Uncategorized

Hawaii is extremely casual.  If you’re a man wearing a t-shirt and shoes inside the grocery store instead of just cargo shorts, you’ve earned points for being well-dressed. Dressing nicely while on vacation on Maui is completely noncompulsory…but fun! My tropical wardrobe consists of a handful of floaty maxi dresses with light shirts for layering. With…

Along with swimming in crystal clear water every day and cooking with amazing tropical ingredients, my highlight from our trip to Hawaii was a ritual of playing badminton before sunset. Technically, it was “Smashminton” – also known as, the best $6.00 I ever spent at Ross. The game brought back fond memories of playing ping…

We made a huge sushi spread at home to celebrate our last night in Hawaii and to thank our hostess, Haley. The meal made the most of the delicious fresh ahi tuna and opah belly available at the local market. To start, I prepared a remake of the opah tataki with lime butter vinaigrette, plus an…

We made it through the last of the tropical fruit last night! Our final experiment was the ghoulish green fruit called “cherimoya.”  With a leathery exterior that is almost artichoke-like and a surprising heaviness, I wasn’t sure what to expect inside. The cherimoya fruit is white and the consistency of papaya with giant black seeds…

The Hawaiian alphabet has only 13 letters, in an endlessly confusing array of combinations. Without fail, I forgot every street name I was told on the trip. I think that this sign in Kihei translates to “waterworn lava stones” – used as a musical instrument.

This three ingredient lunch is a snap to prepare on a busy afternoon in Maui, using more of our tropical farmer’s market produce from down the street. The baked purple taro is topped with braised kale and good quality parmesan cheese. Like a tiny sweet potato, the purple taro cooks very quickly. Just 2 or 3 minutes…

Last time I was in Maui, we went to the very elegant Old Lahaina Luau – complete with tropical drinks, leis, pit-roasted pork and lots of music and dancing. On this trip, Rob and I stumbled in accidentally to the hula show at the Lahaina Cannery Mall when we stopped for sandwiches at the market next door.…

Continuing our theme of working through the local Hawaiian produce: I made mango scones for breakfast on Sunday morning. Given that I’m not much a baker, I started with this easy scone recipe using Bisquick. I used most of a mango to make half a cup of fruit, but next time I would double the…

We have LOVED staying at Haley’s place in Kihei for these past few weeks. Having a real house – with a cat even – makes a vacation feel extra special. She’s so lucky to call Maui home and we’re so lucky that she is a generous and kind hostess! Haley just recently moved in to…

Rob and I stumbled across a very cool store in Wailuku: Native Intelligence opened 5 years ago with a mission of promoting Hawaiian culture and artisans. It’s an elegant shop with beautiful and unique stock. Everything from fresh leis in intricate designs to woven mats made with Hala tree leaves and complex feather crafts. A must-see…