Lois Ann Ell

2011-07-31T15:08:00.000-07:00

Kanuikapono
By Lois Ann Ell

published in The Garden Island Newspaper

ANAHOLA—On August 8th public charter school Kanuikapono will begin the school year on one permanent campus for the first time.

“This is our tenth year as a charter school,” said Ipo Torio, Executive Director of Kanuikapono. “We are grateful to everyone who has been a part of the journey; over the years we have persevered the challenges, celebrated the successes, and continue to get better at what we do.”

“This is monumental for our school,” administrator Delton Johnson said, adding that it will allow for energy and focus towards the school’s mission of providing cultural and project based education.

Kanuikapono teaches grades K-12 and currently has approximately 120 enrolled students, with class sizes averaging between twelve and eighteen students.

“With all grades and all staff on one campus we are going to be so much more effective and stronger in our educational program as well as operations,” said Torio.

Kanuikapono is one of the few schools that recently met the 2011 preliminary Annual Yearly Progress requirements of the No Child Left Behind act, which is based on student assessment scores. The school’s AYP status is “In good standing, Unconditional” according to the Hawai’i State Department of Education school report. Statewide, only forty percent of public non charter schools and only 29 percent of public charter schools met the requirements.

“We have met AYP again this year,” said Torio. “The entire learning ‘ohana working together towards continuous improvement is what makes meeting AYP possible—our instructional program is innovative, creative, and rigorous in so many ways,” Torio said. “Making AYP is sort of the minimum expectation for all of us at the school; we continue to lift the bar, thanks to our hardworking students, teaching staff, parent group, and leadership.”

Although the Learning Center in Anahola is now the school’s home, Kanuikapono will continue its relationships with outreach sites on island.

“We have a strong collaborative partnership with Waipa, Kalalea Uka Native Plants Nursery, and the National Tropical Botanical Gardens,” said Torio. “Our students visit these sites regularly to learn from experts in a hands-on way that engages them and then our teachers bridge the outdoor learning experiences into the classroom.”

Last year first grade teacher Shelby Dabin took her students to Waipa once a month, integrating the state science standards into all that Waipa has to offer via the project/culturally based learning model, school administrator Sarah Schoenfeld said.

This summer, middle and high school students participated in NTBG’s five week Kokua ‘Aina Youth Initiative Program which allowed students to discover ‘green collar’ career pathways, where students worked on various projects, including reforestation at Limahuli, working with NOAA and the monk seal awareness group. The students also spent time on hikes and in nurseries identifying and discussing native plants and agriculture, according to Cherisse Kent, Environmental Educator with NTBG who worked with the students daily.

The Learning Center in Anahola will now encompass elementary, middle and high schools all on the same campus for the first time, which the school views as a positive opportunity. Torio explained that Kanuikapono is based on the ‘ohana model.

“’Ohana is where we draw our strength, everyone cares for each other, the school, and the larger community,” she said.

Johnson said he is excited to have all ages together, and that the campus is large enough to allow younger and older children to have separate areas but students can be brought together to facilitate mentoring.

“We find mentoring to be a valuable experience for the older students who learn to malama the younger students and the younger students look up to the older students as positive role models.”

“We are an ‘ohana based school,” Johnson said. “We are able to do all that we do with limited funding because of the involvement of our families and the community—in our model, school is not separate from the family; we enroll students and their families.”
Tuition is free at Kanuikapono. Parents of students put in volunteer hours each semester to help fulfill the various needs of the school.

“Although we have a long way to go before we can say that charter schools receive equity as far as being a public school goes, we are doing an incredible job of maximizing our resources to deliver quality education despite funding and facilities issues,” said Aunty Puna Dawson, local school board director at Kanuikapono. “We are here today, stronger than ever, because we believe in what we do, we are good at what we do, and we intend to stay for a long, long time.”

Pono Market: the legacy continues in Kapa'a

2010-05-12T16:14:00.000-07:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper

KAPA’A—the Kubota family has been operating the successful Pono Market in Old Kapa’a Town since 1968. Over the years the small store has kept evolving, with a knack for making outstanding local food and knowing what customers want.

“We were a meat market selling Kubota pork,” Robert Kubota said, recalling when Pono Market first opened its doors over 42 years ago. They eventually transitioned into a grocery store, selling essential items, vegetables and was the only shop that sold beer, until bigger stores popped up, Kubota said.

Pono Market eventually changed its focus to fish, and evolving once more in recent years it has made its specialty plate lunches, and Uncle Ken Kubota has added his espresso and ice cream station. Of course Pono Market also serves their famous manju as well. And their musubi. And sushi. And poke. Come to think of it, they are kind of famous for everything they serve there.

“My parents come in and make 100 lau lau every day,” son Robert Kubota said of
Bob and Lynn Kubota, who took over the business from parents Minoru and Kyoko in 1997. “They are here by 3:00 a.m. so the lau lau is ready at 10:30 every morning,” Kubota said.

The Pono Market staff also works in the early morning hours to make manju, which are sweet, baked pastries with a variety of flavors inside such as apple, coconut, sweet potato and red bean. The packaged manju plate is as exciting as a box of assorted chocolates: you decide which one to savor first, discover which one is your favorite of that day; the crystalline, flaky coconut or the creamy, mild sweet potato.

Assorted flavors of musubi—spam, teriyaki spam, chorizo, teriyaki chicken—is another mainstay at Pono Market made in the dark morning hours to offer by 6 a.m. Kubota said the musubi is a sure bet to get your child to eat his or her lunch at school, instead of coming home with a lunch box full of uneaten food.

“From preschool all the way up to high school, when you send them with the musubi, it doesn’t make it home,” Kubota said. “As they get older they can move on to the plate lunches.” Pono Market is serious about feeding Kapa’a’s keiki: if any student child their student I.D. between 6-7:30 a.m. they receive a discount. But Kubota cuts it off sharply at 7:30 because “we don’t want kids to be late to school.”

Pono Market doesn’t call the now notorious Fridays ‘furlough days,’ they call them “Kapa’a Fridays,” and all the employees wear their Kapa’a school spirit shirts, Kubota said. Besides musubi, another grab and go food there is the sushi.

“Our original roll was the maki sushi, and we’ve been selling it for 42 years,” Kubota said, explaining the main ingredients are cooked tuna, eggs, carrots, hana ebi (shrimp flakes) and vinegar in the rice. The poke is another item in popular demand and made with many varieties: ahi onion, ahi sesame, spicy tako, and spicy shrimp. After most of the plate lunch food has sold out each day, Kubota has a motto to assure customers: “poke and beer, never fear.”

To most proprietors, selling out of their lunch items every day by early afternoon would be a good thing. But Kubota said they want to serve as many as they can and do not want to disappoint, so he advises people to call, text or email ahead of time to reserve your order.

