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Thanksgiving Report Card #2--Apple Cranberry Pie with Oatmeal Streusel

11/30/2010

Apple Cranberry Pie with Oatmeal Streusel = unanimous thumbs up

This was a good balance for the super sweet pecan pie and the smooth creamy pumpkin pies. Granny Smith apples + cranberries give this pie good texture and some zing.

We'll definitely be making this again next Thanksgiving. Click here for the recipe.

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Sashimi Means It's a Proper Party

11/29/2010

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If you grew up in Hawaii, everyone is either your cousin, Aunty or Uncle. Technically, the person I call cousin Neal is the husband of my cousin's cousin, no more 'blood-related' to me than say, my foodie friend Lana (whom my kids call Aunty, nonetheless).

But I digress. Neal's absolute importance, aside from being a great person, is that he has the 'Sashimi Responsibility'. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, Graduation, Funerals, Weddings--you know it's a Special Event when there is sashimi.

Here was our spread from Thanksgiving, and I already can't wait 'til Christmas. Dark red was maguro, orange was salmon, and the two white were hamachi and halibut. Bought at Tokyo Fish Market, Berkeley and happily gobbled-gobbled up by our ohana at Thanksgiving.

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Thanksgiving New Recipe Report Card #1--New Turkey Technique

11/28/2010

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We tried a few new things this year--most notably, salting the turkey instead of tried-and-true brining. A little gutsy to experiment with the main course, and thank goodness it worked out!

Salted turkey = Unanimous thumbs up
After a few years of self-brining, last year, we did pre-brined (it was a busy time), fresh turkey, and felt that the meat was tasty, but a little bit mushy.

This year, we did again opted a fresh turkey, and salted the skin instead of brining. As you can see, it was very popular. Tasty, juicy and with a whisper of lemon/herb. The most promising sign was that my relatives took home lots of turkey and sadly for us, very few leftovers. Click here for the recipe.

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Experiments for This Thanksgiving

11/23/2010

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Thanksgiving dinner for 25 people is probably not the best place to try out new recipes, but then again, how often do you ever find a captive focus group? So we're trying a few new things--one to solve a timing problem, one in the hopes of re-creating a long-lost recipe and one just to change it up a little.

Gravy. If you are from Hawaii, gravy is a necessity. And you need LOTS and LOTS of it. For years now, this has been the problem child. You can't start it until the turkey's done, and then it takes too darned long to finish. And people start getting testy. So we're trying make-ahead gravy with crimini mushrooms, porcini mushrooms and vermouth. I hope it tastes good because we're going to have a quart of the stuff.

Pineapple cranberry sauce--We did once this a long time ago. I can't remember if it was pineapple juice, or the liquid from canned pineapple. Trying with pineapple juice, chunks of pineapple and orange juice. Sounds like a good idea.

Apple cranberry pie with oatmeal streusel--it's our transparent attempt say, "Well it has to be a little good for you if it has apples and oatmeal in it." In addition to the pecan and pumpkin pies.

I'll let you know how it turns out. And tell me what your favorite Thanksgiving foods are!

Wishing you and your Ohana a Happy Thanksgiving. Eat Well. Be Well.

Give Thanks.

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Why I Love Thanksgiving

11/14/2010

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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. We've had it at our home for at least 10 years now, ever since my San Francisco cousin's oven "broke" a week before Thanksgiving, many moons ago. We have anywhere from 20-30 people--my cousins and their kids, my cousins' cousins, my Aunty and Uncle, my Mom and sometimes my niece or other Hawaii relative, our friend's Terry's parents, our friend Brian's dad, sister and Aunty, and sometimes, my college-aged nephew's friends and various visiting friends.

