A Foodie Goes to Maui

Summer Vacation....
I'M BACK!! Can you believe it? How long has it been? Too long! I'm so excited to get back to blogging my awesome foodie adventures because I have so much to share with you all. I know I have a terrible habit of putting my blog on hiatus while I'm in school but I have to prioritize my time... and be an adult and junk like that. Anyway let's focus on the fact that I'm back! I actually planned on blogging as soon as my summer vacation started at the end of May but I had a little vacation to go on.... a little place called Maui ;)

Pre-vacation Preparations....
As you could imagine planning a week-long trip to another state in the middle of the Pacific takes a lot of planning and a lot of extra hours at work. I decided to start my blog up again with a post-vacation post because how could a food blogger not take advantage of all that great Hawaiian food and other good eats you're allowed to indulge in on vacation? I think I made the right decision.

Maui....
After a rough departure (something about a crappy engine on the side of the plane I was sitting on) and having to turn around back to San Francisco, we finally started our 5 hour plane ride. Our first night was rather uneventful as it was already dark when we arrived to our part of the island. We did pick a burger place to go  to which ended up being a good idea because our waiter gave us some great tips for our trip. The next morning we took a helicopter ride around the island. Along with the ocean and a billion beautiful waterfalls we saw beautiful fields of pineapple and sugarcane.

View from our helicopter

When that was over we headed over to a winery in Ulupalakua where we tried pineapple wine and had lunch at a the Ulupalakua Ranch Store where I was able to try my first plate of real Kalua pork and mac salad! I was so incredibly excited! The store sold local jams, sauces, candy, t-shirts and anything else you want. In the back of the store there was a counter where you could order from a select menu of local food. It's one of the coolest places I have ever seen. The area was full of coconut trees and trees with fruits I didn't even recognize. And the pork definitely lived up to the hype.

That evening, Mike and I went to Lahaina which is the area with all the restaurants, right on the ocean. It's one of the best places to see the sunset if you're ever there! We looked at all the shops, ate gelato, and enjoyed being in Maui. I tried my first macadamia nut and coconut candy that's also known as island crack to the locals. After tasting it I fully agree with the name. We had dinner at a resort that night and listened to a local Hawaiian band while enjoying more cocktails.

Where I fell in love with macadamia nuts!

Front Street

The real deal!

Dinner after our first full day

Our Anniversary....
This is actually the main reason we went to Maui. We wanted to celebrate our four years together while celebrating surviving another semester. The day started bright and early with a walk on the beach that was right behind our hotel (funny how I only get up early on vacations). We went to breakfast and I realized that Maui only has breath-taking views. Since it was our first breakfast on this vacation I was excited to go all out (Kona coffee anyone?) which basically means I started the day with a lot of food.

The beach that I could see from our lovely hotel room!

That night we went to a place called Kimo's on Front Street. We made reservations the previous day to have dinner during sunset. Good call. We got there early and got some Mai Tais and Pina Coladas at the bar and enjoyed the view.

 We got some sashimi as an appetizer then I ordered the cioppino and Mike got the prime rib.

Maui-rita and Mai Tai

Our Maui sunset

Hula Pie: A local piece of magic and the perfect dessert

Road to Hana....
If you don't know what and where Hana is all I can describe it as is an old Hawaiian gem of a town that can only be found by driving on the cliff of a mountain, through jungle and bamboo forests. It's like a concept from an India Jones movie. Jungles, cliffs, waterfalls, a turquoise ocean, falling fruit, a winding one-way road with locals zooming by in the opposite direction and some of the best damn banana bread I've ever had! Let me just say as beautiful as it was I'll probably never drive the whole length of the road - it's just too dangerous BUT I will go half way to Hana just for the banana bread that was sold in some small hut by the nicest locals of a town I've ever met.

Yeah there's a road on that tree-covered cliff and we were on it.

 

Aunty Sandy's Banana Bread stand

 
 

On the road there were some great places to stop to get more local fruits. Once we actually got to Hana we had burgers at one of the few places to eat. The beef was locally raised and really amazing.