“Our lunch starts at 10:30 and we go until we run out,” Kubota said, which is usually around 1:00 p.m. Customers flock for the fried chicken, the lau lau, their house made kalua pork, and all the fixings on the side.

“We make our own mac salad, lomi lomi, and kim chee,” Kubota said of their plate lunches, explaining they use won bok or cucumbers from the Kilauea farmers market for their kim chee. In fact, Pono Market uses mostly local food to fuel their business, including Kaua’i grown, free-range meat from Kojima’s, and the newest addition to Pono Market, the ice cream and espresso station run by Ken Kubota, who uses Maui made Roselani ice cream and Kaua’i Times coffee, a local company that roasts a bean blend specifically for Pono Market.

“Locals are going to want something to wake them up, and that’s what Uncle has,” Kubota said of his Uncle Ken’s coffee, who makes a treat called the Roselani Express: a shot of espresso poured over French Vanilla Roselani ice cream.

“We are a one-stop shop; we want to get you in and get you out,” Kubota said. “You’re coming here to spend money, get your comfort food, you eat and you’re happy…we want to spread the Aloha.”

Pono Market is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 6 to 4. To order ahead call 822-4581, email kubota7997@yahoo.com or text 652-1503.

Home Sweet Home at Tutu's Soup Hale

2010-05-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper

Tutu’s Soup Hale is not just in the business of offering comfort food, they are offering comfort, period. Luxurious, dark purple velvet-covered chairs and a cozy, plantation era sofa furnishes the “living room” of the restaurant, complete with a lending library book shelf and dominos. Savory aromas sneak out of the kitchen, wafting into the small smattering of tables in the airy dining room. Outside, under the sheltering Banyan tree hangs a dart board. It’s official: I want to move in.

“That’s why we put ‘hale’ into the name, we wanted it to feel like you are in our home,” Sage McCluskey said, co-owner with Bert McCluskey. “It’s like an open-air ‘Cheers’ atmosphere where everyone knows your name-if you don’t know someone when you come in you will by the time you leave.”

The clientele, besides faithful regulars, are often international travelers, Bert McCluskey said, as well as the health conscious.

“Vegetarians find us, and vegans seek us out because of their limited options,” he added. Tutu’s is not totally vegetarian or vegan (they serve albacore tuna and dairy is in much of the menu) but even carnivores won’t miss the meat with this food.

They offer three signature soups daily, with free samples to taste before you commit with your order: The Baked Potato, the Upcountry Mushroom, and the Lentil and Brown Rice. A fourth soup is offered throughout the week, such as Cream of Breadfruit or Spicy Tomato Cilantro. All soups are served with a honey corn bread muffin.

“You can mix the soups half and half, some people mix three or four, or some just top their soup,” Bert McCluskey said. The mixing adds delicious dimensions to the soups, for example topping off the thick, creamy Baked Potato with the spicy, tangy Tomato Cilantro.

When asked how they developed the concept and the food menu for Tutu’s Soup Hale, the McCluskeys said it took six years of “trial and error.” And for the past year in business—Tutu’s Soup Hale celebrates its one year anniversary this month— they are now operating smoothly and comfortably.

“We were in overload,” Sage McCluskey said of the beginning days of Tutu’s last year, with both of them in the kitchen and in front. “Now we’re in a flow.”

“Our food is made to order,” Bert McCluskey said. “You’re not going to have tomatoes that were sliced three days ago; you’re going to have tomatoes that are fresh, right of the vine.” Tutu’s purchases much of its produce from Dante’s Family Farms, and other products locally, and often trades for soup.

Also offered at Tutu’s are originals like the Taro Burger, Cashew and Basil Pate served with foccacia bread, and breakfast specials, which is the meal the McCluskey’s are focusing on most these days. Bert’s Breakie is a morning staple at Tutu’s, with scrambled eggs and veggie sausage on a croissant. The Hawaiian Sweetbread French Toast impressed a visitor from Michigan so much he sent a box of maple syrup to the McCluskey’s after returning home.

The breakfast menu also includes fresh pressed coffee, chai, and Kaua’i’s own Da Cha teas. Regular customers even have their personalized mugs they drink out of when there.

“It’s a coffeehouse feel, with everyone talking across the room,” Sage McCuskey said. However don’t mistake Tutu’s for one of those bustling, tech-happy modern places. They want to keep it Kaua’i style.

“We have people ask if we are going to get Wi-Fi,” Bert McCluskey said, adding the answer is no. “We want people to be in the present moment.”

During the past year, the McCluskey’s have opened its doors to many community events in the last year, including a poetry slam, art openings, Hawaiian music, and have more coming up in the future, including tea tastings, animal communication classes, and a kava happy hour.

“We serve it up in coconut cups,” said Sage McCluskey of the kava. “It’s a nice alternative to people who don’t drink (alcohol).” Currently, they also have ongoing events of belly dancing with the Garden Island Belly Dancing Troupe once a month, intuitive readings and chair massages.

Tutu’s Soup Hale is open Monday through Saturday from 8-5. They are located in the Kinipopo Shopping Village behind Kaua’i Water Ski and Surf Company in Kapa’a. For more information, call 639-6312.

Iti wine bar goes big

2010-03-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper's 'Kaua'i Times' Sunday, February 28, 2010

Iti wine bar hosted its grand opening two months ago on December 16th, and has been thriving since, offering a new, intimate venue in Hanalei. It is located in the same century-old building as Tahiti Nui, a north shore relic and restaurant and bar for decades.

“Nui in Tahitian means large; iti means small,” Rana Townend said, manager of the wine bar, who collaborates with owner Christian Marston, his daughter Nanea Marston (currently in Italy), sommelier Hollywood, and Chef Mauro to pull off the chic, warm atmosphere with over 50 wines, and a unique tapas menu serving food until 11:30 p.m. six nights a week.

“This is the VIP room of at the Nui,” Townend said, adding Tahiti Nui and Iti are “totally different experiences” and compliment each other. “This is a nice place you can sit and talk and have a conversation.”

Along with the conversation, savor premium wines at a range of amounts and prices. With almost all the wines you can order a bottle, a glass, or a “taste:” a two ounce pour, which allows you to sample a variety, or be the pilot of your own wine flight. Iti offers a range of flights (small samples of wines based on a theme) as well on its menu, and will help you create your own, say a flight of pinot noirs, or wines from one region.

“It’s constantly a learning experience,” Townend said of the complex world of wine, who added Hollywood, a wine expert has been a great help with wine education. Townend likes to ask customers what they like in a wine, because everyone’s palate is so different, and then suggest one to match their preferences. Iti’s happy hour is from 6-7, where you can purchase a glass of wine from bottles opened the previous night for the taste price.

