hawaii

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: Letter K

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Simple Sensations: Kalua Pork Roast! This special blend of herbs is a tribute to warm, tropical summer nights. The term, “Kalua”, is Hawaiian for slow cooked. I have put this frozen roast in the oven and let flavors blend all day long for an exotic taste that will have your senses wondering if you’ve been transported to a private paradise. The extra meals provided are a bonus that will have others showering you with praise in the days following. 
KALUA PORK ROAST
Ingredients:

4 pound boneless pork butt roast

1 tablespoon Red Hawaiian Alaea Sea Salt*

1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning 

2 cups apple juice

2 cups apple cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1 bottle beer
Instructions:

Set oven to 275°. Place frozen pork roast in a covered roaster, fat side up. Pour apple juice and apple cider vinegar over roast. Next apply liquid smoke. Finish by sprinkling the Alaea sea salt and Mrs. Dash herb blend over the pork. Make sure the lid is on securely. You will begin to smell the heavenly aroma as it slowly cooks. Five hours later, check the roast, as the liquid will absorb. I discovered some roasters allow the liquid to evaporate a little sooner than I expected. I have found Le Creuset to be very reliable. If the roast needs more liquid, pour a bottle of beer over it. Keep it covered and slowly cook it at least another three hours. I have let it cook for ten hours total without a problem. It is so fork-tender you will be amazed. And the drippings can be used for gravy or barbecue sauce. 
*Available through Salty Wahine Gourmet Hawaiian Sea Salts. (I receive no recompense for promoting their product.)

Experience the Charm of Island-Style Living

For island-style charm, on the historic Royal Coconut Coast, the oceanfront sunrise is unbelievable. As the dawn turns from azure-blue-grey to the golden cerulean seagreen of clear Pacific waters, the pull of the ocean practically lures you over the balcony to become one with the sea. Across the only road that runs north and south, like a horseshoe, on the island just beyond the lush valley is a view of the Sleeping Giant Mountain Range. The view can literally take your breath away. Old Kapaa Town is just a stone’s throw away. Walk the uncrowded shoreline, paying attention to the kite-surfing enthusiasts, or choose the paved Kauai Path for biking and daily exercise. Whatever the whim, the East Shore fits the bill. 

From Poi Pond to Bird of Paradise 

The white surf on the coral reef disappeared into the blue shadows along the shoreline. From the cliff house, on the East Shore of the island, the daily temperature rarely dipped below 71° and seldom peaked above 84°. Our exercise regimen included a two-mile walk along the small stretch of beach on Kalapaki Bay. Looking out beyond open waters, the azure blue of sky and sea melded together until it disappeared into a hazy horizon. The sun shown so brilliantly white, I often had to squint behind polarized sunglasses just to find shade in the leafy fronds of a towering palm tree. Evening strolls through the cultural garden past bridges, waterfalls, and statues led us on stone pathways from magnificent Poi Pond to exotic Bird of Paradise. A nightcap against the radiant sunset soothed the senses. Two tropical cocktails arrived decorated with a maraschino cherry and fresh-cut pineapple wedge skewered by pretty paper umbrellas. Well done, Kauai Marriott Beach Resort. 

Dining Outside the Home: Duke’s Canoe Club on Kalapaki Beach in Lihue, Kauai 

Dining Outside the Home: Duke’s Canoe Club on Kalapaki Beach in Lihue, Kauai.  Sometimes the biggest challenge of being on vacation can be resisting all those tempting foods that lead us away from our daily diet. No worries here. Duke’s Canoe Club has included gluten-free menu items that satisfy those vacation cravings. Take, for example, the Caramelized Beet Salad loaded with savory roasted beets, pickled red onion, crumbled goat cheese, and farm-fresh arugula. It’s topped off with a macadamia nut brittle that is out of this world. Not only is the salad bursting with flavor, it comes with that rewarding feeling at the end of the meal. You know what I’m talking about; the one where you can still slip into that bathing suit afterwards and walk the beach like a seasoned athlete. Well done, Duke’s Canoe Club!