   

As "free range" as you can get :)

Local Food....
We went off on our own one day to try some Loco Moco from a place that was down the street. If you're a foodie you probably know this but if not, Loco Moco is a wonderful dish that has a beef patty on top of a bed of either fried rice or white rice, that is topped with a fried egg and slathered (I love that word) with brown gravy. I could definitely see this dish being something that is accentuated at say two o'clock in the morning...

There are no words...

    

When got back from an all day road trip that practically took us around the entire left part of the island Mike and I went out for an anniversary 2.0 dinner. Sushi! We got sashimi and a really fresh "California roll" with fresh crab inside (something I'm not used to) that was topped with tuna, salmon, and avocado! Oh my.... For dessert we got a new favorite of ours. We tried creme brulee our last anniversary so we couldn't pass up the new tradition. Would you?

Luau...

We moved our Luau time to the last night we were there as a sort of farewell to the island. I have never seen anything like it before and the food was, from what I understood, good and traditional. I loved it either way. There was chicken that I would have taken through an IV if I could, there was poi (tarot root), kalua pork, Hawaiian rolls, pineapple and a bunch of other really good things that I fell in love with.

Delicious! Yes I'm talking about the pig....

Another pina colada

Aloha and Maholo....

What better way to say farewell than a goodbye breakfast at one of the most popular breakfast places on Maui? The Gazebo is just that - a gazebo. The line gets long as people wait to grab a seat for probably the best Hawaiian breakfast ever. They are known for their "banana mac" pancakes and ginormous plates of fried rice. I opted for the pancakes. Another good choice.

 

It's right by the ocean

Banana and macadamia nut pancakes

Then there was fish tacos. Since our plane didn't leave until 9 pm, we had some time to kill. I promised Mike I would find him the best fish tacos, so I did just that. Ono Tacos is owned by a couple with a BBQ grill outside of an inn. They use Ono fish and put a chipotle sauce on top. Mmmmm! The fish isn't battered either, it's just grilled and left to be amazing.

 

 

Happy boy

Time was drawing closer to the end and we had time to grab one last island treat before we left. Shave ice is probably one of the best things I have ever tried. It's totally not like a snow cone and is so smooth. It really was a great way to end the trip.

 

I'm glad I got to start this blog up again with food that really has changed how I eat. As a foodie, there is no greater gift than trying something new - and loving it. I'm glad to be back and to share what I've been up to in my kitchen these last few months. Until next time, cheers!

And Happy 4th of July!

Cioppino

 If you live in California you know that we've had some of the sunniest weather during winter that we've had in a long time. I hear it's finally suppose to rain (which means snow in the mountains and possibly a future day trip *fingers crossed*) but until then we've been making-do with the sun during the day and the iciness at night! One of the things I couldn't wait for this winter was the opportunity to make soups, or in my case some Cioppino. I couldn't have picked a more suiting night because both of our colds started the night of making it, after that we were out of it for about a week. The soup was hearty, warm, and really really delicious and full of amazing seafood. You're sold right? Good! :)

We've made this before so I was able to make everything pretty quickly. The hardest part is not constantly tasting it while it's cooking.

What You'll Need:

Crab meat

1/2 p shrimp

1/2 p mussels

1/2 p small scallops

1/2 C olive oil

1 Tbsp garlic

1/2 of an onion

14 oz diced canned tomatoes

1 C of seafood broth

1 C of white or red wine

Parsley

3 to 6 oz of tomato paste

Fresh basil

diced chile pepper or cayenne pepper

Linguini or other thin pasta (optional)

Clam juice

We went to Whole Foods to get the mussels because I've never had a bad piece of seafood from them. But the best thing about this dish is that you can use whatever seafood you love, whatever is in season, or whatever you already have. It's a dish that has a lot of variations, would you expect any different from a dish that originated in San Francisco?

Cooking mussels is something that I had never done before making this dish but it's really easy now. Start by putting a small amount of water in a pot large enough to hold all of the mussels and keep it on low heat. After about 5 minutes the steam is going to allow the mussels to open. I only had to discard two because they didn't open, all the other ones opened and looked amazing. When you're done with this liquid strain it into a cup so you can use it later on. If the broth didn't make a cup you can add oyster juice to get it to a cup.

