Recently in Serendipity

The newest contributor to maʻona is... Mr. Moʻo. No wisecracks about how his writing would be an improvement!

I was working on the lānai when he crawled across my keyboard, turned and parked on the warm spot above the hard drive. Beautiful, isn't he?

An earthquake rocked Hawaii yesterday morning, causing a score of minor injuries (no fatalities) and minor structural damage. It was big enough to get your attention, yet modest enough not to wreak too much havoc. Thank you to the many of you who emailed your concern. We're all doing just fine.

A few highways were closed and power was out across most of the state. Aside from the excitement of the initial tremors and the lack of electricity, the day was much like any other lazy Sunday.

About mid-afternoon, we realized two things. The power might not be coming back any time soon, and we were starting to get hungry. What do you cook after an earthquake? Supermarkets are are closed or mobbed, so we're working with ingredients on hand. There's no electricity, knocking the oven, stovetop, crockpot, microwave and hot plate all out of commission. Finally, preference should be given to items that will spoil without refrigeration. I love a good challenge...

Rooting around in the darkened corners of the freezer, I found a family pack of boneless chicken thighs. Some yogurt in the fridge. A lemon and few miscellaneous veggies. Just outside sat a giant sack of charcoal and a 15" Weber.

An hour later, we were eating Tandoori chicken kebabs (with bell pepper, tomato and Maui onion), ʻulu pulehu (fresh-picked, wrapped in foil and "baked" on the grill), leftover basil and olive oil focaccia (wrapped in foil and warmed), leftover rice (again, wrapped and warmed), sliced watermelon and to top it all off, Ted's Chocolate Haupia Cream Pie.

The smell of grilling caught the attention of our neighbors. We've been trying to schedule something for three months, but it took an earthquake and Tandoori chicken to bring them over. Gathered around the table by candlelight, we ate our eclectic feast as we laughed and talked. When the power sprang to life midway through dinner, it was almost a disappointment, harsh and glaring. Instead of jumping back up to check email and place calls, we turned the lights back low and spent the next few hours polishing off the best meal we'd eaten in weeks.

After several weeks of talking about the idea between him and myself, I finally sat down with The Brewer so he could give me tasting notes and feedback on my beer. Without disclosing too much, let's just say that The Brewer makes tens of thousands of gallons a year here in Honolulu, and knows his stuff.

I have to confess to a bit of nervousness. It's one thing if friends like my beer, but to be honest, some of them wouldn't notice if I swapped it for apple juice. It's something else to offer it an expert then invite criticism. He was gentle though, complimenting the recipe on its smoothness and good ginger nose. The main suggestion was to add the finishing hops five minutes prior to the end of the boil so that more of them "go aromatic."

We talked story and recipes for a while before he summed up, "This is a good beer." That was enough to make my day. Hey, I was just thankful he didn't spit it back out!

Saturday morning of Christmas Eve is a crazy/busy time to try to meet someone at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, as everyone and their sisters were making last minute holiday purchases. She spotted us first, walking down the long Ferry Plaza interior. One hand waved to catch our attention, the other pulling her red trolley, already weighed down with purchases for the evening meal. Her smile was shy yet warm as she greeted us.

"Hi, I'm Sam."

I owe the pasta pictured above entirely to the kindness of "strangers." Gia-Gina mailed Pasta D'Acciughe "Belena" anchovy paste all the way from Italy, and then Alice coached me through a simple recipe using it. Aren't food bloggers are a friendly and supportive bunch? No, better than that, they can be downright generous.

Of course I couldn't leave simplicity of Alice's recipe well enough alone when I prepared this for a little dinner party. My deviation added parsley and cherry tomatoes, more for color than anything else. I wanted this dish to look as good as it smelled! Other dishes for our party included a root salad with carrot, fennel and celery, lemon chicken, foccacia bread topped with balsamic glazed red onions and to finish, a lemon blueberry pie.

Just as we sat down to eat, four acquaintances dropped by unannounced. They were in the mood for a movie, but when they saw the spread, they made the only sensible choice they could--they sat down to join us. `Ohana style, we squeezed in more chairs and everyone ate their fill, laughing and talking the whole time. It was like the loaves and fishes-- I barely cooked for seven, yet easily fed eleven guests with food to spare.

It was only the next morning that I realized the meal had unfolded with perfect symmetry. The inspiration and key ingredient had come to me freely, and in turn we shared them freely. Spreading aloha, one meal at a time, and for a few moments everyone was content and satisfied. Mā'ona.

