my 2010 food-related resolutions

Ok, here it is. My declaration of what I would like to achieve this year in the food realm. They say if you put it out in the universe it will happen. I did this once as a business declaration and it totally came true.

In no particular order

• Make a souffle.
• Learn all there is about bread-making. The starter, the yeast, temperatures, flours, heat, gluten, etc. I'd love to learn from Nancy Silverton, who started La Brea bakery in Los Angeles years ago and has brought artisanal bread into the mainstream. Too bad she sold it. Now you can get it in pretty much every supermarket across the U.S. Good for her on a business level though. Speaking of which, she, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich started Pizzeria Mozza in L.A. and I must say the pizza is pretty darn fantastic and was named one of the most-anticipated new restaurants of 2008-09.
• Make that lemon layer cake from Cook's Illustrated (my bible) for my birthday. I've said this 3 years now and have yet to do it.
• Eating more consciously and (especially) focusing on when my body is satiated so I don't overeat. This is a real hard one for me. I'm a big-time emotional eater.
• Finally taking that knife skills class at ICE that John gave to me.
• Try to be more spontaneous when cooking. I tend to want to follow recipes exactly. Which is important because a recipe was written a certain way to achieve desired results so I am torn.
• Try to be more adventurous and try new foods. 
• Be open to trying new restaurants instead of going to the old tried and trues.
• Get back to growing a wide variety of herbs this summer. As well as tomatoes again.
• Drink more water.
• Drink less Coke Zero. I love it though.
• Take a serious class on French cuisine and cooking techniques. Not because of Julie & Julia but to understand the basis of well-balanced flavor as well as how excellent technique yields those results.
• Travel to new places and experience how food shapes cultures.
• Make homemade ice cream again. There is nothing like it.
• Read more biographies of chefs. Dead or alive.

season's eatings part VI: honolulu / new year's eve

It was my last full day in the islands, so I knew time was not on my side so I continued to go for it and eat my favorite things.

Breakfast started out at the famous Like Like Drive Inn (pronounced Lee-kay Lee-kay). Everyone (from Hawaii) at some point in their lives has eaten here. Known primarily as a family-style, 24-7 restaurant that features quick and hearty meals, Like Like suits all types—foodies to non-foodies alike. Occasionally famous local people can be seen. (Don't know if Obama has been here yet though. I'm sure he has.) Like Like is like a Greek diner in the Northeast but owned by Japanese Americans. The fare is local favorites (saimin, plate lunches, etc.) but they also have sandwiches. However, in my humble opinion their food doesn't live up to it's reputation. It's good but not fantastic.

They are kind of known for their fried rice so I figured I would get that. I only ordered a half order (figuring the day was still young and many more calories was still to come being New Year's Eve and all) and look at what came? That is a pretty generous portion I would say. Dr. Oz would not approve of this. Anyway, back to the fried rice. I also ordered a side of Spam to add more sodium to the meal.

Speaking of sodium, let's fast forward to dinner or shall I say the amazing spread at the Tsuda's New Year's Eve party.

Okay, now this is how you celebrate New Year's Eve people! None of this get dressed up and toast the New Year with champagne. I say toast the New Year with overflowing plates of food lovingly prepared by everyone who was invited. Everyone brings something to add to the buffet.

So here is my first pass. All the food groups were represented. Except vegetables. (Oh wait, there was a taco salad but why waste your time on salad right?... hehe). Boy was it onolicioso. Second and third helpings are based on what really floated your boat. I can taste that fried chicken now. How did they get that skin so crispy? Must try it again (and again).

Aside from the food, it was fun talking story with people while hearing (and smelling) firecrackers going off in the background. I couldn't think of a better way to ring in 2010 and saying goodbye to 2009.

Mixed poke sampler for pupus.

maze gohan

Last week I caught a stomach bug and couldn't stomach much, alone eat anything with flavor (meaning taste). Albeit I wasn't very hungry. 

The weekend came and I felt much better and wanted to eat something substantial that would give me sustenance but not anything heavy or rich to exacerbate my delicate little (not-so-little) tum-tums. It also has been so cold in NYC that I wanted something comforting. My tastebuds told me they wanted to eat maze (ma-zay) gohan or chirashi zushi or also mixed rice. It's sushi-flavored rice without the fish on top but braised vegetables mixed within. I call it Not-Fried Rice. A meal by itself.