Beer drinkers, don’t panic with all this grape talk. Iti serves three distinct brews on tap: Italian beer Peroni, Stella Artois, and Deschutes organic ale. They also fix fun drinks like cappuccinos, espressos, lattes, and select liquors. Townend revealed she can make a mean lychee martini.

The tapas menu at Iti is a fusion of Italian, Japanese, and Californian cuisine, said Chef Mauro, a native of Italy who has been a chef for over 25 years and owner of his own pasta company.

“This is a funky place, we don’t want to be too fancy,” Mauro said of the food. His menu and presentation is creative and pairs with a range of wines, or any beverage for that matter. Take the Ono roll, a panko-crusted, seared and sliced piece of ono, served up sashimi style over a glaze of shoyu and bed of greens ($16), easily shared with two to three people.

Other best sellers on the menu are the lamb chops with lime cilantro sauce, Townend said, as well as the mini or the large cheese plate, which pairs perfectly with wine tasting. The Ahi Carpaccio is an original and tasty way to eat raw tuna, served in a large, thin piece drizzled with aioli, spread onto toasts that line the perimeter of the plate.

Considering the success of the family-operated Tahiti Nui, its little sister establishment Iti will also be a hit for years to come. Inside the cozy, chocolate-colored walled room fronted by white French doors, it feels more like a home than a bar, and it feels like you too are part of the family hanging out there.

Active volcano (burger) on Kaua'i

2010-02-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

2010-02-23T17:43:00.000-08:00

TNT Steak Burgers sparks up their menu
By Lois Ann Ell

published in The Garden Island Newspaper 'Kaua'i Times' Feb. 21, 2010

Thomas Vanderwende was once given a challenge: blindfolded, he was asked to identify the 36 ingredients in a sweet potato pie littered with a list of ingredients. He identified 35 correctly.

“I just have taken an unusual love of food,” he said, which grew over the years of having to cook for his co-workers during his shifts as a paramedic. It was during one of these shift dinners that he created a steak burger, which sparked the idea for what is now TNT Steak Burgers in Kapa’a. His coworkers not only loved it, one of them wanted a picture of the meaty, messy delight.

“He went out to his truck and got his camera,” Vanderwende said. “We had a picture of my burger on the wall for three years.”

Vanderwende’s food was destined only to be eaten by paramedics until he met his wife, Tetchie, who had a business management degree from the Philippines and a desire to start a business. A trailer went up for sale, the couple bought it and TNT Steak Burgers was born a year and a half ago.

Also born a year and a half ago was the Vanderwende’s son Kyler, who graciously hands customers a piece of ice out of the drink coolers or offers up one of his fries, or babbles and coos while being swung between his parents.

“He’s grown up with this restaurant,” Thomas Vanderwende said of Kyler. Managing another career, a toddler and a food business cannot be easy, but the TNT couple is optimistic.

“It’s so tiring but I just keep putting out a good, positive attitude,” Tetchie Vanderwende said of their busy life, adding “I love it, it’s my thing.” Thomas Vanderwende shrugs off the fact they have been burgled three times. When asked how he felt about another similar priced restaurant opening right next to them, he said it’s “kinda good” because it’s “like having a food court” where people can have choices to eat what they are in the mood for.

TNT’s specialty is steak burgers, and the volcano steak burger is the one to get if you can handle it. Topped with grilled onions, fresh roasted Serrano peppers, topped with hunks of crumbling blue cheese and topped (and bottomed) with the secret lava sauce, it’s worth the burning mouth for minutes afterwards.

The Vanderwendes have expanded their menu from just burgers lately, and it is continuing to grow. There are now plate options, like the steak plate: simply seasoned sliced sirloin, served with rice and a green salad. Thanks to a fisherman connection, they are also offering a fresh fish plate now as well, served with their homemade tartar sauce. There’s also a deep fried pork chop plate smothered in mushrooms and grilled onions.

Tetchie Vanderwende recently created a chicken sandwich and added to the menu: a breast stuffed with havarti cheese and bacon. It looks like there are two chefs in the family.

The food is simple and fresh, with potatoes cut daily for the fries, fresh baked buns for the burgers.

Our baker from Country Moon Rising rides his bike down here every morning,” said Thomas Vanderwende.

Their location in north Kapa’a town is serving them well, right off the road, supplied with picnic tables under shaded tents next to their tidy trailer.

“I’m not a restaurant man, I’m a food man,” Vanderwende said, but with the success and joy from TNT (“feeding people is almost as fun as saving lives” Vanderwende said) don’t be surprised if he is a restaurant man someday.

“If you gave me a real kitchen with an oven and a stove…we could put out some food,” Thomas Vanderwende said with his eyes widening with imagination. “When the time is right we will expand.”

TNT Steak Burgers is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11-8, staying open until 9 on Friday and Saturday. For more information call 651-4922.

Gettin' fresh at Living Foods

2010-02-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

Living Foods Market starts small revolution

2010-02-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010

Jim Moffat, chef and proprietor of Bar Acuda in Hanalei and other successes in San Francisco is revolutionizing food on Kaua’i. Opening late January, Moffat’s newest venture, Living Foods Market & Cafe at Kukui’ula Village in Po’ipu, is a cosmopolitan concept, selling chef-inspired food to cook at home, operating a community market, and opening its doors to Kaua’i farmers. The two giant doors to Living Foods kitchen remain open daily, for farmers to sell their produce.

“Anybody can bring anything out there,” Moffat said, adding he doesn’t want just one kind of beet, he wants five, six kinds of beets. And with the exception of a few (apples, peaches, raspberries, for example) the possibilities of what can be grown in Kaua’i’s soil are endless.

Besides being a resource to farmers, Moffat offers food products previously only available to chefs. Dishes you could only eat at restaurants before, you can now cook at home at a more palatable price point.

“You guys can be the rock stars,” Moffat said. Duck leg confit marinated in herbs, lamb chops smothered in fresh mint, certified natural Angus rib eye steak, is all packaged and ready to be cooked at home. Freshly made walnut pesto, saffron aioli, and a spicy tomato arrabbiata sauce, is in containers ready to go.

“We don’t need another restaurant, we need things that anchor a community,” Moffat said of his decision to create Living Foods at Kukui’ula Village in Po’ipu. “It’s a restaurant that sells food.”

Enter the open, barn-like structure and find an island of local produce, surrounded by walls of more produce, natural home and body products, dry staples, a large beer, wine and spirits selection (over 150 labels, Moffat said) homemade coffee, homemade bread, a selection of over 50 artisan cheeses, select meats, fish, and the Café.

Serving up salads, pizzas, sweet and savory crepes, and paninis, the menu is simple and fresh. The wrap-around lanai of the establishment is sprinkled with outside tables seating fifty at a time.

