Laura’s Famous Fried Chicken and Country Gravy

11/21/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

I was very lucky to grow up in a big family of farm-house cooks. My maternal Grandpa had 9 brothers and sisters. They were all born and raised in and around Washington wheat country, in Whitman County. Many of them had farms, leased farms, worked on farms; wheat, cattle, hogs, chickens. My Grandma and my Mom, and all the other women folk in the county, spent hundreds of hours making enormous Sunday style suppers; everyday, during wheat harvest. No dishwasher, limited refrigeration, and a wood fired stove…can you even imagine?

By the time the 9 brothers and sisters married and had kids, and their kids had kids; we totaled over 100. About half of the original 9 brothers and sisters and their spouses, moved off the farms. They did not, however, give up “farm style” cooking. Fresh cream, fresh butter, vegetable, chickens, pork and beef were bought from their previous neighbors or raised on their own farm! These great cooks and farm raised food led to some pretty spectacular grub, at our family reunions! Cakes, pies, salads (long before we worried about potato salad sitting out too long), home-made bread, rolls, cookies and FRIED CHICKEN! I remember the chicken, and I am lucky enough to have watched my Grandma and Mom make it 100’s of times. My recipe is my own, and I don’t shake it in a brown paper bag, mostly because I don’t have any! While this was a frequent Sunday supper as a kid, it is now a one or two time a year treat!

For the Fried Chicken

1 fresh chicken, preferably organic, cut into 8 pieces (cut each breast half in 2 pieces)

1 quart of buttermilk

3 Tablespoons of Mrs. Dash

1 Teaspoon Garlic Pepper

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning

1 dash Paprika

Place the chicken pieces in a large glass bowl. Add enough buttermilk to cover all the chicken. (You may not need the whole quart.) Add the seasonings. Toss the chicken to distribute evenly. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate overnight.

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk. Place in a colander in the sink and let the extra buttermilk drip off. Meanwhile, add a cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper to a sturdy plastic bag. (You made need to add flour, salt and pepper a couple more times.)

Pour about 2 inches of peanut oil into a large heavy pan – like a Dutch oven. Heat over medium high heat. Place chicken in bag of flour, 2 pieces at a time, and shake to coat evenly. Place chicken in hot oil and fry on all sides until evenly brown. Remove chicken from oil and place on a baking pan with a rack. Repeat until all chicken has been fried. (DO NOT discard the flour, you will need it for the gravy.) If you intend to serve with mashed potatoes, you may want to start those now.

Place the chicken in a 325′ oven for about 20 minutes, or until a thermometer reads a minimum of 165′, in the thickest piece. Start the gravy!

For the Country Gravy

flour from coating chicken

fat from frying chicken

8 ounces chicken stock

1 quart of milk

salt and pepper

Drain all but about 1/4 cup of oil from the pan the chicken has been frying in. (Make sure you retain all the little brown bits!) Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat.

Sprinkle in about 1/2 cup of the seasoned flour you were dredging the chicken in.

Stir with a whisk until flour and oil are incorporated, and a roux is formed. Once the roux is slightly browned, add in the chicken stock. The mixture will be very thick. Lower the heat and continue to mix thoroughly.

When the stock is fully incorporated, turn heat to low and whisk in about 75% of the milk. Continue to stir. Taste for seasoning. Add additional stock or milk if gravy is too thick. Keep warm until ready to serve.

When ready to plate, place chicken, your favorite mashed potatoes, and vegetable on plate. Spoon gravy over potatoes. Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley. Savor every bite…and do not tell your cardiologist about this meal!

Savory, Seasonal Pumpkin Rolls

11/20/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

I have been making these rolls at Thanksgiving for over 20 years. They are light, delicious and fill the house with the most amazing aroma. To avoid the last minuteness of a holiday meal, I make them ahead, par-bake and freeze them. The recipe is from one of my favorite books on vegetables: Greene on Greens, by Bert Greene. He states the recipe comes from a New Hampshire Methodist church bulletin, printed around the turn of the century!