My mom makes a mean maze gohan so I called her and got the gist of the recipe and made it myself. Winged it here and there but managed to not ruin it. Mom's was a bit better. The key is what you put into it. Typically it is a mixture of complementary colors, tastes, and textures. I put in shittake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, lotus root, and carrots. You then braise it in shoyu, sugar, mirin and dashi. Then add it to a hot rice mixture after it has been seasoned with su (rice wine vinegar/sugar syrup). I then added peas, thinly sliced omelette, shrimp flakes and nori as a garnish. Goes well with some nicely fried fish, chicken, tofu or just by itself. Thanks Mom.

Oishii so! Hai, itadakimasu.

season's eatings part V: honolulu / we are family!

When I was young my family would host Christmas night dinner and all of my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents would come over. Some years even my Grandpa Namaye would make the trip from Maui. Of course being Hawaii, it was potluck-style and we had alot of food. I remember Grandma Kiyosaki's teppo sushi. She'd wake up early and wash, soak and cook the rice, prepare the vinegar su, the daikon strips, the cucumber and cook the sato-shoyu tuna. I always loved the smell and the activity in the kitchen on Christmas Day but I was numb to it because I was enraptured with all of my newly opened, shiny toys. It's funny I only seem to remember the warm, homey feelings about the people and not THE gifts I got.

I don't know how mom did all she did at Christmastime—with getting the tree, shopping, decorating, grocery shopping, wrapping gifts, getting rooms ready for guests and of course working full-time and taking care of us kids—but she did. Mom was known for making her turkey and her stuffing (that I remember Gwen sooo loving) and her konbumaki. She made it once a year at Christmastime and everyone looked forward to it. Aunty Sarah would always show up with her super ono stuffed hasu (lotus root) and some incredible dessert. I remember once she made a very festive-looking red velvet cake. (Who knew it was a southern cake?) Dad would be on the lanai icing the beer and soda, unfolding the beach chairs and cooking something in the kamado. Was it ribs? Whatever it was, I'm sure it was ono. Aunty Ethel would bring her local-style kimchee. I remember she and Uncle Don would come early and have to leave early because of the long drive from-and-to Wahiawa. I could go on and on. All I know is everyone loved the food and being together.

After dinner and alot of talking story, we'd do the proverbial "white elephant" grab bag. One year we wrapped up a cymbal-crashing monkey that squaked. Man, everyone wanted that dang monkey. It went from person to person. All we knew was that we, the Namayes didn't want it. Alot of laughs ensued. With leftovers in everyone's hands, we hugged and said our "Merry Christmases" and went into the night.

When my parents moved to Hilo in 1994, our family get-togethers stopped.

Until this year.

On December 30th we all met up at Maple Garden for dinner. Although alot of people are no longer with us, and a bunch couldn't make it (Reyne and her family, Neil, Joey and Drew), we still had a good time. It was great to see each other again, to catchup and pickup where we left off. We've all aged and alot of us have children who are now in college and high school but we are still family. A family that has evolved, grown and changed. Instead of grab bag, we exchanged omiyage for the season. Once again we hugged and said our goodbyes and take cares and went into the night.

Until next time.

season's eatings part IV: honolulu / i love waiola!

There is Itsu's shave ice in Hilo, but when you go to Oahu the only place is Waiola Shave Ice. Not Matsumoto's. It's a free country and you can do what you want, however, be prepared to pay alot more for not-very-fine shave ice. I'm just saying.

Uhhhh... a large cup with ice cream, lilikoi and da blue flavor please? A bit manini on da syrup but the ice here is sooo fine da buggah is almost like slush. I kid you not.

See I am not the only one.

If you want to wash it down with a spam musubi, they got that too. Classy in the frappuccino box lined wit da duct tape.

season's eatings part III: back in hilo

My dad's and Shane's favorite fishing spot in Hilo... the Isles

Dad casting out. Shane said Dad is well-respected at the Isles by other fishermen.

The Yoshimoto's rejected Xmas card photo. I personally like this one better.

Shane and Dad.

Mom and Gayle at the Hilo Farmer's Market.

Taro.

Warabi (young fern shoots). Apparently hard to get and ono too.

Of course lunch was next. Today it was K's Drive Inn.

Eating again.

My plate: Kalua cabbage w/ Korean chix wings.

