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Oodles of Vegetarian Chow Fun noodles

Mention Chow Fun noodles to anyone who grew up in Hawaii, and chances are what immediately comes to mind is the “Manapua Man”, or an Okazuya. For the latter, my pick for “best Chow Fun” goes to Matsumoto’s on Gulick, and the “keep it simple” approach to perfection at St. Louis Delicatessen on Waialae.

Chow Fun is another of those seemingly simple dishes, yet it can also be ambiguously complex, with so many interpretations, and no “local standard”. It’s easy to mess up it up by overdoing it and adding too many ingredients, where it ends up “lost”.

Recently a new member on a discussion board I frequent shared a recipe for her “Vegetarian Chow Fun”, which had me intrigued to try, since she mentioned she used to operate an Okazuya shop herself.

I’m assuming it’s called “vegetarian” due to the lack of chicken, charsiu or luncheon meat in it, which is most often what Chow Fun is prepared with here in the islands. But what had me most curious was the use of Hijiki, which I’ve never cooked with before.

So I went for it. Here’s the recipe…

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Vegetarian Chow Fun Noodles
by kani-lehua
Serves 4

Ingredients:
• 1 package dried chow fun noodles (Hula brand)
• Shiitake mushrooms (don’t forget to soak them first, julienned)
• Carrots and onions, julienned
• Green onions, chopped (for garnish)
• Broccoli and zucchini, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 can water chestnuts (the ones already sliced)
• Hijiki (dried black looking seaweed, soak in water to rehydrate)
• Oil for stir frying
• Sesame oil for drizzling when everthing is pau cooked.
• Grated ginger and garlic (according to taste)
• 2T shoyu (i guess you could sub bragg’s amino acids, but i don’t know)
• 1T vegetarian style oyster sauce (if no more, use regular)

Boil noodles until al dente. You have to keep checking on them. app. 9 minutes. rinse in cold water and drain. Cut noodles in half and set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, saute the garlic and ginger (do not burn) for app. 1-2 minutes in the oil. add the shoyu or bragg’s and oyster sauce. mix until well blended.

Stir fry all the veggies until al dente. Add the cooled noodles and heat through. Drizzle with sesame oil (don’t over do it) and then toss in the hijiki at the end.

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What’s obviously the most important factor in this recipe is the type of Chow Fun noodles, as in this case is called for HULA BRAND…

Hula Brand Chow Funn, purchased recently at Tropic Fish & Vegetable Center on GOB clearance for just 50 cents a bag!

Interestingly, when uncooked and dry, these noodles appear “pasty” and delicate, but once they begin to cook in the water, they really tighten-up and become resilient. I think that has something to do with the Potassium Carbonate in it. I’d go as far saying you could make a darned tasty Fetuccini Alfredo out of this.

What’s nice about this package is that it includes 4 individual servings bundled up separately, which should come in handy for restaurant service.

Here’s the cooked Chow Fun (Funn), perfectly al dente…

So while that’s set aside, you saute all the veggies…

When these are all cooked, throw the cooked Chow Fun into the pan with it, combine and finish the dish according to the instructions in the recipe above.

I actually rushed this job, not paying particular attention to how I cut the veggies, as you can tell. As far as the quantity of veggies, it’s really up to you. For that one package of Chow Funn, I used half a Zucchini, 1 large carrot, and about 8 medium-sized Shiitake mushrooms. I also only used only about 1/3 of the can of sliced water chestnuts, as any more than that looked like it would have been too much.

I must note, sometimes the noodles may be sticky or dry from sitting, so when I added them in, I also sprinkled some water and a drizzle of extra cooking oil to “loosen” it up. That worked. I also had to readjust by adding a little more Oyster Sauce.

Speaking of Oyster sauce, that’s another key ingredient here, as that’s the main “flavorizer”. In this preparation, I used Shirakiku brand Premium Oyster Sauce, which was fantastic. Others swear by the Lee Kum Kee brand. Up to you.

I added very very little Sesame oil at the end, as the stuff can be overpowering. But what little was added gave it that “nuttyness” that helped punch out the flavor of the Shiitake mushrooms.

That first photo shows the finished dish in the pan, all done and ready to serve.

