The Daily Special

Gail’s Kitchen seems to be open 24 hours a day. Pull up a chair for “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: The Daily Special!” With over 1300 posts, the response continues to amaze me on this journey of the palate. Thanks very much to all of my followers on http://snapshotsincursive.com for the uplifting support and moving words of encouragement. I’m also on Instagram @gail_dorna. Please check it out.

What’s cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? It’s as simple as reciting your A-B-Cs. One of my passions is being at home in my own country kitchen. I love to cook, and my husband loves that I do it often. Now more than ever, since I am retired, I relish the thought of creating something delicious from scratch. I adore time-honored traditions using tried-and-true recipes. Yet, I often never think twice about tweaking old favorites or modifying others to suit the inner craving of the moment. Most of the recipes serve 2-4 people, but can be altered in any direction. The leftovers are golden morsels to be eaten again later or shared with others. And I love to share. To me, seeing a smile in gratitude is thanks enough. The recipes you will find here in the next several weeks can be prepared very easily. Feel free to contact me with questions. Now take a deep breath, inhale the aromas, and join me on a tasteful journey entitled, “EATING MY WAY THROUGH THE ALPHABET: THE DAILY SPECIAL!”

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Z

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Zebra Pretzel Snacks! This treat makes everyone smile! You only need three ingredients, it takes merely minutes to make, and it’s very kid-friendly! With that being said, “What’s black and white and has a salty, sweet taste?”

ZEBRA PRETZEL SNACKS

1-pound of mini square or round pretzels

14-ounce bag of Hershey’s Hugs

1-pound bag of M&M candies

Preheat oven to 250°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Place pretzels in single layer forming even rows. Top each pretzel with one unwrapped Hershey’s Hugs. Place tray in oven. Bake for 4 minutes. Watch! Remove when candy begins to melt. Moving quickly, gently press a candy piece onto each Hug. Allow to cool completely in refrigerator to firm up chocolate. Remove and store in airtight container.

Dining Outside the Home: Mariachi’s Mexican Restaurant in Lihue, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Mariachi’s Mexican Restaurant in Lihue, Kauai. Across a footbridge over a cool mountain stream, the dusty road becomes a well trodden path where the festive flavors of Mexico blend into a warm, inviting atmosphere. Hola, amigos. Please have a seat for open-air dining. The family-owned and family-run restaurant originated years ago in San Diego. Now on the island of Kauai since 1992, Mariachi’s not only offers a free ocean view, but the menu options come highly recommended as well. Think about what to order while sipping on a classic lime margarita, salted rim optional. Take things slow and easy. In time, you may come to see why the family chose a new life in paradise serving authentic Mexican food.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Yakitori Chicken Skewers! Our dinner was supposed to be grilled outdoors. Thank goodness when the weather doesn’t cooperate, meat and vegetables can be broiled indoors with very tasteful results. The international marinade lends itself to an enhanced blend of aromatic soy, olive oil, and pungent ginger which is pleasing to the palate. The Japanese-style dish is a light and healthy alternative when mixed with fruit and vegetables.

YAKITORI CHICKEN

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into small sections

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sake or vermouth

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, shaved

1 garlic clove, minced

6″ skewers

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

1/2 cup green pepper strips

Instructions:

Place chicken in a dish. Combine sugar, soy sauce, sake, vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Mix well to combine. Pour over chicken pieces and marinate in the refrigerator for one hour. Thread chicken, pineapple, and green pepper alternating on skewers. Preheat oven broiler on high setting. Place skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 5 minutes; turn and broil an additional 5 minutes on the other side. Cook until chicken is fully cooked. Remove from oven being careful of hot juices.

Dining Outside the Home: Piazza in Princeville, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Piazza in Princeville, Kauai. How does a French chef off the island of Madagascar find his way to the Hawaiian island of Kauai, you wonder. It really makes little difference once you taste his flare for Italian food. Chef Christophe is the master, hands down, at creating out-of-this-world culinary creations designed to seduce the palate at Piazza on the North Shore. Every dish is uniquely designed from oven-roasted tomatoes on the wood-fired oven pizza to the hand-seasoned croutons on the Caesar salad. For the adventure enthusiast, might I suggest the log cabin stacked polenta fries? Nothing but the best of local, organic ingredients are carefully crafted for your enjoyment. My fav? The Seared Ahi Niçoise Salad. I see it in your future, too.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter X

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: X-tra Thick Mango Crush! Is it fresh fruit? Is it ice cream? Or is it a sparkling Italian beverage? Surprise! It’s all three. The intensity of this mid-day treat is so refreshing and thirst quenching, you’ll find yourself asking, “Is it a delightful dessert or a tangy beverage?” My thoughts? I don’t need a reason to enjoy the citrusy intense flavors. After all, it’s Yumolicious and anything is possible!

X-TRA THICK MANGO CRUSH

Ingredients:

2 medium mangoes, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream, very icy cold

1 11.15-ounce can of San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa Blood Orange Sparkling Beverage

Directions:

Combine the ripe fresh fruit and sugar in a food processor or blender. Process on “Pulse” until the fruit is roughly chopped. With the processor running, slowly add the heavy cream until fully mixed. Transfer fruit ice cream to a plastic storage container with lid. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until firm. To serve, use a melon ball scoop to fill a tall glass. Slowly pour the sparkling blood orange beverage over all, being careful not to foam over. Garnish with toasted coconut.

Hunter Gatherer Expands Horizons

Hunter Gatherer, in Kilauea, takes us on a road where gratification, art, beauty, and comfort appeal to the human spirit. Step over the threshold to connect with the senses. Take in the vibrant colors at every turn. Notice the reddish-orange copper. Imagine it in your own kitchen. Inhale the incense of floral, spice, and herbs. Was that a feeling of diversion or simply an amusing flash-back? Run your finger along the folds of linen, the frailty of abalone, the softness of cotton. Wander about. Take your time. This pursuit of happiness is a leisurely quest for hidden treasure in plain sight. Whether you are an impulse buyer or a pensive shopper, Hunter Gatherer, on the North Shore, will accompany you on this journey of thoughtful assurance. There are a multitude of items to beguile the collector in all of us.

Dining Outside the Home: Trilogy Coffee and Tea Bar in Kilauea, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Trilogy Coffee and Tea Bar in Kilauea, Kauai. Beyond the back door of Hunter Gatherer in a historical stone building, the aroma of coffee is practically hypnotic. It is so alluring and powerful, you may feel drawn to enter. Once inside, the temptation begins. Pastries are in rich supply under bell-shaped glass domes to keep bakery delights fresh. Choose one cloche for gluten-free edibles that will make you drool. Whether sweet and savory or crisp and crunchy, they won’t last long. Word is out that organic and vegetarian choices are popular. Match them up with international coffees or herbal teas. Trilogy is all about putting high-quality in our bodies. Join the third wave of coffee, tea, and chocolate.