“We’ve seen it before: pizzas, paninis…we’re doing it better here,” Moffat said simply of the Café menu. The only task left now is constancy with the dishes.

“To teach these guys to make it perfect every time, the consistency to produce it properly, that’s our goal,” Moffat said. By the looks and tastes of things, however, they are already close: multiple crepes cooking on a contraption that looks like a deejay’s turntable, and a pizza oven pumping out pies. “I have a great crew up there; they run the show,” Moffat said.

Black chalkboards cover the walls of Living Foods; one has a schedule scribed that will soon be filled with events for the community. Wine tastings, cooking courses, food education, workshops on local chocolate production is all going to be offered at Living Foods, Moffat said. He will also feature a farmer of the week, and there is a table with books to sit and read about wine. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s exciting.

Kaua'i beef tongue gyro

2009-11-30T13:34:00.000-08:00

'Totally worth it:' Locavore dining on Kaua'i

2009-11-30T13:31:00.000-08:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper's Kaua'i Times Nov. 29, 2009

By Lois Ann Ell

Eating locally-grown food when dining out is becoming more and more common on Kaua’i. Chefs want to serve fresher food, restaurants want to support the local economy, people going out for dinner out want to know what’s in their food (and what’s not); there are many reasons for the transformation.

Over a dozen leading chefs on the island participated in the Garden Island Range & Food Festival last week, serving up gourmet samples of local meats paired with vegetables from farms on island. The Chefs were assigned cuts of meat and produce by random, and had approximately two days to create a special meal.

Randy Silverman, head Chef of Gaylord’s at Kilohana, who served a “spit-roasted” baron of beef with couscous, avocado, sprouts, and braised greens at the event, added to the assigned selection with his own produce he is growing.

“The Cuban oregano in the chimichuri sauce is from my garden,” Silverman said, clarifying the sauce is a traditional relish of Argentina. Gaylord’s menu regularly features the “Five Farm Salad,” with Lawa’i fern shoots, hearts of palm from the island of Hawai’i, Kaua’i tomatoes, and sweet onions from Maui, topped with pork cracklings from Kaneshiro pork on island.

“We kalua the pork three times a week,” Silverman said. “Then we take the skin from that to top the salad.”

Hukilau Lanai, another participant at the Festival has also been using local vendors for their food for years, including chocolate, honey, goat cheese, produce, fresh fish and more. Hukilau features a “Farmer’s market lasagna” on their menu, made with a medley of local vegetables from the farmer’s market every week.

Merriman’s restaurant, long-time advocate of the “farm-to-fork” method, which just opened a new restaurant in October at Kukui’ula Village Shopping Center, was also featured at the Festival. The Hanalei Taro Cake, which they served below Kalbi braised cross ribs from local A’akukui Ranch, is a regular staple at their restaurant.

“We do have the taro cake on the menu as a vegetarian option,” said Amy Jenkins, server at Merriman’s and volunteer at the Festival. Jenkins said the taro is from Hanalei Taro & Juice Co., which they mash up with jalapeños and other ingredients and fry up in butter.

The Sheraton Kaua’i Resort also provided Festival fare: seared lamb from Oma’o Farms over a breadfruit puree. Jr. Pascual, sous chef, said a unique meal is prepared each week of all local food.

“Thursday nights we have a sustainable special, where we use local products,” he said.

Another hotel on the south side—the Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort and Spa—has been using locally-grown fare. Chef Benjamin Seaver of the Hyatt was given beef tongue for his cut of meat for the Festival.

“Everything is made from scratch,” Seaver said of the gyro he created: he cooked the tongue “corned beef style,” in a “salty brine” with pickling spices, and served it inside baked pita bread, with cucumbers, tomatoes and a homemade yogurt sauce.

Seaver wasn’t the only Chef given an exotic cut of meat. Chef John Ferguson made braised Asian sliders with beef heart, served on sweet bread rolls from Hanalima Baking. Chef Kevin Nakata and the team at Contemporary Flavors received beef neck, and served it inside delicate dumplings with a Vietnamese soup.

“We have been using Kaua’i Fresh Farms for all of our tomatoes and cucumbers; we try to go through them as much as we can,” Seaver said, adding he enjoys using locally-grown food for his creations. “It’s a little pricier but totally worth it.”

2009-11-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

Wine Tasting on Kaua'i

2009-11-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

(From the inaugural edition of The Garden Island Newspaper's 'Kaua'i Times,' November 1, 2009)

Grape escape from the ordinary: wine tasting on Kaua’i
By Lois Ann Ell

Where can you go on a Saturday evening to savor high-quality wine and share a spittoon between friends? A wine tasting! These often free events are intimate little parties where you meet new people on the island and bump into old ones, sample excellent food and drink, and learn something new about the wide world of wine. And no, you don’t really have to spit unless you want to.

Da Kine Wine’s tasting event in October featured a selection of wines from Italy, accompanied by Italian meats and cheeses, like mozzarella, salami and prosciutto. More than fifty people breezed through the shop in Kapa’a as the sun sank, discovering and discussing their favorite wine of the selection, and browsing through the shelves for others.

Wine tasting events are held island-wide at wine shops each month on Saturday evenings, usually from 4-7 p.m. with diverse themes each month. Collette Savage of The Wine Garden in Puhi hosted her annual beer tasting in October. This month the tasting will be “more geared to the holidays” with festive and higher-priced wines, Savage said. The Wine Shop in Koloa, which also sells gourmet food, offers “wine education” at every event, giving guests a chance to experience wines they would not otherwise.

Although the tasting events range in themes, one thing they all have one thing in common: unique, superior-quality beverages and food.

“We’re not focusing on super market brands,” said Danny Minton, co-owner of Da Kine Wine. “Quality first” is Minton’s motto, adding that a high-quality wine is not necessarily high-priced. Bottles in Da Kine Wine sell from $10 up to a $1200 bottle he special-ordered for a customer recently, he said. The Wine Shop in Koloa has a selection ranging from $7.95 to $500 for a bottle.

You need not be knowledgeable about wine to attend these events, but a genuine interest helps, and there are some things to know before you go.

“Come in with an open mind,” said Dan-o O’Connell of The Wine Shop, who hosts wine tastings the first Saturday of each month. Also, Minton recommends not eating a big meal before you come.

“You don’t want to skew your palate,” he said, adding a light snack like crackers is ideal; because you don’t want to drink on an empty stomach either.

Then there’s the spit bucket. Startling to a first timer at these events, the spit bucket, a container to spit or pour your wine back (instead of swallowing it) is totally optional.