Note that I also added Beni Shoga on the right side (red stuff), which goes well with anything savory.

What does bring savoriness to the table here is of course the Shiitake mushrooms, but also the Oyster sauce, along with the way the garlic, ginger and onions are sauteed in the oil before everything goes in.

The Hijiki added a “seafood” like element to it, along with it’s crunchy texture, yet I added just enough, but not too much where it may have been overpowering. You have to be careful how much you add in.

As for the “vegetarian” part, most carnivores would be hard-pressed to find anything “not meaty” about this dish. It doesn’t miss the chicken, char siu or luncheon meat at all.

Now the devil on my right shoulder knocks on my brain and says, “Wait a minute? No meat you say? Well, let’s add some on top of it, Okazuya style!”
So I added a cooked Teriyaki Winner on top. This kine..

I swear, these are one of the BEST hot dogs on the market. I’m not really a huge Teriyaki fan, and I try not to eat too many hot dogs for health reasons, but for what it’s worth, this one has that perfect balance of savory-sweet going on, with hint of shoyu-laced depth that’s unlike any other hot dog I’ve ever had. Knowing how popular Teriyaki is in Hawaii, If Costco sold these at their concession, they’d probably move containers full of the stuff.

The devil made me do it…

I think I’ll name this one “Da’ Hana-koko-lele” Okazuya plate

Hey, this was somethin’ yum! There’s almost this “surf ‘n turf” thing going on with the combination of the Hijiki and the savory-sweet hot dog. I’d take out the Shiitake mushrooms next time though, if I’m gonna’ “carnivorize” this Chow Fun, as that, combined with the porky wiener was a little too “meaty”. Still ono though.

Back to the original recipe, this Vegetarian Chow Fun recipe, as is, turned out to be a winner. It’s relatively cheap and easy to make, and best of all, it can be served as a delicious, satisfying, nutritionally balanced, guilt-free (if you resist the hotdog!), all-in-one meal.

Mahalo kani-lehua for sharing it!

Gau: Caramel-colored rice cake, dusted with sesame seeds, topped with a Chinese date and dressed in strips of vermilion paper

“Squeek, squeek, squeek.”

As you know know, today, February 7, 2008 rings in the Chinese New Year of the Rat, succeeding last year’s Pig. In 2009 it will be the Ox.

And paradox to the metaphor of this entry’s title, there is no “Year of the Cow” in the Chinese lunar calendar.

Anyhow, a coworker of ours brought Gau to share with in honor of this annual cultural celebration.

If you’re familiar with Japanese Mochi rice cakes, then that’s pretty much what Gau is like. The only difference is it has more of a caramelized and sweeter flavor from the type of sugar, cooking method and recipe used, and the lack of a dry, powdered rice flour coating that is often found on Mochi. When fresh, it’s very soft and sticky; and just like mochi, begins to “tighten” after a few days. This is when some folks like to fry it up, which rejuvinates and melts it and gives a tasty, crispy bottom. Yum.

Of course like many culinary New Year traditions, there are symbolic meanings to every aspect of Gau:

• The round shape suggests family and community are coming back together full circle
• Its stickiness suggest family and community cohesiveness and integrity
• The date on top represents good luck; red in Chinese is the color of luck
• The sesame seeds suggest fertility

You can find it around this time at select supermarkets or in Honolulu’s Chinatown area, ranging in price from about $2 to $5 each.

There’s a fantastic write-up published just this past month by Wanda Adams, Food Editor of the Honolulu Advertiser, on everything about Gau here.

Gung Hay Fat Choy ~ “May You become Prosperous” (Cantonese)
Sun Nien Fai Lok ~ “Happy New Year” (Cantonese)

Or as we simply say here in Hawaii…

KUNG HEE FAT CHOY!

Okahara’s Saimin - Pomai’s “Deluxe” version

Hawaii’s supermarkets carry two prominent brands of locally-made, FRESH Saimin: S&S (now owned by Sun Noodle) and Okahara’s. What I mean by fresh is the noodles, in which they’re mostly cooked, only requiring a quick dip in boiling water to heat them up. This also means this type of saimin requires refrigeration or freezing for storage.