As always we bumped into one of our relatives. Patsy Adachi, known for her feather hatbands.

A few hours later, Aunty Patsy dropped by with her homemade andagi (Okinawan doughnuts). So ono!

season's eatings part II: waimea / high & low

THE HIGH: We celebrated Christmas on the 26th at Merriman's because they were closed on the 25th. Merriman's is one of my favorite restaurants in Hawaii. I love the laid back atmosphere, the farm to table philosophy, the warm service and of course the food. It was especially nice to share it with my parents, my sister Gayle, my bro-in-law Don and my two nephews, Shane and Troy.

After a round of drinks, homemade bread and salad (mixed greens with big island chevre w/ a simple balsamic vinaigrette) I was presented with my entree. This time I got the duo of wok-charred ahi and steak with herbed compound butter along with Loeffler sweet corn and white/black rice. Excellent as always. Of course we had dessert. I forgot what we had but it was mighty tas-tee.

THE LOW: While driving home to the Hilo side of the Big Island, we stopped at Kamuela Deli for lunch. A local plate lunch place that after a night of somewhat fancier food sounded really good to eat simpler food.

Troy scarfing on a beef stew plate.

When in doubt, get da saimin.

Dad and his spam omelette wit da two scoops. No foget da shoyu on da top!

Waimea country.

kin waaaaaaaahhh!

After the New Year's Eve gorge fest at the Tsuda's. I woke up on January 1st with a craving for something clean that would settle my stomach and immediately thought of Kin Wah and their Hong Kong style shrimp won ton mein. My dad and I haven't had this dish since the early 90's so we were more than game to drive out to Kaneohe to savor once again, perfection in a bowl.

And here it is! THE bowl of perfection. Eight plump morsels of ground pork and shrimp swimming in a oh-so tasty broth with egg noodles (al-dente of course) and a couple of slightly bitter mustard cabbage leaves to offset the salty broth.

Mom ordered the Gon Lon Mein. Still piled high with bright red char siu and a dash of sesame seeds as I remember. A few spoonfuls of shoyu-mustard over it and you are good to go.

Dad at-one with his soup noodles. Happy Birthday Dad!

Caught Mom in a moment of Gon Lo Mein bliss!

season's eatings part I: hilo / xmas eve day

Bleary eyed from jetlag, I needed an iced doppio ASAP so I drove to Starbucks at the Prince Kuhio Mall and stood in line. I took my grande and sat outside facing an incredibly clear, blue-skyed morning with a picture-postcard view of Mauna Kea. I took a a deep breath and took it all in: the warm weather, local people sitting next to me talking story, birds chirping and light tradewinds blowing. Hard to believe a week ago I was in Paris, Germany, Amsterdam and frigid NYC. As amazing as those places are. Hilo is just as amazing. I was home.

Of course, I needed to get lunch so I bopped on by to Kawamoto's Okazu-ya.

Surprisingly there was no long line, so I had to figure out quickly what I wanted.

Hmmm... hash, shoyu pork, Korean chicken wings, nori chicken, cone sushi, spam musubi, maki sushi, plain musubi, shoyu chicken, chicken long rice (da shoyu kine), noodles.... etc!

two kinds of fish (mahi, ono) prepared two different ways (breaded, tempura), shrimp tempura, pork tofu, sweet potato tempura, nishime.

Sorry I don't have a pic of my plate but I think I was too excited to eat it I forgot to photograph it. Next time. By the way the ono wuz ono!

tasty beginnings

It all starts here. My first post to a new blog, of a new year, of a new decade.

It ALSO started here. 45 years ago as a child. As long as I can remember I always liked to eat. From primal need to cultural touchstone to pure joy—food has played a profound role in who I have become as a person as well as where I have come from. Just look how happy I am eating my shave ice at the Honolulu Zoo with my mom, my sister (far left) and my cousin (far right) in 1967. It wasn't only the shave ice that made me smile from ear to ear but where I was and who I was with. Okay, maybe it was the sugary sweet "shtrawbarry" syrup over refreshingly, fine shaved ice that made me smile so wide. 


BUT isn't it true that food always tastes better when you share it with people? It's the common ingredient that adds "flavor" and "depth" to any meal no matter how fancy or how simple, expensive or cheap, decadent or healthy. IT is what makes food taste good and makes meals memorable.


Enjoy the blog and I would love to hear from you all.