Fields of Taro

The road to Hanalei overlooks a landscape many artists dream of capturing on canvas. In fact, it’s not unusual to see someone standing off the side of the road with feet firmly planted in front of a wooden easel with paintbrush in hand. Farther up the steep winding paved surface is a bird’s eye view of the valley below where taro fields thrive. This is the eclectic village of Hanalei. Cross the single lane bridge at the bottom of the hill and see. At first glance these plants, with leaves the size of elephant ears, appear to be growing out of soggy fields saturated with water. Second cousins to the mallard duck waddle and fly wherever they please. This wildlife habitat is their lush playground. In the distance you may spot a farmer systematically tending the crop, knee-deep in the muddy paddy fields, oblivious to the stunning backdrop. After all, taro root is Hawaii’s favorite starch. Beyond his shoulder sweeps an endless view of towering mountains ruggedly splashed with colors of smoky amethyst and emerald jade. Pause here and drink in the beauty for reflection later on. 

She Returns

Day Two: Hawaiian Monk Seals are as rare as hens teeth. And yet here we are on the second day where our expectant mother has returned to the same sandy beach as she did yesterday when she wiggled her way out of the depths of the ocean to come ashore. She seems more restless today, tossing and turning like a circus acrobat as though the pup inside her has suddenly made any position uncomfortable. Judging by the look of her upturned belly, the unborn pup probably already had its limbs, hind flipper, and wide muzzle developed. The brain, no doubt, is already instilled with survival instincts. The volunteers arrived earlier in order to fence off the area for her protection, which kept all bystanders a good distance away. After the encounter with the Hawaiian Monk Seal, I couldn’t help but get philosophical. Perhaps it’s the draw of the island; a special connection to life on Kauai. The following is an excerpt from the daily devotional, Christ in Our Home, Light for Today. “The Mystery of God. Willa was ninety-nine years old, a widow who lived alone. When I visited, I asked how she was. She usually said, ‘Halfway between Thank you, Jesus, and Lord, Have mercy.’ I asked her if she was ever afraid of being alone in her house. She said, ‘I am never alone.’ Her Bible lay open on the kitchen table. She quoted her favorite Bible passage, the final verse in Matthew: ‘And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:20) Our visits always deepened my own faith. Being with this woman of simple unquestioning confidence in the presence of the Lord strengthened me as Jesus’ follower. Willa didn’t discuss her faith in lofty language, rather in her quiet confidence and testimony that she was not alone.” Thinking about the Hawaiian Monk Seal’s solitary existence as well as her challenges in nature assures me that with God we can do everything. We are never alone. Share the peace. 

Dining Outside the Home: Bobby V’s Italian Restaurant in Kapaa, Kauai 

Dining Outside the Home: Bobby V’s Italian Restaurant in Kapaa, Kauai!  Change is constant on the tropical island of Kauai. But change is often for the better. If you ask the staff at Bobby V’s about their new location in the Coconut Market Place, you’ll get a hearty laugh and a cheerful nod. Not only is the new location more spacious, to accommodate its growing customer base, but the outdoor garden seating offers the island atmosphere with free entertainment. Don’t be surprised if you catch sight of an ancient hula dance or Hawaiian singer performing on the Coconut Market Place center stage. But back to the menu at Bobby V’s. Italian appetizers get things started while deciding between stuffed calzones, antipasto salads, hand-tossed pizzas, or dinner entrees. My opinion? I’m glad you asked. The Bianca Pizza loaded with three cheeses and drizzled with olive oil was superb. The husband added pepperoni for good measure. See what I mean about customer service? That’s why at Bobby V’s they say, “The best way to someone’s heart is through their stomach.” Buon Appetito!