For the rolls – makes about 2 dozen (I doubled the recipe)

Note – 3 hours rising time, 15 minutes prep/mix time, 15 minutes bake time

1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 cup lukewarm water

3 cups all-purpose flour, approximately

3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup pureed, cooked pumpkin (you can use good quality organic, canned pumpkin – just make sure it is NOT pumpkin pie mix. A small sugar pie pumpkin, roasted and pureed produces the exact amount needed!)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup good quality, pure maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup stone-ground whole-wheat flour

My directions are different then the original recipe as I use my Kitchen Aide mixer and the bread hook attachment and do not do any mixing/kneading by hand.

In the mixer bowl, combine the yeast, granulated sugar and warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour. Cover with a cloth and let rise for 1 hour.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and pour in medium bowl. Beat in the brown sugar, salt, pumpkin, egg, maple syrup and cinnamon.

Add this mixture to the yeast, sugar flour mixture. Beat until smooth.

Add the whole-wheat flour and enough all-purpose flour to make a firm dough. Mix on medium speed for about 5-7 minutes. Add flour about 1/2 cup at a time, as shown in the video. (Dough is right consistency when it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, the sides of the bowl are clean, the dough is smooth and not sticky and forms a ball.) Cover and let rise for 2 hours.

Punch the dough down and transfer to a floured work surface. Knead briefly and roll out until about 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into 1 inch circles. Place on a flour rubbed baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 425′. Melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and brush the tops of the rolls with it.

Bake 15 minutes, if you intend to eat them the same day you make them. Otherwise bake 7 minutes, let cool, cover with plastic wrap and freeze. On the day you wish to serve them, remove from freezer about an hour before baking. Bake about 7 more minutes at 425′.

Thank you Dave, for the video!

Ooeeyy Geewwyy Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

11/15/2013 by Laura 1 Comment

I got the urge to bake something sweet today. I checked the cupboards, surveyed the ingredients and decided on Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars, from the Betty Crocker website. The results were wonderful and I will likely make these again. Bar cookies are a quick and easy alternative to a drop or rolled cookie. I changed up the original recipe and used my food processor for mixing both the crust and filling, as I always try to reduce the number of bowls, cups, spoons et al needed for a recipe. I also toasted the pecans, before adding them. This is a good practice when using nuts in a recipe, as it deepens the flavor.

For the shortbread cookie crust

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons very cold butter, cut in squares

2 – 3 tablespoons of ice water

Add all ingredients, except the ice water, to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to mix, as if making pie crust. Add the ice water a little at a time, until a crumbly dough is formed. Press the dough into a buttered and floured 13×9 baking pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, in a 375′ oven until firm and lightly brown.

For the filling

3 eggs

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

2/3 cup light corn syrup (HINT – spray your measuring cup with canola oil spray first, and the syrup will slide right out)

2 tablespoons butter, melted (Melt the butter in the microwave in the same cup as you used for the syrup)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups pecan halves, toasted in a 325′ oven for about 10 minutes, and cooled

3/4 cup good quality, dark chocolate chips

Place all ingredients, except nuts and chocolate chips, in the bowl of your food processor. Mix well. Add the pecans and give it a quick pulse. Add the chocolate chips and pulse one more time.

Spread the mixture evenly over the par-baked crust.

Bake 20-30 minutes until mixture is set and color is golden brown. I have to admit, I overcooked mine a bit, and will keep a very close eye on these the next time I make them. If they are getting too brown and not yet set, cover with foil and finish baking.

Cool for at least an hour before serving. Cut into bars. Enjoy!

Ya Sure, You Betcha … Köttbullar … Swedish Meatballs

11/14/2013 by Laura 2 Comments

I guess these may technically be FINNISH Meatballs…. Since I am not Swedish, but 50% Finnish! Regardless, they are delicious. As usual, I looked at a bunch of recipes for ideas. Since I wanted to make enough for a few meals, I came up with what you see here. We had a delicious dinner, and 3 more meals worth went in the freezer! Hurray for leftovers!