So enter Okahara’s, which we have here as the “Saimin Lovers Pack”…

As you can see, it’s similar to how S&S packages their fresh Saimin, in what I’ll call, “Semi-Ready-to-Eat Saimin”. Just add garnish.

Inside of this bag, you get 9 packages of 4.5 oz. single serving Saimin…

Each individually-sealed package contains fresh 4.5 oz. of pre-cooked Saimin noodles and a packet of powdered broth.

Let’s start with that broth, because that’s the most important part! Now I’m not a chemist, but if you ask me, this is basically HON DASHI, or Bonito Fish Soup Stock, in powdered form. Here’s the ingredients to Okahara’s “Soup”: Salt, MSG, Sugar, Powdered Bonito, Powdered Soy, Powdered Onion, Caramel Coloring and Green Onion (made in Japan).

Common! That’s just Dashi! Da’ kine’ you use fo’ make Miso Soup. I know it! Don’t get me wrong. Not knocking it. It’s just really so basic, that it begs you to add more stuff to your saimin, as you can with the all the garnishes I’ve added.

Here’s how the contents look unpackaged…

The ingredients for these pre-cooked noodles are: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Ascorbic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin added as dough conditioner), Water, Salt & Potassium Carbonate.

“Cooking” this type of saimin simply requires a quick 2 minute boil in water, then serve. The instructions say to add the powdered soup into the water with saimin as it boils, but I opt to mix it directly in my serving bowl with hot water, so I can adjust the intensity of the broth. That’s the “Ramen” in me. lol

That first bowl I pictured above was my girlfriend’s, as she doesn’t care for green onions, so I kept them whole (for presentation purposes), which she simply fished out.

Here’s my “Supah’ Deluxe Saimin”…

Okahara’s Saimin - Pomai’s “Supah’ Deluxe” version

“Supah Deluxe Saimin” eh? So what do we mean by that? Well my friends, it’s all about the toppings. The “icing on the cake” if you will.

First witness not 1, not 2, but EIGHT pieces of fried SPAM. That’s what I’m talkin’ about! Then take hold of not 1 but FIVE slices of Kamaboko fish cake. Throw in half of a hard-boiled egg and CHOKE green onions, and that’s it. These are the CORE ingredients of what we consider “Local-Style Saimin”. Another popular (local style) meat option to SPAM or luncheon meat is Charsiu (Chinese roast pork), which is actually my preference, but I didn’t have any on-hand for this occasion.

So how does Okahara’s compare to S&S? In my opinion, along with a few of my coworkers, Okahara’s broth has more flavor. S&S is bland by comparison. But really, we ARE just talking about a basic Dashi broth, aren’t we? Also, as many locals often do, adding shoyu for a “boost” is protocol. Also keep in mind that I’m a Japanese style Ramen fanatic, so Saimin “broth” really is substandard for me, but hey, that’s only if we’re nitpicking. I still love this stuff!

If you’ve ever been to Hamura’s on Kauai (they won a James Beard award), then you get a sense of what Okahara’s tastes like. This is just your everyday Saimin that does what it’s supposed to do: taste like Saimin, do a great job at it, and most of all, satisfy your hunger. It does that, and does it on time and on budget. This package of 9 single servings cost just $3.99 on sale at Marukai. What a bargain!

It really comes down to how you garnish Saimin to your liking. Right out the package it isn’t going to “wow” you. But when you “Go Fo’ Broke” like I did here, then it’s the ultimate.

A while back I posted an entry about S&S’ ready-to-serve bowl…

S&S Saimin - Ready-to-Eat Bowl

Well, Okahara’s also has a competing product…

Okahara’s Saimin - Ready-to-Eat Bowl

Renote in the S&S bowl that I added Menma, which are marinated bamboo shoots. Otherwise it includes the 1 piece of luncheon meat, Kamaboko (fish cake) and green onions.

Now, looking at the Okahara’s Saimin ready-to-eat bowl, it includes Kamaboko, along with a significantly-more generous helping of sliced luncheon meat (like SPAM), along with a generous amount of sliced eggs (omelet), along with fresh sliced green onions. Nice. These ready-to-eat bowls are a godsend for work, and BLOW any “Cup Noodle” stuff out the park. Now if they’d only do this with Ramen!

