny. If the lychees have been in the fridge then in just a second a light matte coating of condensation covers the fruit. You take that first bite (juice may drip down your arm) and you receive that distinctive floral taste through your taste buds and your nose. The texture of the tart sweet flesh of the lychee is firm and cold. There's really no fruit like it. Not even the longan, the dragon's eye, compares.

It's a ton of work to upkeep a lychee tree. There's fertilizing, raking the leaves, watering when it's too hot, pruning and finally picking the lychee being careful to take a branch with a bundle on the end so that the lychee will last longer. When our extended family is annually blessed with this gift from the Aiea Vance family it comes fully loaded with their love and our own happy childhood memories.

Lychee is best eaten as is. Blake and Wendy have been to New Orleans. So, I dedicate, in gratitude, this simple dessert recipe to their family. It's a take on Bananas Foster.

Bananas Lychee Vance
Place 2 Tablespoons each of butter and Myers's rum (or lychee vodka) and 8 Tablespoons (1/2 cup) of brown sugar in a cold, high-sided pan. Heat on Med. High briefly, just until the sugar melts and starts to caramelize, about 3 minutes, being careful NOT to allow the rum to ignite. Too scary. Add 2 small, sliced, partially ripe but still firm apple bananas, 6 unbroken pecans and 1 tsp. of cinnamon. Cover the bananas and the pecans with the syrup. Take off the heat as soon as the bananas are warmed through. Pour over very cold vanilla ice cream. Makes two servings for dainty, polite people or 1 serving for one hungry, greedy person. Top each serving with a 2 Tablespoon dollop of lychee yogurt (Meadow Gold sells it locally) or whipped cream and four seeded lychees cut in half.