“It’s professional to spit, but it’s very much acceptable not to,” said Minton.
“If you’re going to taste a whole bunch of wines, I recommend using the spit bucket,” said Daniel Braun, other co-owner of Da Kine Wine, to avoid becoming too intoxicated. Wine tasting events are an opportunity to taste and sample the wines, and not to guzzle as much as possible and re-visit the same bottle frequently.

“It’s a lifestyle, an art form, a passion,” said Minton of the wine culture, and sees tasting events as a way to share it. To attend a tasting, call the various wine retailers on island to confirm dates and times. Better yet, get on their email lists to be notified of the events.

Sidebar:

Wine Tastings on Kaua’i:

The Wine Shop in Koloa 742-7305
First Saturday of each month

The Wine Garden in Puhi 245-5766
Last Saturday of each month

Da Kine Wine in Kapa’a 822-1314
Third Saturday of each month

2009-10-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Kaua'i Backstory News

2009-10-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

Calling all writers and artists! It's the fourth annual Kaua'i Backstory Creative Competition, with cash prizes this year! Read below for details.

Announcing Fourth Annual Creative Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kauaibackstory.com, an online literary journal, announces its fourth annual writing competition. This year’s theme, “Postcards” is sponsored by the Garden Island Arts Council.
This year’s competition differs from previous years in two distinct ways.
First, cash prizes will be awarded in the following manner: First place, $100; second place, $50; third and fourth place, $25 each. Winners and other noteworthy contributors will be posted on http://www.kauaibackstory.com/ and invited to read on a special night later this fall. (Date and place to be determined.)
Second, in keeping with the theme, written and visual entries must “fit” on a postcard. For writing, entries must not exceed 100 words. For visual entries, submissions will be evaluated based on their impact when viewed as 4”x6” images (either horizontal or vertical).
Writing form does not matter—essay, story (imagined or real), memoir or poems are all welcome.
As in previous years, entries must be relevant to Kauai, in some manner. Kauai Backstory is a venue for rigorous writing with a view about Kauai. We look for writing that builds understanding, not walls. We encourage writing and imagery that engenders respectful dialogue for we believe one way to build community is through conversation. KauaiBackstory.com values the expression of all voices and delights in words and images that shift thinking and open minds threading us ever closer together in this calabash of a world in which we live. Entries will be judged on whether they achieve this vision or not.
A student category will be created pending interest and writing quality.
Contest participants may submit one written entry and one visual entry; however, you may not submit more than one written entry or more than one visual entry.
The deadline for submitting entries is midnight HST November 1, 2009. Text entries must be pasted into the body of an email (no attachments) and sent to kauaibackstory@yahoo.com. Images must be sized to 4”x6” at 75 dpi and sent as a jpg attachment.
Kauaibackstory.com is intended to serve as a timely, interactive forum. Readers are encouraged to visit often and post comments.

Traveling with Charlie

2009-07-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper

Flying across the Pacific Ocean last month I was handed a neatly packaged tray of food. Its main course was a dry, crumbly roll the shape of a baseball with one thin piece of turkey and one limp piece of lettuce laying dormant inside. I opened up the neatly packaged brownie next to it and daydreamed about the dinner I would be eating when we landed, cooked by the person next to me, sitting in 23D.

That person was my brother, Charlie, and together we traveled to see our grandparents in Florida. During the plane ride, I read books, flipped through in-flight magazines, and watched a movie on a five inch screen. Next to me, Charlie prepared grocery lists and dinner menus, hunched over on his tray table, scribbling down ingredients, amounts and pairings as if deciphering a math theory.

Hours later on solid ground I sat on the screened-in lanai sipping a beverage while Papa told stories of alligators climbing up from the lake in front of the house. Charlie stood close by, leaning over the grill, with tongs and a platter of fresh Florida corn bathing in butter.

Due to the dizzying Florida heat (think Polihale, summer, no breeze and a damp blanket of humidity), Charlie prepared as many meals as possible outside on the grill, rather than stirring over the stove in the kitchen. The food theme of the week became simple and fresh, with finesse. I was knighted the role of ‘sous chef,’ whose duties included chopping, grating, pouring, husking, table-setting and dishes, so simple sounded good to me.

One of the best meals of the week was a sophisticated update of an old classic: burgers and fries. Using turkey meat, chopped red onions, lemon zest and oregano, you will never want to return to plain old patties. Accompanying the burgers were savory sweet potato fries and a condiment platter including green chilies and sautéed mushrooms. My grandparents wanted him to stay the whole summer.

Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato fries

Turkey Burgers
1 pound ground turkey
1 finely chopped red onion
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoons thyme
1 egg
Dash of Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Form into patties. Grill 3-4 minutes each side on a grill over medium heat, or until no longer pink in the middle. Top with Swiss cheese if desired. Serve on toasted buns with condiment platter.

Condiment Platter
Ketchup
Mustard
Sliced red onion
Sliced tomatoes
Lettuce
Pickles
Sliced mushrooms sautéed in butter and garlic powder
Diced green chilies

Sweet Potato Fries
5-6 sweet potatoes
Coarse salt
Pepper
Dried onion
Garlic powder
Olive oil

Wash potatoes. Chop in large pieces (so they look like ‘steak fries’ in a restaurant.) Soak potatoes in a large bowl of water for 1 hour. Transfer potatoes to a baking sheet. Coat in olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Bake at 450 degrees for 40 minutes, turning once, or until crispy and brown on the outside.

Community unites to restore Polihale access

2009-07-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper

A purely volunteer-driven project began to restore public access to Polihale state park on March 23 and is now near completion. Community leader Bruce Pleas spearheaded the project, along with help from Westside resident Andy Johnston and numerous citizens and companies from around the island.
When access was closed to the public due to lack of state funds available for repairs, Pleas contacted DNLR State Parks Manager Steve Thompson. “He said it would be one to two years before it would be open again. I said, ‘that’s not going to work,’” Pleas said. “We need beach access. Locals, surfers, fisherman, that’s my whole objective,” Pleas said. Soon after, Pleas began organizing community involvement to begin a volunteer effort to repair the damage and restore access.
Since work has begun, the debris of cane, dirt, sticks and rocks that had collected under a bridge along the road from heavy rains has been cleared out. Martin Steel Construction provided the materials and welding needed to repair the bridge, including adding new railings.
Kauai Lumber donated lumber for the form work to reinforce the bridge foundation, and Myron Lindsey Construction oversaw bridge repairs. According to Pleas, the bridge work is complete following certification.
Several areas of the dirt road that were washed out have also been repaired. Prieto Construction and Rylo Excavation donated the heavy equipment and operating services, grading the road and constructing boulder retaining walls.
The entire project has been monitored by state officials working with the volunteers daily, making a successful collaboration between government and citizens of the community.
Pleas said the majority of the bathrooms are restored for public use, and the only tasks to complete now in order to provide access are the bridge passing certification (being able to hold two vehicles on it for two-lane traffic) and the emergency phone at the beach needs to be operational. Estimated opening time is two to three weeks, Pleas said.
Johnston organized lunch and refreshments to be donated to the volunteers daily, from establishments such as Ishihara Market, Wranglers Steakhouse, Waimea Brew Pub, Kalaheo Coffee Company, Kauai Springs Water, and resident Mary Mulcoy.
After a March 10th meeting at Kekaha Neighborhood Center, a non-profit group and community organization, ‘E Ola Mau Na Leo O Kekaha,’ agreed to open a “Polihale Fund” to take donations for the project. Soon after, Surfrider Foundation also started a donation drive.
“The funds were set up to assist on any expenses out here, but we’ve had minimal expenses so it’s going to a permanent fund so we will have the funds available to grade the road when needed, and come down and maintain the bridge when it gets clogged again,” Pleas said.
During the past weeks there has been an outpouring of volunteers from the community. “We’ve had dozens of offers from people,” Johnston said. “I personally hope we are entering into an age of volunteerism,” he said.