For the Meatballs (This recipe made about 60 meatballs)

8 slices soft, white bread, crusts removed, broken into small pieces

1/2 cup milk or cream

Place the bread and milk in a bowl. Soak the bread until soft. Mix it up with a fork to make sure it is all softened.

24 ounces ground pork

40 ounces lean ground beef

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 medium yellow onion, grated (Yes, grated – if you have onion goggles, you will want to wear them!)

1 teaspoon ground allspice

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup of flour

2 quarts beef stock

1 16 ounce container of sour cream

Butter for frying

Combine soaked bread pieces, pork, beef, eggs, onion, allspice and salt and pepper in a big mixing bowl. Mix and mix and mix and then mix some more. You want the mixture to be light and fluffy. If too “wet” to hold together, add a half cup of Panko bread crumbs. (Yes, these are referred to Japanese bread crumbs. However, they are made with white bread that has had the crusts removed. This should not cause an international crisis, as I have seen in some comments on other recipes!)

Pre-heat the oven to 325′. Shape the meat mixture into 1-2 inch meatballs. Melt about a tablespoon of butter in a large sauté pan (or Dutch oven) on medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, in batches, careful not to crowd the pan. Move the meatballs to a baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside while you make the sauce.

Sous Chef Jasper is convinced a meatball will fall to the floor! Uh, make that total 59 meatballs!

Heat the sauté pan to medium heat. Add a little more butter to the sauté pan, if needed. Add the flour and make a roux. Add the beef stock slowly and continue to whisk, while bringing the sauce to a boil. The sauce should be thick and glossy. You will be adding sour cream in the next step, and will not be able to add additional thickeners. I actually needed to “tighten up” the sauce a bit so I added, 4 Tablespoons of…..Did you guess it? BISTO! I then let the sauce simmer about 5 more minutes. Reduce the heat to very, very low. Add the sour cream. Stir well. (I used my immersion blender at this stage, to make the sauce as smooth as possible.) Return the meatballs to the saucepan.

The best part….3 more meals!

Serve with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes and LINGONBERRIES! Enjoy…

Braised Short Ribs II

11/09/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

It is no secret I love short ribs! They were not on my shopping list on Sunday, but when I saw these beautiful ribs; on sale, they jumped right into my basket. I procrastinated and did not get around to marinating them, as I usually do. I searched the internet and came across this “quicker” recipe. It is inspired by one Jenny Rosentrach and Andy Ward created at Bon Apetit.

For the Braised Short Ribs

2-3 pounds of beef short ribs, approximately 6-8

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons Wondra flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3/4 of 750-ml bottle dry red wine

Tie the herbs together with kitchen twine, into a little bundle:

a few sprigs of sprigs flat-leaf parsley

a few sprigs of thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 cups low-salt beef stock

Bisto for thickening

Preheat oven to 325°. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. drippings from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add the herb bundle, garlic cloves and short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Cook until short ribs are tender, about 3 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Remove the herb bundle. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard. I used my fat separator, to get as much fat out of the sauce as possible. I did not strain out the carrot, celery and onion, as the recipe suggests. Bring the sauce to a boil and thicken with a couple tablespoons of Bisto. Taste for seasoning. Serve with mashed potatoes. YUMM!

Phở Bò and Fresh Spring Rolls

11/05/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

Just being back from Hawaii; FREEZING inside and out, I decided a big pot of hot, steamy noodles was needed. This was my first attempt at Phở Bò – Vietnamese Beef Noodles. Yes, there is a Pho restaurant about every third block, here in Seattle, but I wanted to make my own. The simmering broth filled the house with the most amazing aroma, as the spice combination is not something we have used before. I will make this again and freeze the broth to construct a quick meal!

The ingredients are pretty basic and should be available at a well stocked super-market. I am fortunate to have a lovely Asian market nearby. It is well staffed with knowledgeable folks who have helped me decipher the labels many times. Amazon.com is also a great resource, should you not be able to find the ingredients at your market.