A great way to enjoy Saimin, which I learned from a friend a long time ago, is to enjoy it along with a hamburger. Instead of french fries, have a Saimin!

Yes, Saimin is one of the true culinary icons that represent Hawaii’s plantation heritage, where cultures blended and came up with the perfect comfort food. Gotta’ love Saimin!

P.S. If you want to see one version of “non-soup” Saimin, that would be in the form of the Somen Salad…

As you can see, this Somen Salad is from Zippy’s. It’s made up of Somen Noodles, which are skinnier and more delicate than Saimin Noodles, garnished with chopped ham, Kamaboko, egg, cucumber, and green onion, served over a bed of mixed green lettuce, along with a sesame and shoyu dressing that you pour over it upon digging in.

The other version is the local style fried noodles, which I’ll post later when I order some.

If you’re a fan of Lychee, than you must try this variant of the fruit called Longan, or in Cantonese, Loon Ngan. They’re similiar to lychee in flavor, but a bit more sweet and intense. It has a dry, tough skin that you peel off to eat, revealing a soft, yet chewy white-translucent flesh and a black inedible seed inside. while not as “juicy” as Lychee, it still has plenty of moisture in the “meat”. They measure on average about 1 inch in diameter and grow in bunches that hang from the tree branches.

Another online resource spells the Chinese name as “Long-Ngan”. My half-Chinese aunt spelled it “Loong “Gnan”. Oh my, I’m confused! lol

My aunt in Portlock (Hawaii Kai) has two really tall trees of Loon Ngan growing in her back yard, which now they’re in full bloom.

Here’s a full bunch…

Loon Ngan (Longan) bunch

Here’s the seed of the Loon Ngan…

You can also sometimes find Loon Ngan in Chinatown either dried or in cans. You also might find them there sold fresh, but that’s rare, so I certainly cherished eating every single one. Mahalo Aunty!

Our Good Luck Dragon…

Pork Manapua, Halfmoon (both split in half), Porkhash and White Rice Cake, with Coleman’s mustard & Shoyu dipping sauce

When it comes to Manapua, several famous Oahu institutions (yes, these are indeed institutions) immediately come to mind: Char Hung Sut, Chun Wah Kam and Libby’s. Of these three, Libby’s is the “back-to-basics” winner, in my opinion.

Libby Manapua Shop - 410 Kalihi St. (just a few blocks mauka of Nimitz Hwy.)

Located in lower Kalihi’s industrial corridor just off of Nimitz, make a turn mauka (towards the mountain) on Kalihi st. and drive a few blocks up. On the ewa corner at address 410 you’ll find one of Oahu’s truly hidden gems.

If you’re a visitor to Oahu, this is the perfect last stop to make on your way to the airport to buy a wonderful fresh food gift for folks back home, or simply to enjoy while you wait for your flight to depart.

Libby’s famous pink box

Don’t be surprised if you find a line coming out the door. A limited amount of parking space is available in back. The entrance is on the street corner. Upon entering, you’ll find a customer counter in a somewhat cramped space with one person doing cashier duty, several ladies taking orders and folks in back quickly serving it up. The full menu board spans the back wall, along with multiple stacks empty pink boxes of various sizes. Behind is a hot mustard dispenser, plastic containers, shoyu packets and napkins to complete your dim sum take-out.

Charsiu Pork Manapua, 1 dozen

Now don’t go looking for baked manapua or fancy fillings at Libby’s . They stick with the basic, yet with that they do it right! Choose either Charsiu Pork, Chicken or Blacksugar in steamed white bun. That’s it. No more, no less. In my opinion, Charsiu Pork is THE Manapua for all others to honor. As you can see in the photo above, that’s ALL I chose for our luncheon on this order. With that, Libby’s Charsiu Pork Manapua is PERFECT. The steamed bun is soft and supple, not soggy, overbaked, or dry. It has just enough pliability to allow the sometimes conservative, sometimes generous Charsiu Pork filling. Speaking of which, the filling has a nice balance of Charsiu flavor, without being too sweet, under/over-powering or “unfamiliar”, as I’ve tasted in others. It’s shredded texture and moisture level is also just right. At 95¢ each, this meal-in-itself is indeed one of Hawaii’s perfect comfort foods.