Fish's Steamed Moi

2009-07-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper

At the beach a few months back I was talking to a friend who had a white eel coiled up on ice in a cooler in the back of his truck. Its tiny teeth were ajar, eyes staring at me as I learned the multiple ways of cooking and eating this beasty creature. Although a tinge of sadness crept through me seeing something recently killed, I admired the concept of no blue Styrofoam plate and plastic wrap surrounding seafood, instead catching, preparing, and utilizing most of what you are eating. I have started to pull food out of the dirt in my back yard, but have yet to retrieve anything from the sea, which is why I respect my fisherman friends all the more who accomplish this task frequently to feed those around them.
A few months later I sat eating at the beach, watching the tide slip out. The wind tangled my hair and the salt air coated my skin. I was savoring a tender, moist, fresh filet of Moi (threadfin) straight from the sea with layers of complimentary flavors: crispy vegetables, salty sausage, spices and herbs and sauces I struggled to identify. It felt strange to taste something so gourmet and delicious while sitting in a wet, sandy swimsuit.
The Moi, a fish reserved only for Ali’i (Hawaiian royalty) in the past, closely resembled what you would order at a five star restaurant. However this was cooked over a grill fashioned from a beer keg cut in half. There were no stainless steel tools or appliances, just tin foil and a plastic fork. No sous chefs, just a bunch of us leaning over the grill in awe, asking Fish what he was doing now, what was he going to do next. That’s his name: Fish— the fisherman and chef this day, who cooked Steamed Moi, prepared Chinese style, and generously shared it with everyone.
Fish explained that back in the day he and his friends would catch the Moi, (or Papio, or Perch, or Rainbow Runner, or Barracuda), and bring it to a Chinese restaurant where it would be prepared in the back and brought out to the table. It is one of his favorite ways to prepare his numerous catches.
I was delighted to discover after talking to Fish that this Steamed Moi is not as intimidating a recipe as I thought. Also, if you are not an expert diver or fisherman you can (gasp!) buy your fish for this dish. “Any oily fish will do,” Fish says. Opakapaka is a good alternative. You can cook it in the oven at home as well, for those of us who usually associate cooking at the beach with sandy, burnt hot dogs.

Steamed Moi

1-2 pounds of cleaned fish
½ head cabbage
2 links of lup cheong (Chinese sausage)
1 bag of chop suey mix
½ cup oyster sauce
Barbeque sauce
Hawaiian salt
Chopped cilantro
Chopped green onion
½ cup peanut oil

Lay out a large piece of tin foil. Chop cabbage and spread on foil. Lay the fish on the bed of cabbage. Sprinkle Hawaiian salt. Slice up lup cheong and stuff in the stomach or middle of fish. Stuff chop suey mix in as well (as much as will fit). Spread the rest of the chop suey mix on top. Pour oyster sauce over fish. Pour barbeque sauce over fish. Cover it by wrapping the sides of the tin foil over. Cook on barbeque for 10 minutes, or bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes in the oven. When it’s done, uncover foil and sprinkle cilantro and green onion on top. Pour peanut oil (Fish likes his oil boiling hot) over top of fish. Serve immediately.

Children's book review: "Kaimi's Frst Round-Up" by Ilima Loomis, illustrated by Don Robinson

2009-07-31T00:33:00.000-07:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper

You wouldn’t suspect that Ilima Loomis’first children’s book, “Ka’imi’s First Round-Up” (Island Heritage, $11.95) was just released in September 2008. It evokes a traditional nostalgia of days past: stoic Hawaiian cowboys (paniolos), animals roaming on open ranges, a caring yet stern relationship between a father and son, a boy’s right of passage experienced in nature. For the adult reader, these themes in Loomis’ book make the reader appreciate and long for the simplicity of the past. The child audience (especially children older than toddlers) will gravitate towards young and determined Ka’imi, and his adventure to become a paniolo like his beloved Papa.

Loomis wrote a previous book on Paniolos titled “Rough Riders: Hawai’i’s Paniolo and Their Stories” which no doubt provided the rich history and knowledge needed to capture the essence of this unique culture in her children’s book venture. Authentic terminology is embedded naturally in the story, such as Ka’imi’s kaula ‘ili (rawhide rope) and the cowboys’shouts (“Mahope! Mamua! Hele! Hele!”) as they are herding cattle. The most important gift of this book though, is the relationship between Ka’imi and his father: a tender, loving relationship combined with the tension of a young boy wanting to be independent and please his father at the same time.

Loomis’ story flows gracefully with a sophisticated tone of a seasoned writer (“a young mother cow bolted, scattering the group like spilled marbles”) using metaphors elevated from those usually found in children’s books. Her story is graced by illustrator Don Robinson’s realistic, sun-touched pages. The landscape paintings of the pastures are graceful and sweeping. His rendering of the cows, horses and the cowboys capture a quiet and charming yet rugged life. Robinson’s illustrations were a fine match with Loomis’ story. Together they created not a trendy book or a fading fad, but rather a timeless piece, much like the palaka print shirts Ka’imi and his Papa don throughout the round-up.