The spring rolls were a last-minute addition, and a great accompaniment! I took a Thai cooking class a few years ago, and have been making the spring rolls ever since. Writing about them forced me to actually measure the ingredients for the dipping sauce. When the instructor demonstrated this, it was “a little of this and a little of that”. It does take some practice to make a tight roll, but it is worth the effort!

For the Spring Rolls

It is difficult to provide exact amounts, as it is all dependent on the number of rolls you intend to make!

Spring Roll Rice Paper wrappers – 1 per roll

Fresh Mint leaves – 2 to 3 per roll

Fresh Thai Basil leaves – 2 to 3 per roll

Julienned Daikon Radish – approximately 1 Tablespoon per roll

(Marinate in a small glass dish with 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar)

Julienned Carrot – approximately 1 Tablespoon per roll

Bean thread noodles – Saifun – approximately 1 Tablespoon per roll

Shrimp – I use 51/60 – cooked, deveined, peeled and tails removed – about 4 per roll

Leaf lettuce – I like butter lettuce, easy to roll – 1 per roll

Dip the rice paper sheet in a bowl of warm water to soften – just until the lines disappear. Lay the paper on a plate or cutting board. Lay the shrimp on the paper followed by the lettuce leaf, the noodles, carrot, daikon, basil and mint. Roll tightly, like a burrito, folding the ends over about half way through and then complete the roll. Below is a video showing how to make the rolls.

For the Dipping Sauce

2-3 Cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced

1-2 Thai chilies, seeds removed and sliced

1″ piece of ginger root, peeled and sliced

1 cup Hoisin Sauce

1/2 cup Oyster Sauce

1 teaspoon date palm sugar

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 cup of Sprite

Chopped Peanuts if desired, a couple of tablespoons

Place the garlic, ginger, sugar, chilies and vinegar in a blender. Process until smooth. Add the Hoison and Oyster sauce. Blend again. Add the Sprite, blend and taste for seasoning. This is one of those things you need to adjust to your taste. Want it hotter – add more chilies, sweeter – more sugar, etc… The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for about a week and gets better after it chills awhile.

To serve, cut the rolls on the diagonal. Place the sauce in individual bowls for dipping. Add chopped peanuts if desired.

For the Phở Bò

Since I had not made this before, I looked through a few cookbooks and recipes on the internet. I decided on the great recipe form Jaden Hair’s blog, Steamy Kitchen, www.steamykitchen.com.

For the broth

2 onions, halved

6″ nub of ginger, halved lengthwise

5-6 lbs of good beef marrow bones

6 quarts of water

Spice bag – 1 cinnamon stick, 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 Tablespoon fennel seeds, 5 whole star anise, 2-3 cardamom pods, 6 whole cloves – all wrapped in cheesecloth and tied.

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

1/4 cup fish sauce

1 inch chunk of date palm sugar

To serve

1 16 oz. Package Rice noodles (dried or fresh), cooked according to directions (I used Banh Pho, Flat Rice Noodles)

1/2 lb sirloin, sliced as thin as possible. (I found thinly pre-sliced sirloin at my market)

big handful of each: mint leaves, cilantro leaves, and Thai basil leaves

2 limes, cut into wedges

2-3 chili peppers, sliced (Fresno or Jalapeno)

2 big handfuls of bean sprouts

Hoisin sauce and Sriracha hot sauce for garnish

Directions:

I roasted the bones in the oven at 375′ for about an hour. This is not standard in traditional recipes. I found it very helpful to remove a lot of the fat and intensify the flavor. I then continued the recipe as written.

Char: Turn your broiler on high and move rack to the highest spot. Place ginger and onions on baking sheet. Brush just a bit of cooking oil on the cut side of each. Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char. Turn over and continue to char. This should take a total of 10-15 minutes.

Parboil the bones: Fill large pot (12-qt capacity) with cool water. Boil water, and then add the bones, keeping the heat on high. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Refill pot with bones and 6 qts of cool water. Bring to boil over high heat and lower to simmer. Using a ladle or a fine mesh strainer, remove any scum that rises to the top.