(clockwise from left) White Rice Cake - 45¢ ea., Halfmoon- 45¢ ea. & Porkhash - 45¢ ea.

Reiterating once again, Libby’s is all about the basics, and with that, my Manapua orders always also include a side of Porkhash, Halfmoon and White Rice Cake. There are a few other items to choose as you’ll see in the menu below, but the selections here are what I’d recommend. To be honest, I could actually just order 2 dozen Porkhash, along with a few containers of mustard and shoyu dipping sauce, wolf that all down and call it a day. I love this stuff! lol. Sometimes we also like to order a side of Chow Fun noodles, which gives the meal a little more body. Otherwise, this dim sum spread works just perfectly.

Gotta’ love their hand-drawn logo… classic

For your convenience, I’ll provide you the full menu here, which is current as of this posting:

Libby Manapua Shop
410 Kalihi St., Honolulu, HI
(808)841-2253

MENU (all take-out)
Charsiu pork manapua - 95¢
Blacksugar manapua - 90¢
Chicken manapua - $1.00
Porkhash - 45¢
Halfmoon - 45¢
Pepeyau - 45¢
Rice cake (white or brown layered) - 45¢
Cookies (almond or tea) - 50¢
Coconut custard mochi - 75¢
Coconut custard mochi w/ chocolate chips - 80¢
Spring rolls (vegetarian) - 65¢
Spring rolls (shrimp paste w/curry sauce) - 60¢
Pot Stickers - 55¢
Pillows (like a turnover or pocket) - $1.20
-Azuki bean, chicken curry, chicken teriyaki, sesame chicken, hamburger curry, pizza or bbq hamburger
Chow fun, large (quart size) - $3.90
Chow fun, small (pint size) - $2.85
Gon lau mein, large (quart size) - $4.00
- small (pint size) - $2.90

Turkey Jook garnished with Chinese Parsley

Jook (also called “Chook” and Congee) is a rice porridge soup introduced to Hawaii by Chinese immigrants during the plantation era. It’s now a local tradition to make this soup after Thankgiving with the leftover turkey. Other variations exist such as Chicken (Gai Jook). Also pork and beef, though turkey is by far the most popular version in Hawaii. I’d say it’s like the asian version of Chicken Noodle Soup. Served either as an appetizer, main dish or late night “snack”, it’s the perfect dish to sooth the soul on a cool Hawaiian winter night.

Jook
Serving size: A small army or several hungry Jook fans
Soup:
• Turkey bones (the whole carcass, including some meat still on)
• Turkey meat (whole leftover meat, white and dark), roughly cut into bite-size pieces
• Rice (white medium grain, regular ‘kine like Hinode), rinced, uncooked) - 5-10 cups, depending on size of pot
• Ginger, roughly chopped - 1 large finger
• Chung Choi (preserved salted turnip) You can find this in the asian section of any supermarket in the dry section. Chopped rough (leave the salt on) - 1-2 pieces
• Peanuts (raw, peeled) - amount at your discretion
• Water - enough to cover bones and fill pot
• Cooking Oil - 2 oz. (1/4 cup)
• Hawaiian Salt

Garnishes (see below)

*Keep the pot stirred throughout the steps of this recipe to prevent the bottom from burning.

Turkey bones from a whole turkey (this is actually from 2 turkeys in a VERY LARGE stock pot)

(1.) Brown the turkey bones in large stock pot on stove, using a little cooking oil so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. This should take about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Browning (don’t burn them!) helps bring out the flavor of the stock.

Roughly slivered fresh ginger (skin still on) and Chung Choi (that round, rolled up stuff)

Basic Jook soup stock simmering

(2.) Once the turkey bones are browned a bit, throw in the slivered fresh Ginger and chopped Chung Choi, then fill the stock pot with hot tap water almost to the top. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low and simmer for at least 2 hours. The longer it simmers, the more flavor you’ll extract out of the bones and ginger. Remove any foam and excess oil off the top (if any) using a large spoon.