Children's book review: "Kula and the Old 'Ukulele" By Lance Wheeler, illustrated by Jon J. Murakami

2009-07-31T00:22:00.000-07:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper

At a keiki birthday party last weekend, when brothers Henry and Wayne Panui busted out their ‘ukuleles and began to play, strumming and singing, improvising and laughing as they played, the children turned and watched in silent awe. This event was proof the ‘ukulele ranks as high in coolness to kids as any surfboard, pirate, monkey, bike or talking dog (in a children’s book that is.) This is why the recent release of “Kula and the Old ‘Ukulele” written by Lance Wheeler, illustrated by Jon J. Murakami (Mutual, $12.95) uses a perfect object, an old ‘ukulele, to grab its young audience to impart the larger themes of the book.
What themes, you ask? In the first pages, we learn a little boy named Kula has a Tutu Kane who is very poor: “His lauhala hat was all shredded up, and his T-shirt was torn at the sleeves.” Therefore Kula announces to his Tutu Kane on his eighth birthday “I don’t want a thing. I don’t want more than I already have”. Kula’s altruism (however unlikely for an eight year old) is a refreshing attribute for a child to possess, not only showing compassion and understanding for his family’s economic situation, but showing unselfishness in this age of consumerism, when many children have a bad case of the “gimmies”.
Despite Kula’s selflessness, Tutu Kane gifts Kula with an old ‘ukulele and instructs Kula, “If you keep practicing, you’ll really go far”, and here Wheeler weaves in even more important themes pertinent to our time. The old, used ‘ukulele as a gift highlights Jack Johnson’s song from the “Curious George” soundtrack, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”. Tutu Kane is not only resourceful but environmentally conscious as well. Moreover, the well-known theme of ‘practice makes perfect’ (as Kula learns when he and his “uke” enter the “town talent show”) cannot be repeated enough to youth as a key to success, just ask Jake Shimabukuro.
The thirty two pages of Wheeler’s rhyming text partners smoothly with the playful font. And Murakami’s pastel sketches and illustrations are exactly what children aged 4-8 would order: brightly colored caricatures with quirky details, such as a dog in a pink tutu and a pineapple-juggling baby backstage at the talent show. The illustrations are a great balancing act with the larger, worldly themes of the text. Now let’s just see what happens after children read it; will they adopt an altruistic air as well, or ask for an ‘ukulele as soon as possible? Either response is good one.

Moloa'a farmer launches 'All Kaua'i Meal'

2009-07-31T00:16:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: Olga Berg

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper

In the sea of sustainability efforts these days—especially food sustainability—Marie Mauger, owner of Spirit of the Earth Farm in Moloa’a, is steering in the right direction, and has been for a while. On its tenth anniversary this month, Spirit of the Earth Farm Foundation has launched “The All Kaua’i Meal” initiative and website, an informational and networking service to promote food independence on Kauai.

“An All Kauai Meal is a meal which is made with in-season, regenerative foods which are grown on Kauai and prepared by you and all cooks and chefs on this island,” Mauger says. “Regenerative foods are ones which will reproduce on Kauai; from seed, cuttings, grafting, root divisions, or other vegetative reproduction,” she says.

Mauger is a biodynamic farmer, who uses the wisdom of the late Rudolph Steiner’s methods to tend the earth. In 1924, Steiner discovered that the nutritional value of food was declining rapidly. Just like any living thing, Steiner proposed that as the earth ages, it needs special care to thrive. He recommended nine preparations (including white oak bark, and common herbs such as chamomile and nettle) to apply to the soil and foliage for optimal growth. This method has transformed Mauger’s Spirit of the Earth farm into an abundance of life continually rising from the soil.

Biodynamic farming is “working with the life in the soil, the plants, all of nature and the cosmos,” Mauger says. “The earth is alive; open the crust of the earth and cultivate it when the planetary influences are just right,” she says.

“I tell anyone who ever comes to help on the farm to please put love into everything you see and touch,” Mauger says. Ten years ago, her farm was 16 acres of bare land that was scraped and grubbed. It was contaminated with years of pesticides and DDT. “Now I have two hundred fruit trees, three hundred Neem trees, and a large market garden of annual crops, including kale, lettuce, chard, turnips and radishes,” Mauger says.

Mauger sells her produce at the farmer’s markets, local stores and restaurants, and through her CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) business. She currently has 10 CSA Ohanas or families who have committed to purchasing produce from her farm. There are many benefits to becoming a CSA Ohana.

“You develop a direct relationship with the person who grows your food,” Mauger says. “As a member you also have the opportunity to make suggestions on what you want grown, and are assured foods that may be in short supply at the farmer’s markets.”

By joining a CSA, you know where your food comes from. You directly support sustainable island agriculture and eat Kauai-grown food. Mauger is currently expanding her CSA Ohana network and is taking on more clients.

The All Kauai Meal website, http://www.allkauaimeal.com/ has a list of over 280 culinary ingredients that can be grown on Kauai, with different categories, including vegetables, carbohydrates, proteins, herbs, beverages and teas, oils, edible flowers and more. The site has a forum to exchange recipes, share gardening tips and information where to get seeds and ingredients on island.

“I encourage every restaurant on island to feature an “All Kauai Meal” on their menu each day,” Mauger says. She also has plans for All Kauai Meal cook-offs and potlucks in the future.

For more information on Spirit of the Earth Farm, classes in biodynamic gardening, the CSA Ohana program or the All Kauai Meal, email Mauger at mariemauger@yahoo.com or call 822-7899.

Stand Up Paddleboarding Controversy

2009-07-31T00:02:00.000-07:00

Published in The Garden Island Newspaper

The Department of Land and Natural Resources is holding an “informal public discussion” next week in response to the number of complaints filed regarding water safety and etiquette with stand up paddle boarding (SUP), as well as kayaks and canoes in the surf breaks on Kaua’i.

Complaints made with the DLNR regarding SUP have expressed that “the boards are too big for beginners to be in the line up” as well as “surfers say they take all the waves,” according to Debora Ward, DLNR Specialist on O’ahu in a phone interview. Ward emphasized the DLNR wants “to hear both sides” at the meeting.

After a public meeting last month on O’ahu with the DLNR’s Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) at Ala Moana Beach Park, it was decided that buoys will be installed in the coming months to create a zone in the water for SUP users to practice without causing safety issues for swimmers.

There is no clear, divided line between the tight-knit surfing community and the stand-up paddling community, as many people enjoy both activities, which makes it a complex issue.

“Stand up paddling has its place in the world of water sports,” said Bill Hamilton, surfer, surfboard and SUP designer, and father of Laird Hamilton, the world-class waterman who is known for having a large part in reviving and mastering the SUP sport.

“I made some of the first twelve foot boards that Laird used,” Hamilton said. “It’s a wonderful cross-training exercise.”

“I have some reservations about where the sport is being practiced,” Hamilton said.

“Beginners do not belong at the bay,” said Patty Irons, a long time surfer and Kaua’i resident who also enjoys stand-up paddling. “It’s the ones that don’t have knowledge and control,” she continued, about safety issues out at the surf break at Hanalei Bay.

“Don’t hate me all you guys that are my friends,” she added, laughing.

“There’s a handful of surfers that can traverse in the water, my son Laird included,” Hamilton said. “The guys that are really good at it have enough respect,” he said.

