Fritata

Anna begs me to make this fritata all the time and Scott is just happy that I'm cooking anything with potatoes. Hey, when a haole boy from Pennsylvania marries a local Filipino girl, your meal will consist mostly of rice.
It's a great way to use leftover meat and vegetables and I also get to use my fresh herbs. Throw things together into a saute pan and cook for about 15 minutes then add eggs. The Italian version calls for heavy cream but I do not enjoy cream in my eggs. Recipe calls for prosciutto but it is too pricey when you're on a DOE furlough so I substituted bacon. Excellent dish to feed a crowd which can be served hot and fresh or at room temperature.

Blueberry Scone

What better way to use up frozen blueberries and heavy cream close to the expiration date than a fresh batch of scones. Whipped these up in a short amount of time as burgers came off the grill and sat down for dinner.
Nothing to shout above the rooftops for. Frankly, I could have used a little more sweetness, I don't think 3 T of sugar was sufficient. I am on a quest to find a recipe for blueberry scones that are sweet, a little more dense with a crunchy crust.

Turkey Larb

It's so easy to find ingredients to make Asian dishes. The only one I didn't have was fish sauce. It's been a while since I've made Thai food and this dish was a nice return.
I filled my ecobag with limes, lemongrass, mint leaves and Manoa lettuce at the farmer's market to prepare this lemoney, fresh, light dish.
Scooped the turkey filling dressed with lime and lemon juices, fish sauce and honey into lettuce cups. Yummy!

Anna's First Communion

She's all grown up! On a cool, drizzling morning in Wahiawa, Anna celebrated her First Communion. God Bless her!

Kristen's UH Graduation Party at Tsukiji Restaurant

Could it be true? Have I made it to heaven? A tempura buffet that features all you can eat shrimp and sweet potato tempura. Good food, good service and a great selection of Japanese food. The kids loved the shave ice bar that featured ice cream and azuki beans. We aunties loved the saimin bar.

Banana Cupcakes

What a great way to use up overripe bananas that no one will touch. Used Martha's recipe for banana bread that calls for coconut and buttermilk. You know I LOVE chocolate and nuts so in went a 1/2 C of both.

Magic Blondies

An ad for Kashi energy bars with coconut, chocolate, dried fruits, and nuts inspired me to find a recipe for cookies. Martha's Magic Blondies featured all ingredients minus the high price. Easy and fun to make with the kids and packed with good stuff to give you energy.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Who would think that this man is 83 years old?! We all took a break from our busy lives to come together and celebrate this great man at his and my favorite restaurant-Au's Chinese Restaurant. A Korean War veteran, a father of 5 and an excellent cook. I once wrote about him in a college essay about being a hero and why he is the person I most admire. The man does not say much but he always has a smile on his face and showers his family with love through his cooking.

Walnut Icebox Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

Buried deep in my freezer, behind sausages and frozen vegetables was a roll of icebox cookies! A great cookie to have on standby for unexpected visitors. Rolled the frozen dough in chopped walnuts and sliced. Light, savory and buttery but was missing something. Melted semisweet chocolate over a double boiler and added a teaspoon of vegetable oil for the shine. Dipped half of the cookie in the cool, melted chocolate. Perfect!

Raspberry Crostata

This crostata takes the cake! Raspberry is my favorite preserve to spread over the dough. A sprinkling of powdered sugar and chopped almonds provides a sweet and crunchy finish.

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosermary Mayonnaise

I have fallen in love again with the herb rosemary-the smell, the taste, and the lingering scent it leaves on your fingers. I finally have a recipe that puts this herb to good use because it calls for 1/4 C. I also got to use my fresh, peppery arugula. A gourmet burger that deserves the highest praise. These are so delicious-moist, juicy and flavorful.
I thought combining half of the mayonnaise mixture to the 1 lb of ground chicken made the the burgers too wet to form but it turned out perfect after grilling them on my George Forman grill.
The garlic-rosemary mayonnaise made the burger. I put a dallop on mine while my family preferred a scant amount. Just thinking of this burger makes me want to whip it up again-soon!

Don and Marion 50th Anniversary

A lovely couple deserves a lovely treat-sugar cookies! It's just pure pleasure to roll out dough and use my wide assortment of cutters to create the perfect favors for Don and Marion's 50th Anniversary Surprise Party.

Apricot Crostata

I love love love this crostata that I decided to try it with apricot preserves. It's just as good. The flakey crust is just delicious with the lemon zest. An inexpensive dessert-store bought preserves and so easy to make that it would satisy any sweet craving.

Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun Dried Tomatoes

The advantage of a well stocked pantry is the ability to whip up a gourmet meal in a flash. Giada's recipe listed some ingredients that I adore-sun dried tomatoes, Italian sausage, artichoke hearts, and penne pasta. A fast stop at the market to purchase fresh parmesan cheese and a snip of fresh basil and flat leaf parsley from my herb garden made a penne pasta we won't forget.