Boil broth: Add ginger, onion, spice bag, sugar, fish sauce, salt and simmer uncovered for 3 hours. Strain broth and return the broth to the pot. Taste broth and adjust seasoning – this is a crucial step. If the broth’s flavor doesn’t quite shine yet, add 2 teaspoons more of fish sauce, large pinch of salt and a small nugget of date palm sugar (or 1 teaspoon of regular sugar). Keep doing this until the broth tastes perfect.

Prepare noodles & meat: Slice your sirloin as thin as possible – try freezing for 15 minutes prior to slicing to make it easier. Arrange all other ingredients on a platter for the table. Your guests will “assemble” their own bowls. Follow the directions on your package of noodles – there are many different sizes and widths of rice noodles, so make sure you read the directions. For some fresh rice noodles, just a quick 5 second blanch in hot water is all that’s needed.

Ladling: Bring your broth back to a boil. Line up your soup bowls next to the stove. Fill each bowl with rice noodles, raw meat slices. As soon as the broth comes back to a boil, ladle into each bowl. the hot broth will cook your raw beef slices. Serve immediately. Guests can garnish their own bowls as they wish.

My favorite Fish Sauce is Three Crabs Brand

My favorite Hoisin is Koon Chun (my shop was out of this brand so I used Panda, which is not quite as thick)

Honolulu Adventures….2 Days in Waikiki

11/03/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

We had an early flight out of Honolulu, so we decided to stay in Waikiki for a couple of days, to be closer to the airport and to visit some of the sights in town.

Day 1

We drove in from Ko Olina and got settled at the Courtyard Waikiki. We decided to walk along the beach and visit some of the famous hotels. We ended up having lunch at the Moana Surfrider Beach Bar. Their Banyon tree is famous. Our table was at the edge of the beach! We both had fish tacos, as we wanted something light. We agreed, the fish tacos we had at Cholo’s on the North Shore were by far the best.

We meandered through the shops on Kalakaua Drive. Dave was quite impressed there was an ABC store on EVERY block! What a contrast to the “perfection” of Ko Olina!

We cooked most of our meals while at the condo in Ko Olina. That justified a couple of splurges while in Honolulu. The first on my list was dinner at Alan Wong’s. Alan Wong is the father of regional Hawaiian cuisine. He is committed to local ingredients and showcasing them at their finest. His restaurant is not on the beach, does not have a view, and is situated on the third floor of an out-of-the-way office building. However, it is packed every night, as it has been for over 15 years. Dave kept asking me to describe the food. It is very hard to do. I can tell you, I do not remember the last time Dave was so thrilled with a piece of fish, as he was at this meal! I did not take pictures as I did not want to bother other diners. I was able to pull a few photos from Alan Wong’s website. (We bought the cookbook so we could make the snapper!) Service and food were impeccable!

Here is a link to the menu: http://www.alanwongs.com/honolulu/dinner-menu-ks

Chopped Ahi Sashimi & Avocado Salsa Stack
Stacked on Crispy Won Ton, Spicy Aioli and Wasabi Soy

Salad “Bigoli”
Romaine Lettuce, Anchovy Dressing, Kalua Pig, Garlic Crouton, Peterson Farm Sunny Side-Up Egg

Ma’o Farms Sassy Salad Greens
AW House Dressing

Ginger Crusted Onaga, Long-Tail Red Snapper
Miso Sesame Vinaigrette, Organic Hamakua Mushroom & Corn

Steamed Shellfish Bowl
Lobster, Shrimp, Mussels and Clams, Bouillabaisse Style Broth, Chili Pepper Aioli

Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert. Maybe next time!

Day 2

We got up, had some coffee and headed to lolani Palce, which is now a fully restored museum. We had an amazing docent, Phyllis, who answered all our questions and provided a fabulous tour. Dave had a great conversation with her as he had just finished reading Julia Flynn Siler’s “Lost Kingdom”. A book chronicling “Hawaii’s Last Queen, the Sugar King’s, and America’s First Imperial Adventure”. Dave has Queen Lili’uokalani’s autobiography reserved at the library, and will be reading it soon.

lolani Palace is the only true royal palace in the United States and the last official residence of the kings and queens who ruled Hawaii. King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani completed the palace in 1882. The design of the palace was influenced by King Kalakaua’s world travels and was the first to be equipped with telephones, electric lights and indoor plumbing; 4 years before the White House. It served as the royal residence until the dethronement of Queen Lili’uokalani in 1893.