Strain all broth ingredients through colander

(3.) After several hours, the broth should have a nice golden yellow and brown color. Now transfer the broth to another stock pot the same size by pouring it through a colander. You MUST remove all the bones, ginger and chung choi by catching it in the colander and discard. These have given up all their flavor and are no longer of value in the Jook.

Rice will add the body to the Jook

(4.) Before adding the raw rice, adjust the strained stock with Kosher or Hawaiian Salt to taste. Remember you can always add, but you can’t subtract, so go gradually until the broth has a full-bodied flavor. If in doubt, slightly undersalt it and adjust it when the Jook is at its final stage. (5.) Now you add the raw rice at a ratio of approximately 1 cup rice per 3-4 quarts of water, depending how thick you like your jook. (6.) This is also the time to add leftover pieces of turkey meat (not the stuff that came out of the turkey stock!). Continued simmering will “loosen” the meat and allow it to distribute in shreds throughout the pot. It will take at least an hour more for the rice to puff up and thicken the Jook. If it seems too “loose”, you can add more (previously cooked) rice and simmer it a bit longer until you reach a slightly desired porridge-like thickness. Make a final taste test and adjust by adding more salt if necessary.

(7.) Serve and enjoy.

Jook tastes great on its own, but it is truly outstanding when you add a variety of garnishes and condiments at the time of serving. Never add these items into the pot. Place a spread of prepared items in small serving bowls at the table and let each person select their own, which they place as toppings in their own Jook bowl and eat with each spoonful.

Here’s a few suggestions…

Garnishes
• Chinese Parsley (a.k.a. Cilantro), rough chopped with stems and/or whole leaves
• Green Onions, chopped
• Chung Choi, rinse salt off and chop fine
• Water Chestnuts, drained and chopped
• Cashews (unsalted), chopped
• Lettuce, shredded
• Won Bok Cabbage, shredded
• Shoyu

The garnish and condiment possibilites are up to you.. be creative! Anything from small cubes of Tofu to Bean Sprouts to Japanese Tsukemono to various other types of nuts would work well. Think opposing flavors and textures and it’d likely work really well with Jook. It’s a very flexible dish

A hearty spoonful of Jook with Chinese Parsley garnish and some turkey meat as a bonus! Notice how the rice (that white stuff) has puffed up, gelatinized and thickened the broth.

*In case you might ask, YES, this entire demonstration and bowl of Jook was prepared by yours truly.

Outback Steakhouse is growing, with 4 locations now on Oahu. But enough about steaks, what I’m really talking about here is what’s growing out in the backyard!

Mom’s place in Hawaii Kai has an interesting variety of fruits and herbs which (for the most part) are certainly put to use in our kitchen.

Hawaiian Chili Pepper tree

Hawaiian Chili Peppers are probably very high on the Scovel Scale for heat. A raw bite into one of these little demons will certainly sending you running for the water fountain, or possibly the emergency room. It’s commonly used in Hawaii to make Chili Pepper Water, a liquid condiment that you pour on food, similar to how you’d use Tobasco sauce. It’s also used to make Pepper Jelly, which is really ono on Saloon Pilot Crackers. Also commonly used (very sparingly) in poke and in my late uncle’s smoked meat marinade. The young ones are green, turning to yellow than “ripe” when they’re a bright reddish-orange. They keep for a long time in the refrigerator and can also be frozen for later use.

Meyer Lemon

Meyer Lemon is said to originate from China, with a cross in flavor between a lemon and mandarine orange. It’s a suitable substitute in most recipes that call for regular lemon. It has a sort of yellow-orange color when fully mature. Look at the rather beautiful flower this decorative fruit tree also bares.

Calamansi

Calamansi is a citrus fruit that originally came from the Philippines. It looks like a small lime when ripe, growing no larger than a golf ball, though usually a bit smaller than that. It’s very tart with a sort of combined lemon-lime flavor.

Calamansi is great for flavoring seafood dishes and also squeezed over Pancit Filipino noodles. It also a good flavor enhancer in mixed drinks such as Vodka Tonic. Aloha Maid, a Hawaii juice manufacter sells ready-to-serve sweetened Calamansi Juice in cans.