I cooked all of the shrimp and scallops the same way - in a small of amount of hot water because I had some bags of frozen, already cooked shrimp and scallops so they only needed to be defrosted. I checked them constantly to to make sure they weren't frozen so I could remove them from the heat as soon as possible. I knew that I'd be putting them in the hot soup later on so I didn't want them to over-cook. 

I ended up getting my seafood ready before I actually started making the Cioppino because I was in the middle of doing laundry. You could definitely get the shrimp and scallops ready early in the day and just store them in a zip lock bag in the fridge. I would wait to do the mussels though. I just think the longer they stay closed and cold, the better.

When you start the rest of the Cioppino then chop up your onion and saute it with some olive oil. When they start to get soft, add the chopped garlic and the chile pepper or cayenne. When I use a pepper then I leave them in halves so they're easier to take out after.... one of us doesn't always like the heat... If you're using cayenne then just add a little here because you'll be adding more later on.

When everything is cooked, add the canned tomato, the mussel broth, wine, and tomato paste. If you're using white wine I suggest more tomato paste (3 oz.) but less if using red. For this batch I used red, which is delicious but white wine will always have my heart (and therefore always be stocked in my fridge). This is also when you can taste it and see what it needs. I added the basil, parsley, salt and pepper. I also added some more cayenne because I wanted a little more kick. Let this cook for 20 minutes. Oh and don't forget that if you're adding pasta, you should cook it now too.

When the sauce has gotten thicker then add the seafood so that can heat up and absorb some of the flavor.

While everything is heating up cut a loaf of french or sourdough bread. I prefer sourdough but I'm a native Californian so it I just think it goes with everything. Any kind of "crusty" rustic bread will work - you just need it to soak up all of the awesome broth!

Once everything is warmed up and the noodles are done, you can either add the noodles to the pot or plate them first then use a ladle to spoon everything over the pasta. 

The Cioppino is a little spicy but full of seafood, tomatoes and a really rich broth that has the most amazing seafood taste. Mike loves this meal and was so happy when he came home from work and found it ready. And I don't blame him. This with a glass of wine deserves a big cheers! So CHEERS my fellow foodies! Enjoy!

Buffalo Wings and Spicy Seasoned Garlic Fries

Like most people know, the Superbowl is around the corner and even though I'm not a huge fan of football (unless it's the SF 49ers) I'm always a fan of an excuse for lots of food and drinks. Now don't get me wrong, this recipe can totally be made anytime of the year and I know you all will have no problem throwing down, I mean come on, THEY'RE BUFFALO WINGS!!! They're really great and spicy - just the way we like them. We use to go to this place in my hometown that had habanero wings that were completely delicious with a level of spiciness that could make you question your own sanity. These aren't even close to that but it's probably a good thing and the reason why we can make these more frequently. We also wanted garlic fries to go with our bar-food theme which ended up turning into seasoned spicy garlic fries. The recipe for those is at the bottom.

Buffalo Wings

What You'll Need:

1/2 C All purpose flour

1/4 tsp paprika 

1/4 tsp salt

10 chicken wings

oil for frying

1/4 C of butter

1/4 C hot sauce

garlic powder 

pepper 

Start by mixing the flour, paprika and salt. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture and let it sit the fridge for 60 to 90 minutes, or longer if you can wait that long. I read a lot of reviews online and they all said the same thing that I'm going to say - don't skip this step. It helps to make the wings more magical and I wouldn't want you to miss out on that.

When the wings come out they're ready for the 375 degree oil.

When the oil is ready shake off some of the flour from the wings to ensure you don't just burn it. Put a few wings in at a time and cook them for 10 to 15 minutes. Place them on a paper towel to absorb the extra oil.

 

Now it's time to get the sauce ready. And trust me, this is a glorious moment. There's a lot of flexibility with the sauce and the amount of spice that goes into it but one thing that should never be changed is Frank's RedHot Sauce! Just sayin'...