The Queen surrendered to the provisional government to prevent the bloodshed of her people and set the stage for Hawaii to became a territory of the U.S. The palace cost $340,000 to construct in 1882 and over $7 million to restore in the late 1960’s through the early 1970’s.

The palace throne room.

The palace dining room.

A section of the quilt Queen Lili’uokalani worked on while held imprisoned in the palace. She also composed many of Hawaii’s best known songs, including Aloha ‘Oe..

We finished up our tour and headed toward Chinatown, just a few blocks away. We went directly to Little Village Noodle House for lunch. We had some of the best Chinese food we have had in a very long time! Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures at the beginning! If you go, I recommend the orange walnut shrimp, the house fried rice and the mu shu appetizer. Before you go, check out their website for a coupon! http://www.littlevillagehawaii.com/

We meandered through Chinatown for a couple of hours. It was neither the best, nor the worst Chinatown. We were among the few tourists, as most people were residents doing their shopping. Tired and ready for a cold beer, we jumped on the bus and headed back to our hotel.

Oh my gosh, where did the time go? We got back to the hotel and took a time out; packing, reading and resting. We made reservations at d.k. Steak House. It had good reviews, was near the beach and we could eat outside with a view of the ocean…. meeting all the requirements of our last dinner in Hawaii.

We walked to the restaurant down Kalakaua Drive. We were just in time to catch (another) fabulous sunset on Waikiki, with about 5000 of our closest friends!

Dinner was great….not the best ever, but good. Not too much to say about steak, Caesar salad and mashed potato! The view was fantastic and the band playing classic 1950’s Hawaiiana style music really added to the evening. The Yuzu Shiso martini was amazing! What a great ending to a wonderful vacation.

        Aloha `oe, aloha `oe
        E ke onaona noho i ka lipo
        One fond embrace,
        A ho`i a`e au
        Until we meet again

The Diamond Head Adventure

11/03/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

Sadly, I am back at my desk in Seattle. I am in wool socks, a turtleneck, a sweatshirt and sweatpants. The heat is turned to 72′ and I am FREEZING! We arrived home just in time for a record-setting storm. Wind gusts were measured up to 55 mph. How quickly reality sets back in. Dave said it best….”it’s as if we went through a black hole”.

Due to technical difficulties, I was not able to log into my blog the last few days in Hawaii. I do want to document our final adventures and meals, as they were some of the best.

We ventured out Monday morning to hike to the top of Diamond Head. The guide books made it sound like a “walk in the park” with a few steps thrown in. Oh my, I felt like I was on an episode of “The Biggest Loser”, as I pushed myself up and up. While only .8 miles, the gain in altitude was 520 feet. The view from the top was WORTH IT. Needless to say, the hike back was a lot easier.

Notice how the infamous Royal Hawaiian Hotel stands out!

Looking toward Diamond Head from the Royal Hawaiian.

Luckily, we had stopped at The Rainbow Drive-In for “plate lunch” before the hike. Plate lunch was intended for the plantation workers. It is definitely not for the “carb-conscious” as it consists of two scoops of rice, a scoop of mac salad, meat and gravy. I chose chicken cutlet and Dave chose pork cutlet. Neither one of us could finish our meals, which totaled $17.00, with drinks. It “broke da mouth, bra!”

OK, back to the hike…. The trail traverses the side of the volcano. Every once in awhile, there will be a flight of stairs to climb. I can only imagine what it was like to haul military equipment up these trails to the bunkers during WWII!

The trail….switchbacks and stairs.

One of the bunkers on the top of Diamond Head.

The lighthouse.

