From the song written by Queen Lili’uokalani, “Aloha ‘Oe” (translation in italics)
Aloha ʻoe, aloha ʻoe
Farewell to you, farewell to you
E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
The charming one who dwells in the shaded bowers
One fond embrace,
One fond embrace,
A hoʻi aʻe au
'Ere I depart
Until we meet again
Until we meet again

Tags: Hawaii

And this is the view he and I were enjoying — I with my coffee,
and Kani-san with his tree pod...

Tags: Hawaii

Two of the Omnivore’s 100: Sauerkraut and Saumagen
(German version of Haggis, the pink patty on the right)

And the winner is...

What do you need?

It’s another CLICK! event, and this time the theme is Citrus. The Jugalbandits are accepting entries until August 30th, so get out your cameras and join the citrus-scented fun...

It’s the King of Limes, in my book — Calamansi — also known as Kalamansi or Calamondin (Citrofortunella microcarpa).

Tags: Beverages, Events, Hawaii

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This dish came out of the happy chance of finding fresh local lychee just after we had opened a bottle of lychee-flavored sake from California to sample. I couldn’t resist the temptation to put them together with locally produced pork loin and Chinese flat chives... and the result was unbelievably delicious. The pork is marinated briefly with garlic and rice vinegar to provide some punch to the dish, while the fresh fruit and sake lend their sweetness and a touch of elegance to the whole.

Tags: Events, Fruits, Local produce, Pork

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Among the many local produce and products that surprised us when we moved to Hawaii, local grass-fed, hormone-free, antibiotic-free beef was one of the best. With all the concern about the chemicals and pharmaceuticals that are pumped into commercially produced meats in the U.S., it is such a relief to find high quality beef raised right here in the Islands.

Truth to tell, we were introduced first to Big Island beef on a visit there. We had heard that beef was raised on Oahu and the Big Island of Hawaii, but we didn’t see it on market shelves. The only retail source seemed to be the Saturday Farmers’ Market near Diamond Head — and we had only been there once (it’s a long haul from where we live). Anyway, on our second visit to the Big Island, we chanced upon a loco moco (rice topped with beef patty and egg, smothered in brown gravy...mmmm) that was made with Big Island grass-fed beef patties. OMG! The difference in flavor between beef we had known and grass-fed beef is the difference between fresh tuna and canned tuna — seriously, it is that much of a difference!

We actually hand-carried several pounds of steaks and ground beef back to Oahu from that trip! Now that we were converted, we started looking more intently for grass-fed beef on Oahu, too. Happily we finally found a retail source closer to home — Tamura’s Market in Wahiawa carries Oahu’s North Shore Cattle Company grass-fed beef. A closer inspection of the frozen meat section of other retailers uncovered Big Island-produced Kulana Foods (couldn’t find a URL for them) grass-fed beef at the Kokua Market co-op near the University.

Why local beef? If the incredible flavor is not enough to win you over, consider the health benefits as well. Hawaii’s local beef is leaner per pound, so less fat ends up on your plate and hips. And the cattle are not given hormones or antibiotics — both of which are absorbed and stored in the body.

Lastly, Oahu-produced North Shore beef is not treated with carbon monoxide (aka “tasteless smoke”) — a color preservative used to keep meats and fish artificially “red” and “fresh-looking.” Carbon monoxide is intended to make meats look fresh and safe to eat long after some of the most harmful bacteria making the news today may be present, including Clostridium botulinum, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and E-coli 0157:H7. It’s one of the reasons the use of carbon monoxide for meats and seafood is banned in the European Union, Japan, Canada and Singapore (read full article here).

We received confirmation from North Shore Cattle Co. that they do not use carbon monoxide, and from what I remember of the Big Island beef, it does not look like it is treated either (if someone knows for sure, please comment or email us). So let’s support local island producers who provide such high-quality additve-free meats. How can you tell whether carbon monoxide is used? The treated meat or fish (sadly, carbon monoxide is used a lot in ahi too) is bright mauve-red or cherry-red. Still unsure? Ask the butcher!

OK, enough of the blah, blah, blah...where’s the beef?!

We recently grilled a Tequila and Calamansi Marinated Flank Steak made with North Shore beef and it was out of this world. The first thing I noticed about the flank steak when I took it out of the package is that it was so beautifully trimmed — very little to no “silverskin” (that thin membrane that surrounds the tissue in flank steak that will cause it to shrink and curl on itself when cooked). Also, flank is a notoriously “un-tender” piece of beef that requires either long marination and/or cutting across the grain to break it down to palatable chewiness, and so we did both. But when the meat was sliced after grilling, we marveled at how easily the meat cut compared to other flanks — it was smooth and tender. In fact, at the table we ended up cutting our beef with a fork instead a knife!

You can see the marinated and cooked garlic slivers
still embedded in the steak slices (we arm wrestle for these pieces!)

Other Island Fresh explored produce on this site: Melons, Watercress, Mustard Cabbage, Warabi, Daikon, Eggplant, Corn, and Choi Sum

See also Calamansi Margarita

Tags: Events, Local

What are the three tastes here? 1) Salty, 2) Sweet, and 3) Coffee

OK, we’re stretching it a bit to call coffee a separate flavor, but how could you have a sampler from Hawaii without coffee??? This is the prize package of our favorite flavors of Hawaii — the stuff we’re hoarding in quantity to take with us to....where? If you’d like to guess and possibly have all these sent to you in Japan or Australia or Germany or the UK or Kansas or Alaska, check out the rules and enter your guess here. (Please don’t leave guesses on this post)

So what else is in here?

SALTY SIDE: Poke (POH-kay) Mix with dried chilies, sea salt and dried limu to make your own poke at home — just add your own favorite fish or seafood or tofu, and lemon or sesame oil, and you’ll bring a true taste of the Islands to your corner of the world; Smoked Octopus — think of it as seafood jerky; and Alaea Sea Salt, a blend of Hawaiian red clay and sea salt — great for roasting or grilling, adds a pleasant metalllic but sweetish salt flavor.

COFFEE & NUTS: organic milk chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, also plain salted, and onion-garlic flavor macadamias, and a one-pot sample of Kona blend coffee


SWEET SIDE: Dried Mango with Li Hing Powder — an addictive local favorite; Li Hing Powder — find your own uses for this versatile sweet and tangy powder: dressings, sauces, popcorn, margaritas & other cocktails, sprinikle on dried fruits and gummy candies; Wolfberries (aka Goji beries) — the wonder fruit rich in nutrients and anti-oxidants (not really from Hawaii, but this is where we learned of its wonderful properties and use it almost daily.) Read more on Wikipedia about wolfberries.

Keep the guesses coming... there’s no definitive winner as of today, but if no gets it exactly right, the closest city guessed will be the winner!

Read the rules and enter your guess here.