use real butter

Recipe: strawberry daifuku mochi

You know, I’m always looking up. You might think it’s because I live with an astrophysicist or that it has to do with my graduate minor in atmospheric sciences. Actually, I’ve been enamored with the night sky since I was a wee tot and I began to obsess about the weather ever since I learned to sail at age 9. It’s just habit now to gaze skyward at dusk to search for Venus or look for the Milky Way while Kaweah takes her time in the side yard at night. Sunset is a regular event for us. Missing it makes me feel like my day is incomplete. And the weather? Well, that dictates a good deal of what I do both professionally and recreationally. I’ve always got one eye on the sky.

a lee wave (standing or stationary wave)

lots of textures

with crazy cool fringes

And even though we were on the wrong side of the planet to witness the total lunar eclipse, I was still pleased to greet the full moon as it rose – big, glowing, and gorgeous. I never tire of seeing her, like an old friend.

she’ll be comin’ around the mountain when she comes…

we tried to get kaweah to howl, but she wouldn’t

But there is always room for new friends. Not that I have found some new heavenly bodies or anything, no. I meant room in my belly for my new BFF that I met while eating my way through the Big Island of Hawai’i. I’m a little ashamed to say it, but I couldn’t get those amazing strawberry mochi from Two Ladies Kitchen in Hilo out of my head. And with strawberries in season…

organic and juicy

sweet azuki bean paste

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: kimchi fried rice

I hope everyone had a good weekend. And for those of you in the US, I hope you had a good long weekend as Monday was Memorial Day. Mine had a little bit of family, friends, food, outdoors, work, and all of that good stuff. But I was also mindful of those who died in the service of our country (the purpose of Memorial Day) as well as those who have served and those who are serving now. My friend’s husband just deployed to Afghanistan and some of us are feeling protective of her – we’re going to provide support and love to her here while he’s there. So it’s been on my mind a lot lately. As usual, the big things in life put in proper perspective the ridiculous things that get our panties in a wad. I wish more people had that perspective.

Our weekend kicked off with a little wine and cheese party so some of my friends could meet my parents. On Saturday we took my parents into Boulder to check out the Farmers’ Market before the Boulder Creek Festival got underway. Sunday morning we saw my parents off on their return home and then we tried to resume Normal Life which had basically left off a month ago. Jeremy and I did house maintenance, tended to an injured Kaweah (she re-sprained her neck sneezing, I know, right?!), got outside, watched a few movies (Black Swan – meh, and Inside Job – excellent), and tried to catch up on some work.

party: cheeses, charcuterie, crostini, smoked oysters

party: itty bitty caprese sticks

farmers’ market: pastas

farmers’ market: tomatoes (the good kind)

farmers’ market: radishes

flowers from manisha for my mother

hummingbird season means putting uv decals up on our windows

we went riding and found dirt, snow, and mud

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a planner. Maybe it’s the OCD in me, but I think it really boils down to the fact that I value my time and try to make the most of it according to my priorities. I even have a general schedule on my calendar for my blog posts. It keeps me on track or else you’d probably never hear from me again. On deck this week was kimchi fried rice mainly because I’m crazy for kimchi. But then I saw Molly’s post this morning and knew that I was clearly on to a good thing!

life is too short to eat crappy food

My mom and grandma spoke often to me of kimchi noodles (in fact, my mom mentioned them again on this most recent visit). I am a self-declared noodle girl and so I asked where they had kimchi noodles. Turns out they made them at home. It also turns out that it was inspired by a series of Korean soap operas they watched. Okaaaaay. But when I saw a recipe for kimchi fried rice in my December 2010 issue of Fine Cooking, the idea for kimchifying my favorite fried rice recipe wedged into my grey matter.

eggs, green onions, pork, brown rice, kimchi

slicing the kimchi

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: tuna poke

I’m writing from the cool(er) foothills of Waimea (Kamuela) right now. The drizzle has abated and there is a gentle breeze keeping some residents in pants and jackets. Jeremy has just polished off his second cup of Kona coffee for the day and we’re deciding on where to grab lunch. It’s been a rainy week on the Big Island, but it’s not such a downer considering the amazing food (ono kine grindz) on offer if you avoid the tourist traps.

noms to go at the hilo farmers market

bouquets on display

they had mangosteens, lychee, cherimoyas, mangos…

coconuts

crates of rambutan

white anthurium among the reds

jeremy’s favorite tree: the banyan

We scored heaps of fresh fruits and local treats in Hilo on our way to the Hamakua Coast. I think I’m in love with Hilo because it’s everything that Kona isn’t. The food alone is enough to make me forget about the heat and humidity – THAT is how fan-freaking-tastic Hilo is. As scenery goes, the north side of the Big Island is my favorite for the dramatic jungly cliffs plunging into the gem-blue waters. Another thing I love about the north side of the island is Tex’s in Honoka’a.

this is for malasada research

fresh hot malasadas from tex’s beats the pants off a krispy kreme

pineapple malasada research

We spent the last three days out of Waimea (Kamuela) which is pleasantly nestled on the saddle between Kohala and Mauna Kea. It’s a few thousand feet above the ocean and I’ve been loving the drier, cooler climate (we’re on the dry side of town – yes, there is a wet and dry side of Waimea!). Excellent food here and in the lovely town of Hawi too.

we stayed at an inn on the west side of town

dinner at merriman’s

kalua pig and sweet onion quesadilla

home-cured smoked pork belly with kona coffee glaze

wild pork tenderloin

i’ve also been going crazy for these local taro and sweet potato chips

sushi rock in hawi

cap’n crunch roll

rockstar roll

I knew before coming to Hawai’i that I would be all over the poke – that irresistible mix of fresh raw fish, onions, seaweed, and salt dressed lightly in soy sauce and sesame oil. There are many variations as we took note in the grocery stores: lime poke, kimchi poke (omg omg!!), avocado poke, California poke… We have sampled quite a bit of the poke around the island – I just can’t get enough of it. One way to solve the withdrawal issues when returning to the mainland is to make some yourself. The fish will never be as awesomely fresh, but it’s a start.

tuna (maguro), green onions, seaweed (wakame), flake salt, and sesame seeds

diced tuna, sliced onions, and rehydrated seaweed

**Jump for more butter**