Aloha from Hawaii

10/28/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

It’s been a few weeks since the last post. I am happy to report my absence is due to being in Ko Olina, on Oahu. We arrived on Tuesday and are having a fabulous time. We have a one bedroom condo with a fully stocked kitchen. While we are not cooking anything extravagant….the balcony table and the West facing view compete with any 5 star restaurant in the world! Sometimes “where you eat, matters as much as what you eat”. The fabulous sunsets coincide perfectly with dinner time. We are keeping the food simple. We are taking advantage of Costco’s semi-prepared food. We dressed up a Costco take and bake pizza and made two meals out of a Costco roast chicken. Dave grilled steaks one night, and we had a fabulous shrimp salad another. Ko Olina is close to a town called Kapolei. It is a newer town filled with numerous fast food restaurants. We are saving our dining out dollars for a couple of splurges, when we get to Honolulu the last two nights of our vacation.

Friday, we set out for the North shore. We had a fabulous lunch at Cholo’s in Hale’iwa. We had the best grilled ahi; mine in a taco, Dave’s in a burrito. Big chunks of fish, so fresh and cooked perfectly. The grilled beef tamale was fabulous as was the homemade salsa. To top it all off, the service was perfect and attentive. After lunch we headed North to the Bonsai Pipeline. If you have ever seen a surfing competition, this is probably where it was filmed. It is the home of Vans Triple Crown of Surfing competition. The biggest waves hit in November and December. The lifeguards are some of the best in the world. This is not a tourist beach and the lifeguards will kick a novice out of the water in a split second.

From the beach, we headed to Waimea Valley; an 1800 acre cultural and nature park. There are over 5000 native and exotic plant species. A mile walk leads you to the site of Waimea Falls, a 45 foot fall that drops into a pool you can take a dunk in. Life-jacket required and provided on site. Many movies have been shot here including Joe Versus the Volcano, George of the Jungle, Lost, Ride the Wild Surf, and a few Hawaii 5-0 episodes.

We stopped in Hale’iwa on the way back “home” for a shave ice from Matsumoto. The place has been around since the 1920’s and is listed in every guidebook and tourist magazine. It was packed when we were there at 3:00pm on a Thursday. I cannot even imagine what it’s like on weekends.

Until the next post….Aloha

Arroz con Pollo – Chicken with Saffron Rice and Peas

10/16/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

I have made this recipe many times over the years. It is adapted from the Foods of the World – Spain and Portugal, Time Life cookbook series. As I mentioned on my “About” page, my Mom subscribed to this series of cookbooks and received one country or region per month, for two years. I learned to cook many international dishes from these books. The original set was sold at one of their pre cross-country move yard sales. Thanks to eBay, I have a full set of my own!

Don’t faint when you go to buy the Saffron. A little goes a long way… it is worth the splurge. The color, taste and aroma are so unique – there is not a suitable substitute. Saffron is harvested and packed entirely by hand. The threads come from the saffron crocus, Crocus sativus. I may plant a few bulbs myself next year!

For the Arroz con Pollo

1 chicken, about 3 pounds, cut into 6 to 8 serving pieces

Salt and fresh ground pepper

oil for frying

1/4 pound salt pork, diced

1 chopped sweet onion

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry, white wine

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 to15 ounces)

1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

3 cups hot chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon ground saffron

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Pat the chicken pieces completely dry with a paper towel. Season all sides with salt and pepper. Set aside. Warm a little oil in a heavy pan. Add the salt pork and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp and golden. Remove to a paper towel to drain.

Remove all but a tablespoon, or so, of oil from the cooking pan. Brown the chicken on all sides until it is a rich, golden brown. Remove from pan, when browned on all sides.

Add the onions and garlic to the pan and sauté until soft. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup white wine.

Add the tomatoes, with their juice, and the parprika. Simmer about 5 minutes. Add the rice, heated chicken stock, saffron, peas and pork. Bring to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pot. Cover and continue to cook on low heat until the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken and rice are done, about 25 minutes. To serve, place a piece of chicken on top of a serving of rice. Garnish with copped parsley. Serve with a crisp green salad and crusty bread.

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