Breadfruit, a.k.a. Ulu

Breadfruit, also called ‘Ulu in Hawaiian is a staple food throughout the pacific islands - most notably Samoa. It’s very starchy and usually baked before eaten. My cousin loves it simply like that with some margarine on it. We’re not really into it and end up giving our tree’s harvest to family and friends.

Star Fruit

Star Fruit has such a unique flavor and texture. Just as that link suggested, it’s sort of like a combination of a pear, apple and grape. The edible skin has a waxy texture to it. They can be very tart when not fully ripe, with some of that tartness evident even at its ripe stage, though very sweet and “fruity” as well.

Rosemary

Rosemary has a sort of pine-like flavor and fragrant aroma that compliments beef and lamb dishes perfectly. In fact, a leg or rack of lamb roast without it would almost be a sin! I also like to chop it and sprinkle on baked Yukon Gold Potatoes drizzled with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper.

Asian Flat Leaf Chives

Chives are part of the onion family and are basically like a miniature scallion. This variety has a flat leaf profile, unlike the tubular profile of standard chives. These have a more “earthy” than “oniony” flavor. I most often use them chopped fine and put over a fully-loaded baked potato… one of my favorite comfort foods! Sometimes I’ll use them full length as a garnish for presentation when we entertain guests.

Bananas in early growth stage


Hawaiian Ti plant

The Hawaiian Ti plant or Ki is something many of us Kama’aina take for granted because of its abundance in the islands. From what I understand, these are hard to come by in the mainland. My sister in Missouri keeps Ti leaves rolled up in Ziploc bags in the freezer. Some recipes I’ve read say Banana Leaf is an adequate substitution, but I hear it imparts a slightly different flavor. Ti leaves are an absolute requirement to properly flavored dishes such as Laulau and Kalua Pig. Ki was highly regarded and considered sacred by the ancient Hawaiians.

A red-eyed ladybug strolls upon 2 kumquats

This rather cool macro shot (click the photo to view it full size) captures a a ladybug lazily resting on this Kumquat tree branch. She (aren’t all ladybugs “she”? lol) has silvery-blue dots on her black body and little red eyes. This bug’s actual size is no larger than 2 grains of rice. The diameter of those Kumquats are about 1″.

The Kumquat is another fruit originally from China. They ripen to a bright orange color and can be eaten with the skin on. It’s sweet on the outside and rind, but the inside is very tart and not desirable to eat. They’re OK, but not my favorite.

All these photos were taken by me yesterday, Sunday, October 22, 2006, which gives you an idea of what’s growing in Hawaii Kai’s climate during this time of year. Of noticeable absence are our White Pirie and Shibata Mango, which of course is out of season right now. Also, our Basil and Mint herbs were in a new growth cycle and not worth photographing.

Next time I’ll share photos of the beautiful flowers we’ve got growing Outback.. I mean.. out back! Hey, pass me the A-1 Steak Sauce.

Tasty Island Rating
Not rated.

Steamed Pork Manapua (white bun) .85 cents and Baked Charsiu Manapua (brown bun) .95 cents *open image in new window for full-size view

When it comes to baked Manapua, Island Manapua Factory is the first place that comes to mind for many. I must admit, I prefer the traditional steamed white bun variety, but when it comes to IMF, the baked version can’t be beat.

The Charsiu filling taste slightly sweeter than the pork in the steamed version, with an adequate filling-to-bun ratio. It also has a hint of spice that I can’t really pinpoint, but it’s there.

The bun is soft with a slight chew and mild “crusty” flavor on the outside. It’s yellow color makes one think it’s “buttery”, but it’s actually just a slightly sweet, mostly neutral flavor.

If pork/charsiu Manapua isn’t your thing, IMF also offers a variety Manapua filling options such as Curry Chicken, Black Bean Shrimp, Vegetarian, Lup Chong, Breakfast and Custard to name a few.

They also have the other usual Dim Sum such as Pork Hash, Rice Cake and Half Moon (.50 cents/ea.), plus many more Chinese favorites available for catering and take-out.