To get the sauce base down (that's what we'll call the simple sauce recipe that can be adjusted). Combine the butter, hot sauce, garlic, and pepper in a pot. After tasting it I added more hot sauce and a little paprika. Just a bit for some more spice.

When all of the wings are cooked and cooled I poured the sauce over them then tossed them around in a large bowl.

We also made some seasoned garlic fries because...well... we were hungry :)

 Garlic Seasoned Fries

The seasoned wings are super easy to make and are a really good addition. Besides they help keep with the theme of appetizer, easy-to-eat food that you could easily make for a game or just for fun.

What You'll Need:

8 cloves of garlic

6 Tbl of garlic olive oil

3 T cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Start by cutting up a bunch of potatoes, pouring the olive oil on them and putting them in the microwave for 3 to 6 minutes.

 Combine the dry ingredients and toss with the microwaved potatoes.

Place them on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle the crushed garlic on them. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 225 degrees.

Delish right?

Serve them with the wings and a beer (or margarita if you're like me) and kick back. I promise you'll absolutely love these too!

Thanksgiving Catch-Up: Blogging Through the Holidays!

I literally have one more final left then I'm on vacation. I've taken a hiatus from blogging so I could focus on pre-final tests and papers, then finals themselves. As always I have soo much to blog but I wanted to let you know how my holidays have been. We're currently getting ready for Christmas (I'll be in full-swing Christmas mode when finals are done) but we've already had some of our traditions here: Thanksgiving being the first one. Mike and I both attended our families Thanksgiving dinners, then I attended my parents' dinner, then our personal one here at home. Three Thanksgivings. Yeah, I'm still full. I won't get into my recipes (except for one that I'll post later) so I'll just let you know what I was up to for my weekend-long feast.

On Thanksgiving day I woke up, watched the parade, then headed off to San Jose to see my family. We usually have that dinner pretty early because my aunts and uncles have dinner with their in-laws too and so on. There was no shortage of food there either.

My uncle and the newest member of our family - his grandson!

I had a great time with my family and enjoyed seeing everyone since it had been so long and I've moved pretty far.

On Friday it was also Mike's birthday (he's a Thanksgiving baby) so we had plans that night but my parents always have their own Thanksgiving for us the next day so I attended that too. This is the spread my mom had for us. It consisted of turkey, homemade stuffing, yams, homemade mashed potatoes, rice (because we're Mexican and we eat it with almost every meal), and cranberry sauce.

Yeah, I rocked this...

Our last Thanksgiving was on that Saturday. I started this tradition when Mike and I moved out last year so we could have our own leftovers. It's really what got me started in blogging again. I had forgotten how fun it could be to cook multiple items at once, and the pressure and satisfaction that comes with pulling it off. Folks, this is for you, I owe you one.This year I found out something about myself. I don't like turkey. I mean I'll eat it, but I usually go after all of the side dishes. And I realized the older I get, the lazier turkey makes me. It's just not my favorite thing, but I made one anyway. Along with my turkey I had stuffin' muffins, mashed potatoes, yams, rice, and a potato salad.

*Confession* I don't know the difference between sweet potatoes and yams and I honestly don't know which ones I made but they were good. Also, I'm sorry if my version differs from the traditional way, I don't know what that is either but feel free to let me know.

These are the ingredients that my lovely father chopped really really tiny for me. He's the best at it. These are bags of celery, green onion, and the turkey neck (let's all ignore the third thing together). I sauteed them in a bunch of butter then added a box of Stovetop stuffing and half a bag of plain stuffing. This is my secret. You're welcome :) unless you do it too.

For my potatoes I did the usual boiling of potatoes and whipped them with cream and butter (calories and I are good friends over the holidays).

My stuffin muffins ready to go....

My yams crushed up with crushed pineapple, walnuts, brown sugar and topped with mini marshmallows.

This is the first time we had this but we got them from Mike's dad. This is the exact recipe we used. Please try them - they're delicious and very unhealthy!!

This is the guest of honor. Not too bad huh? 

Not a bad feast for college students on a budget. We both really enjoyed it too. Don't worry I didn't forget about dessert! I'll be posting my Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe soon. See you all then. Cheers!