Hawaiian Monk Seal Pays a Visit

“Get out of bed. Take a walk on the beach,” a quiet voice whispered in the depths of morning slumber. I pulled up the cotton sheet, rolled over onto my left side and went back to sleep. Less than thirty minutes later, I felt the nudge again. “Get up. Throw on some shorts and take a walk on the beach.” I thought Gerald was awake, so I touched his shoulder. He opened his sleepy eyes and said, “What is it?” “Let’s go for a walk. Right now…..to watch the sunrise,” I urged. Minutes later, we rolled out of bed, grabbed our glasses, and headed out the door. As we were digging our feet into the soft, salty sand leaving a path of footsteps behind, suddenly there appeared some commotion slightly beyond the shoreline in the ocean. We turned our sights to discover the oldest known marine mammal on the earth: the Hawaiian Monk Seal! With each wave, she “surfed”, then waddled onto the beach as if totally exhausted. At first we thought she was stranded and wishing to return to the sea. Not so. It was evident she was an expectant mother. It was also evident she had survived dangerous shark attacks by the scar tissue on her dark blackish-silver back and the jaw imprint left on her lighter-colored belly. Definitely shark. Her left eye also indicated she was blind in that eye. I squatted down to get a better look at her. “Hey there”, I said softly. “Are you okay?” She raised her head, before lowering it again, and then proceeded to bury her face in the sand. By this time, two more couples approached and explained a little more about this critically endangered species. 
This is her story (as posted on a beach sign): 

“Aloha, Kākou! My name is K13. I am an adult female Hawaiian Monk Seal, one of an estimated 1300 of us left. In December 2011, I was attacked by a shark. Eventually, I healed on my own. I was already pregnant at the time so on April 29, 2012, I gave birth to a healthy female pup. Then on April 15, 2015, I gave birth again to another female pup. I nursed her for 6 weeks, but then I had to leave because Monk Seals don’t eat while nursing. I was very skinny, hungry, and running out of milk. My pup was fine. She probably put on about 200 pounds in 6 weeks, just on my milk. I am blind in my left eye. I have a shark bite scar on my left side and I have a, so far, benign lump on my lower back. I am otherwise healthy. Mahalo!”
When two volunteer members of the NOAA PIFSC (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center) arrived, they placed a fence around her, keeping bystanders at a distance of 150 feet away. They also gave us more information since they remained “On Watch” for the rest of the day. We learned Hawaiian Monk Seals are a rare breed, with DNA over 13 million years old. Being nocturnal, she had been awake all night eating food along the coral reef. Now it was her bedtime. She would sleep all day on the beach. She is currently pregnant and due sometime in March. Less than 1300 remain. There are fewer Hawaiian Monk Seals in the wild than there are giant pandas. Its Hawaiian name is “ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua” meaning “the dog that runs in rough waters”. Monk Seals got their name from being solitary, like monks, and having loose skin around their neck, which looks like a monk’s cowl. Once the pup is born, the mother seal will nurse for 5-6 weeks constantly, without eating, and then she turns it loose. She will lose hundreds of pounds during this time. Because the pup does not learn how to hunt, it often eats the bait on a fishing hook causing it to swallow the sharp object. Thus, several pups have needed to have a fishing hook surgically removed. What an extraordinary story! As we walked away, we realized this was truly an eye-opening experience we would long remember. 

Dining Outside the Home: Olympic Café in Kapaa, Kauai

Dining Outside the Home: Olympic Café in Kapaa, Kauai!  No matter the time of year, no matter the weather, this open-air restaurant sitting above Main Street Kapaa in the Hee Fat Building is where it’s happening. You may opt for the unlimited Happy Hour Taco Bar or be a little choosy and select a fantastic Shrimp Salad overflowing with organic mixed greens and an abundance of grilled shrimp. It’s a meal in itself. No complaints here. Meat-lovers will appreciate the Big Burger Selection of 100% organic grass fed beef raised on the Garden Isle. Open seven days a week, there’s not a time of day this spacious eatery doesn’t fit the bill. Be hip, be casual, and always be Hawaiian.