Island Manapua Factory
Manoa Marketplace
2752 Woodlawn Dr. #5-113
(80 988-5441

Kalihi
811 Gulick Ave.
(80 847-2677

Honolulu Advertiser review

1 lb. bag of Goji Berries from Honolulu Chinatown shop only $5.00

Goji Juice is one of the latest health and marketing crazes in Hawaii, claiming to be a "Cure-All" product with a number of health benefits. It's also claimed to be made of a specially harvested variety of Goji Berry from the Himalayas. It's sold in ready-to-drink liquid form at $40 for 32 oz. with a Recommended dosage of 2-4 oz/day.

What many are NOT aware of, is that you can buy dried Goji Berries (unknown variety and origin) from several small shops right in Honolulu's Chinatown for less than $5 a pound!

The dried Goji Berry is slightly sweet with a similar texture to a raisin, but more "berry-like" in flavor. It's great if you add it with breakfast cereal or oatmeal, or eaten for a snack as is. It would probably also work well in cookies, although the heat might destroy some nutrients in it.

The researchers of Goji Juice say it has 4 polysaccharides (LB1, 2, 3 & 4) or "master molecules", which serve as "directors" of body cells.

Here are some of the health benefits Goji JUICE marketers claim:

• Prevent Cancer
• Lower Blood Pressure
• Lower Cholesterol
• Enhance Libido
• Lose Weight
• Reduce Arthritis Symptoms
• Improve Fertility
• Improve Kidney Health
• Treat PMS
• Manage Diabetes
• Improve Memory
• Strenghten Muscles and Bones
• Extend Your Life
• Increase Energy
• Look and Feel Younger

Goji Juice is mighty tasty, and I know several people who claim to reap some health benefits from it. Still, for some, $40 might be hard to swallow.

I occasionally eat Goji Berries as snacks and can't immediately claim any health benefits myself (I'm healthy as is), but my wallet sure feels alot more "healthy".

Clockwise from top left: Sweet Rice Cake (white block-shaped item), Steamed Charsiu Manapua (cut in half), Pork Hash & Half Moon.

My sister’s favorite Manapua source has always been Char Hung Sut in Chinatown, and her recent visit back from the mainland was no exception. She bought over 3 dozen Manapua (95¢ ea.), Pork Hash and Half Moon, as well as some rice cake to take back with her for the family to taste a piece of home. Pictured above are a plated sample of that batch.

All these items freeze rather well in Ziplocs, only requiring a quick blast in the microwave (except for the rice cake) to enjoy them later. These items are all originally cooked STEAMED, so always cover them with a wet paper towel in the micro’ for that fresh-made flavor and texture.

Hana Hou photos added 3.13.07…

1 dozen Manapua and Pork Hash. My birthday present from the boss!

Notice this particular Manapua looked “bread-ee” (less meat), but the rest of the batch had more charsiu filling than this one. Whew!

Char Hung Sut logo stamp on box

Char Hung Sut
64 N Pauahi St Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
Ph: (80 538-3335

I was in Blockbuster video the other day, where oddly enough, they had this Ling Hing Plum Candy. What intrigued me more than the candy itself was the fact that the packaging had a YICK LUNG label attached to it.

Yick Lung was a household name for crackseed to generations of Hawaii folks, until only recently mostly being absent from local retail shelves.

Well, anything deserving of the Yick Lung brand had to be good, so I decided to buy a bottle ($1.25) and give it a try.

First, a fact to get straight is this product is NOT manuctured by Yick Lung. It's branded as Valiente's™, distributed by Star Pacific Trading and manufactured in Malaysia.

The tablets are shaped into what appears to be an extruded silhouette of a plum, measuring 7/16"x1/4" each.

As for the taste, at first it may hit you as weird. Especially if you're used to eating conventional Li Hing Mui plum seeds. As you suck on the tablet, you're hit with a sweet-salty-tangy flavor that dissolves rather quickly into a powdery confection.

I'd say the manufacturer did a good job balancing the Li Hing Mui flavor level. Not overpowering. Just right. At first I thought is was sort of "starchy", but after a few tablets, you become acclimated and just taste the Li Hing Mui.

There's no question this will never replace real Li Hing Mui plum seeds, but it does a good job for what it's worth. Enough that there's probably kids out there who already love this stuff.

If you see it in the store, at least give it a try.

Ingredients: Plum Powder, Citric Acid, Glucose, Saccharin, Salt, Ascorbic Acid, FD&C Red 40.