Who doesn't like receiving a package in the mail? The truck pulls up, asks for a signature then hands off... childlike glee. It doesn't matter what's inside; it's a package. To make it even better, today's package came all the way from Italy! Check out the bounty mailed to me by Gia-Gina in Italy.

→ Drogheria & Alimentari Lo Zafferano. Contiene 3 Bustine da 125 mg. Sul retro i consigli per preparare 2 gustosi piatti con lo zafferano.
I don't know any Italian, but Google helped me figure out with this one-- saffron! There are two recipes on the back, one for spaghetti and the other for risotto.

→ Marca Due Re Zafferano
Saffron again, also with spaghetti and risotto recipes on the back. The recipes differ from the D&A package though. I'll have to have the Saffron Recipe Deathmatch to see which brand prevails!

→ Saila Liquirizia Purissima, extra forte.
These are petite licorice hard candies, extra forte enough to grow new hair on my chest, despite their diminutive size. Fortunately, I'm fond of licorice and can use more chest hair.

→ Terre d'Italia gelatine agli agrumi di Sicilia. I classici dolcetti della pasticceria siciliana.
Jellied citrus wedges-- apparently they're a classic Sicilian sweet. I'm waiting for the lingering licorice taste to subside before I try one.

→ Pasta D'Acciughe "Belena". Prima fabbricazione Italiana.
Anchovy paste in a toothpaste tube! I had no idea I needed this until it arrived. Now I need to think of a tasty way to use it. Can it be used in place of mashed anchovies in a Caesar salad? The paste form of anchovies is new to me. Gia, you're expanding my culinary world.

→ Knorr Funghi Porcini per le tue Ricette Creative
As near as I can tell, these are porcini flavored boullion cubes for making risotto. And if that's not what they're supposed to be, then I'll just have to look foolish, because I'm makin' risotto.

→ Pan. Vi offre il fungo degli Dei. Funghi porcini secchi speciali.
Dried porcini, to include in my Knorr Porcini risotto!

→ Terre d'Italia Amaretti di Sassello. Le grandi tradizioni locali della nostra tavola.
Amazing little macaroons. If you asked me right now, "You're stuck on a deserted island and can bring only one cookie... which do you choose?" Terre d'Italia Amaretti di Sassello, naturalmente!

If I'd known that blogging would pay such handsome rewards, I'd have started years earlier. Thank you Gia, for your generosity!

The simplest things make me happy.

Walking through downtown Hilo during a recent visit to the Big Island, we turned the corner and saw the several large white tents stretching before us. A festival? Art fair? Better! I had completely forgotten the Hilo Farmer's Market. It has been described as one of the larger and better markets in the islands with more than 100 vendors selling tropical and organic produce, flowers and other local crafts.

Hilo Farmers' Market

Tropical produce

Flower vendor

Where the KCC market on O'ahu has an upscale feel with its individual booths, walking through Hilo felt more communal and old school. I was reminded of smaller rural markets in Vietnam; farmers in tight rows with produce you want to eat on the spot. Farmers' markets fill an important role, providing a rare chance to know the people who produce your food and how they produced. Despite having walked several miles, I felt lighter as we walked and talked the aisles.

There I was, just minding my own business as I grocery shopped, when this giant display of bone-in hams practically assaulted me. They looked so good and were available at breathtaking prices. I couldn't help but buy a big one, and yes I checked the expiration date. Junko and Toshi were waiting out in the car while I shopped because I was just going to, "pop in for a few quick things." When I came back out lugging a ham as big as my torso I got the all too familiar I-should-never-let-you-buy-food-without-a-chaperone roll of the eyes from Junko.

The problem now is that I have no idea what to do with my purchase. I rarely cook ham, and my past attempts have been satisfactory but not earthshaking. Please, throw me a bone... what's your favorite way to cook a ham?

Update: I reported on how I came to hame enlightenment and the recipe I used.

After several months of excuses, we finally drug our lazy selves down to the Saturday Farmers' Market at Kapiolani Community College today. The market convenes every Saturday year-round, from 7am to 11am, and is one of the few farmers' markets on the island which limits vendors to all Hawaii grown produce and good products.

I now understand what we've been missing.

KCC Saturday Farmers' Market

Market flowers

Thai watermelon

North Shore Cattle Co.

