Hualani’s Restaurant in Lihue, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Hualani’s Restaurant in Lihue, Kauai. Celebrations of life are a good reason to reserve a table at Hualani’s Restaurant, where the ocean stretches forever in a sea of aquatic blue. After all, there’s nothing quite like watching palm trees sway against a torch-lit sky as the sun slides behind the Haupu Mountain Range. Relax with a crafted cocktail. Stretch your palate to try something extraordinary from land and sea like Whole Fried Market Fish, Mashed Okinawa Potatoes with scallions, and Spiced Rum Pineapple Confit. It’s the attention to detail and presentation that embrace a dining experience that will be long remembered.

Lox and Bagels

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Lox and Bagels! Whenever I serve this for an impassioned brunch, I make an extra effort to use top-quality ingredients. For starters, I choose an over-sized gourmet sesame seed bagel freshly baked that morning at the local Bagel Shoppe. The lox is traditionally smoked Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, sliced thin. It smells divine when I break the seal. The creamy Neufchâtel cheese can either be plain or infused with fresh dill. Herbs make everything better, in my opinion. Red onion slices add a slightly sweet taste while the imported nonpareil capers liven up the open face creation with a salty punch that shatters like a fireball in your mouth. Well done!

LOX AND BAGELS

Ingredients:

2 sesame bagels, split and toasted

4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

1/4 red onion, sliced

4 ounces applewood smoked salmon

2 tablespoons imported capers, nonpareil

Fresh dill sprigs

Instructions:

Mix the Neufchâtel cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth, light, and creamy. Slather onto a toasted bagel. Top with red onion slice, smoked salmon pieces, and imported capers. Garnish with fresh dill sprig.

Old Town Mexican Cafe in San Diego, California

Dining Outside the Home: Old Town Mexican Cafe in San Diego, California. Tortilla Ladies make it look so easy. It’s probably because they’ve been stretching and rolling dough into perfect tortillas since their youth. Look through the windows. See how easily they handle the rolling pins? After all, handmade tortillas are the staple for practically every single Mexican dish. Not to mention, delicious. At Old Town Mexican Cafe, the food is authentic and has been for decades. If it’s not broken, why fix it? Take the House Famous Carnitas, for example. Crispy fried chunks of seasoned pork are served with chopped onion, leafy cilantro, smooth avocado, garden tomatoes, fresh lime, and refried beans. Wrap them up in warm tortillas right off the grill. Is it any wonder I never tried another dish? Yeah, they’re that good.

Kidney Bean Salad

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Kidney Bean Salad! I find this chilled high protein dish a complement to any menu. It is especially delightful for Summer road trip outings, lake-side picnics, and cookouts on the deck. Store it in a glass jar for easy serving or make up individual potluck portions. For an exciting, easy, and often overlooked alternative that is vegan and gluten-free, add these ingredients to your grocery list and take a trip on the wild side.

KIDNEY BEAN SALAD

Ingredients:

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 smidgen sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

1 can red kidney beans, drained

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

Instructions:

Mix mayonnaise, olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Blend in onions. Add celery, beans, and relish. Chill two hours before serving.

Ainsley’s Café and Harbor Bar in Brookville, Indiana

Dining Outside the Home: Ainsley’s Café and Harbor Bar in Brookville, Indiana. It’s always a good sign when boat owners swarm to the marina basin to remove slip covers from their vessels. That means the weather is getting warmer and Spring Fever has struck. Ainsley’s Café offers the perfect sunny side view of Brookville Lake and all the activity the lake provides. In the distance you may see a golfer tee off at the nearby Harbor Links Golf Club. Or a pontoon boat leisurely coasting into open waters. Check out the jet skis criss-crossing like synchronized dancers. When you dine on the outdoor deck for a midday lunch or sunset dinner, you may need to pinch yourself as a reminder this is real. The food is as fresh as the air you breathe. Whether it’s a Girl’s Getaway, Date Night, or Family Outing, Ainsley’s Café on Brookville Lake is time well-spent.

Johnny Cake

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Food Junkie Favorites: Johnny Cake! When my kids were younger, I made them Johnny Cake for breakfast. It was right-out-of-the-oven steaming hot cornbread topped with real butter and maple syrup. Growing up in the country, my mom made me Johnny Cake for breakfast once a week. And when she was a little girl, her mom made it for her, too. I guess that’s why it’s considered a comfort food. As Dr. Seus once said, “You will know the true value of a moment when it becomes a memory.” Family traditions are to be cherished.

JOHNNY CAKE

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray an 8″x8″ pan with nonstick oil. In a large bowl, beat the melted butter, milk, and egg with a wire whisk until well mixed. Add the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt at one time. Stir just until moistened. The batter will be lumpy. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Spread evenly in pan and smooth top of batter Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. Serve warm topped with butter and maple syrup.

Solunto Restaurant & Bakery in San Diego, California

Dining Outside the Home: Solunto Restaurant & Bakery in San Diego, California. You may as well throw any semblance of willpower out the window when you cross the threshold into Solunto’s Ristorante in the heart of Little Italy. Especially if you’re hungry. Close your eyes for a moment. Inhale. The aromas alone of handcrafted breads, decadent pastries, napoletana pizzas, flavorful gelatos, and artisan coffees can mean only one thing. You’re going to be here awhile. But that’s okay. Solunto is all about family and friends socializing over a meal. Savor every bite; just leave room for more. The crisp Italian dessert shells, known as Cannolis, are filled with sweet, creamy filling. But don’t take my word for it. The pastry case is a feast for the eyes. Try one of everything. Solunto’s Bakery has “to-go” boxes.