Everyone is welcome and everyone is like family. Like a proper Hawaii house, we've never run out of food. Here's what we'll be eating:

Turkey & fresh cranberry sauce--paradoxically, we love Spam, but wouldn't dream of eating canned cranberry "sauce"
Cornbread stuff with dried fruits--using my LA-Aunty's SoCal Buddhist Cornbread
Candied yams in all their buttery, marshmallow-ey finest--made by my Davis Aunty
Baked yams--also made by my Davis Aunty, for those of us who are supposed to eat better
Some kind of cooked vegetable--maybe Brussels sprouts, green beans or broccoli
Mashed potatoes & gravy, lots of gravy
Pumpkin pies (2)--"Full Fat" and Non-fat, made by my cousin
Pecan pies (2)---because one just isn't enough

By now you're thinking, "Big deal. Everyone makes that." Here's what else we'll be eating:
Fresh sashimi--because it's not a proper occasion without it
Portuguese sausage stuffing
Either Chinese chicken or won bok coleslaw
White rice, inari sushi (made by my Aunty) AND spam musubi

Chinese noodles, char siu bao and assorted dim sum, brought by the above-mentioned SF cousins (see below)

And for snacks:
Raw veggies and some kind of dip
Some sort of cheese and crackers
Spam musubi
Guacamole
Hummus and/or tapenade
Arare (Japanese rice crackers) and Maui onion flavored macadamia nuts

Everyone brings their 'specialty', and the variety (thinkThanksgiving Plus) is
what I love about Thanksgiving and my ohana. So where-ever you are--enjoy
the Thanksgiving Holidays with your Ohana. And tell me what you are eating!

Eat well. Be well.

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It Needs to Be Fast!!

11/9/2010

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I got a new for-pay contracting job. And like all marketing consultant/wife/mom/tutor/chauffeur/cooks, time is is limited and tasks are many. On the plus side, marketing consulting does pay to feed my ohana, it's very interesting work for a large "techie" company. I've just finished a communication programs for a new product and helped launch a new website. However, all that time spent there takes away from my real passion of feeding my ohana, literally and otherwise...

So I've focused this blog on dinners that you can do Easily. Swiftly. When you are Kind of Tired, Rushed or A Little Bit Grouchy. Easy to make. Good eating. And we all know that a good meal always makes you happy.

Here's the work week of PDQ dinners.

1) Spaghetti with Simple Tomato Sauce. My friend Lana swears I stole this from her, but I solemnly swear that I did not. It is descended from Cooking Light. Garlic, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes and a can of whole tomatoes. We use two cans because we love it so much. Basil if you have it. You can have spaghetti sauce faster than you can boil the water for the spaghetti. (Meatballs not required!)

2) Costco Rotisserie Chicken. Yes, you have to buy this one, but it's so worth it. One complete (hot!) meal, and the leftovers lead to....

3) Chicken Divan Use the leftover chicken. Cut broccoli or buy a bag of pre-cut broccoli. Prep time = 10 minutes, and that's if you buy uncut broccoli. Bake time 30 minutes, the same amount of time it will take to make the rice to go with this.

4) Banish the Bottle Teriyaki Chicken. This is THE go-to dinner. Not to sweet, not too salty. Pour everything into a pan and let it cook. Again, in the time it takes to make rice, the chicken is done. Open a bag of salad for a fully balanced meal.

5) Quinoa Salad. The handy-dandy rice cooker to the rescue again--this time to make the quinoa. If you can open two cans and cut up a cucumber, you are done. And a vegetarian option to boot!

6) Fish sandwiches with marinated tomato salad--Brand New
Buy a carton of grape or mixed tomatoes, buns and your favorite fish. Have mayo, salt, pepper, lemon, sesame oil, shoyu, olive oil and balsamic vinegar at home.

Split the tomatoes and toss a little Hawaiian salt and olive oil over them. While that sits, bake your favorite fish (I had mahi mahi ) at 350 for about 20 minutes.

While that bakes, make a shoyu-sesame oil-mayonaise and green onions sauce for the sandwiches. When the fish is done, drizzle balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. Spread the mayo/sesame oil/shoyu over the bread and eat.

I'm planning some more updates to the site, and more quickly than this past month! Thanks much for sticking with me. Eat well. Be well.

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Thanksgiving Report Card #2--Apple Cranberry Pie with Oatmeal Streusel

Sashimi Means It's a Proper Party

Thanksgiving New Recipe Report Card #1--New Turkey Technique

Experiments for This Thanksgiving

Why I Love Thanksgiving

It Needs to Be Fast!!

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