The Saturday Market isn't exceptionally large, but it more than makes up for it in variety and quality. Check out a sampling of the offerings from this morning: ginger syrup, watercress, fried green tomatoes, corn shoots, homemade sausage, kukui honey, fresh moi, orchids, tsukemono, beignets, negi onions and shaved ice. After the wasteland that is Safeway's produce department some days, the Saturday Market was our Promised Land.

I'm a sucker for farmer's markets, often buying food I don't really need simply because it looks so damn good. Today, we got off light: North Shore Cattle Co. non-GMO Andouille Sausages, Big Island Macadamia Nut Pesto Goat Cheese, kale, negi onions (both from Milner's Farm) and a bag of Waialua mixed cherry tomatoes.

Just short of the two month birthday of this site, I've received a mention in the press! Okay, so most every other food blog on the planet has been showing up in article after article, but this is a first for me.

I was minding my own business down at the local coffee shop, sipping a cuppa joe and flipping through the Honolulu Weekly. Right there, in a write-up titled 'e-food', the text practically jumped off the page at me:

Sophisticated Mā'ona (maona.net), by "Alan," covers the food-and-wine scene with expertise and humor. The wine-tasting notes and suggested pairings alone are worth a visit. Alan also writes about things such as how to select and cut a pineapple and posts recipes that run from cha gio to ginger-pineapple sorbet. Don't miss "Valentine's at Alan Wong's: A Dinner Drama in Four Acts." [The hyperlinks are my addition. It's a newspaper, people.]

I had no clue a food themed issue of the paper was in the works, nor that it would mention Yours Truly. The short article recommended local food sites, noting that while Hawai'i has fewer food blogs compared to major mainland cities, "ours are more strongly focused on local cuisine, local ingredients, farmer's markets--even the Legistlature's opening day offerings." Other food blogs mentioned by name were 'Ono Kine Grindz, She Who Eats, Nattokun and the article author's own Free Range Gourmet.

My wife, bless her heart, is threatening to send a copy of the writeup to all my family members.

Only eight? I think you'll agree these ones are... special. Corned mutton anyone? This list came by way of my friend Mike and his Mikey's Funnies mailing list. I spot checked a few and they all verified as actual products.

This is not the inaugural post I'd intended to write.

For weeks, I've been slowly stitching phrases together in my head for this very first post to my shiny new food blog. The first post sets the tone, and I wanted to get off on the right foot. Then the phone rang and changed all my plans.

"Hey Alan. It's Brian. Wednesday is opening day for the Hawaiian State Legislature, and they're catering lunch for anyone who wants it. It's all free!" Yes, a free lunch!

At the capitol, hundreds of people were milling between the various senators' and representatives' offices. Inside each office, heavy styrofoam plates were being passed out in a kind of informal competition between the lawmakers to provide the best grub. Brian had arrived earlier and scoped out the most promising options: Korean, Japanese bento or Hawaiian. We voted unanimously for Hawaiian.

Starting from top left and moving clockwise we sampled chocolate cake layered with mocha cream, chicken long rice, lau lau, fresh pineapple, ahi poke, salmon poke, a scoop of rice, boiled peanuts and poi in the center. Did I mention this was all free?

Food quality was surprisingly good, in flagrant disregard of the old, "you get what you pay for." The lau lau in particular was the perfect balance of faintly bitter taro leaves and succulent melt-in-your-mouth pork. The pokes were fresh and the poi was sour without being masochistic. I don't know how the other offices fared, but they had stiff competition from Senator Hee and his Hawaiian plate.

As we were sitting out on one of the long, interior balconies and finishing our meals, we gazed around the capitol and played games trying to guess the symbolism in the architecture. All around us, we were surrounded by "aunties" and "uncles" gathered together around ono food-- a very local thing to do. We then departed, filled with that particular contentment that follows a good meal. Better yet, a good free meal.

And that's what prompted me to shelve my original idea for a post and share my afternoon instead. I've joked about our free lunch, but price is secondary to the serendipity of discovering good eats in unexpected places. Food fascinates me -- to talk about it, view it, share it, consume it -- in profound ways that go far beyond mere sustenance. I've been reading other food blogs for months now and have come to realize that, although most of them are leagues ahead of me, I can still contribute to the dialogue in my own small way. We'll see if I can live up to that hope as I write about meals and memories. My own particular focus will be exploring regional dishes and ingredients as I learn about them myself, sharing stories around food and capturing photographs of food and events. All free!