Hamilton said a proposed solution could be specified areas set aside for those still learning the SUP sport, to avoid accidents. He added that perhaps expert watermen like “Laird and Titus (Kinimaka) could conduct a school on etiquette” for the growing popular sport.

Some Kaua’i surfers and SUP enthusiasts are skeptical however about the DLNR getting involved in the surfing culture, which has a long history of being self-regulated.

“I just honestly don’t see how people can regulate it,” Irons said, speaking of the DLNR possibly developing rules.

“It all comes down to courtesy,” said Rob Brower, a long time surfer and resident who compared the surfer vs. stand up paddle phenomenon to the short board vs. long board issue years ago, which worked itself out.

“It will never work if the government gets involved,” said Bill Bethke, a windsurfer, surfer and stand-up paddler. “It’s all about respect,” he said, adding that there is “a natural pecking order” out in the water.

Jeff Renner, a surfer on O’ahu who claims he has “gone to the dark side” of stand-up paddling said there is up to 700 SUP boarders at Ala Moana beach park during one day.

“When you mix different crafts it’s dangerous,” Renner said, citing examples of new sports that have emerged over the years alongside established ones: snowboarding and skiing, wakeboarding and waterskiing. “It finally gets the long boarders and the short boarders together,” Renner said, laughing.

“Stand up paddling is just long boarding with a paddle,” Renner said. “It’s not going away. It’s too fun.”

“It is hoped, through compromise and mutual respect, everyone who surfs the break…can adhere to the same code of conduct and these conflicts can be resolved without establishing rules and regulations to separate the two user groups,” DLNR Chair Laura Thielen stated in a press release last month regarding the upcoming Kaua’i public discussion.

The DLNR meeting will be held Wednesday June 10th from 7-8 p.m. at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School cafeteria in Lihu’e.

Cultural Diversity on Kaua'i

2009-07-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

Published in Kaua'i Art Dining Shopping

Kaua’i is known as “the garden island” for its lush landscape and diverse, seemingly perfect climate. However, as any green thumb knows, it takes the dedication and love of a gardener for a garden to flourish. Likewise, it is the people of Kaua’i who tend to the land that make this island produce its bountiful gifts. People like Lynn Muramoto, life-long resident and founder of the Lawa’i International Center, who observed, “This is a place for all people, a sacred place” looking onto the landscape of the center with the love of a mother looking at her child. This sentiment of inclusiveness and careful tending to the land is the common characteristic of many sacred places on Kaua’i and the people who care for them. And it is perhaps because of this symbiotic relationship that the island produces the revered places listed below.

Upon entering the Lawa’i International Center, just off busy Kaumuali’i Highway on the Westside of Kaua’i, a warm breeze drifts through the green, open valley and a sense of calm takes over. Founder Lynn Muramoto hands you a walking stick as you begin exploring the 88 Buddhist shrines built into the hillside by Japanese immigrants in 1904. The site, once a Hawaiian Heiau focused on healing, has long been a sanctuary for many people over the years. The shrines, a replica of 88 built in Shikoku, Japan, were weathered and overgrown over time, until 1990 when Muramoto visited the sanctuary and quit her job as a teacher to restore the area. She founded the non-profit project, which is a volunteer-driven, non-denominational place for peace and healing. Visits to the center are on the second and last Sunday of every month from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit http://www.lawaicenter.org/ for more information.

Numerous Hawaiian Heiau or temples can be found all over the island, which serve as a glimpse into Kaua’i’s rich history. Perhaps some of the most culturally significant are the cluster located along the Wailua River on the east side of the island, where the ali’i (royalty) lived. Begin where the river meets the sea at the end of Lydgate Park. There stands Hikinaakala Heiau, (translated as “rising of the sun”) believed to have been built in the 1300’s. Follow the river up Kuamo’o road, immediately on your left is Pohaku Ho’ohanau, the sacred stone where royal women gave birth. Continuing up Kuamo’o road, across from Opaeka’a Falls stands Poli’ahu Heiau, where kahuna (priests) conducted rituals. These archeological sites are the touchstone of the culturally diverse history that makes up Kaua’i. Make sure to read the signs at the sites and follow the correct protocol.

Driving past Opaeka’a falls in Wailua, tucked up in the mountains behind a neighborhood side street is a 458-acre treasure: Kauai Hindu Monastery. Founded in 1970 by the late Guruveda, it is a South-Indian style monastery-temple, the only one of its kind outside of India. Monks from around the world reside at the monastery seeking enlightenment through service and meditation and following the principles of Hinduism. Despite their focused lifestyle, the monks give daily tours to the public and are quite welcoming and engaging. They maintain that “Hinduism is a harmonious religion; it wants all religions to flourish and create a global village.” The one hour tour given Monday through Friday at 9 and 11 a.m. is a relaxed yet informative stroll through the exquisite grounds with koi ponds, immaculate gardens, and an in-depth glimpse into the Iraivan Temple, a massive granite structure hand-carved by artisans in India and shipped to Kaua’i. Visit http://www.himalayanacademy.com/ for more information.

Partly due to the large influx of Japanese immigrants in the Plantation days, Hawai’i has one of the largest missions of Hongwanji or Japanese Buddhist temples, with five on Kaua’i, located in Kapa’a, Lihu’e, Koloa, Hanapepe and Waimea. If you are visiting Kaua’i in the summer months from June through August, do not miss a Bon dance Festival. It is believed our deceased loved ones come back to visit in the summer months. The Bon dance (O-Bon translates as Lantern Festival) opens its doors to all, boasting bright lanterns which light up the dark sky, delicious food steaming from the tables, rhythmic Taiko drumming and traditional dance.

Taking the time to witness Kaua’i’s cultural gems will give you a deeper sense of the island’s unique community and culture. Not only will you see some gorgeous sites and meet dedicated people, you will help tend the land—the garden of Kaua’i.

Tailgate party at Baby Beach

2009-07-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

published in The Garden Island Newspaper

In the late afternoon on the weekends you will find him at the beach, watching his daughter Mahealani bounce and float in the small waves, and Ross will be near the lifted down gate of his truck, which is covered with a spread of food: Tupperware containers of chilled cut mango, a slow cooker filled with rice pudding, plates of baked and buttered breadfruit, a small bowl of tako poke. I am always impressed by this impromptu feast, and I have a tendency to look at his food and then look back to my warm water bottle and crumbly granola bar shoved into the pocket of my stroller.
Some of my babies’ first foods came from the gate of Ross’ truck. Sonya’s first mango had her furiously sucking the pit while the juice ran down her chin and onto her chest. Kassy’s first bite of Ross’ warm rice pudding made with sweetened milk had her grunting for more and grabbing for the plastic spoon.
Ross’ generosity with his food at first made me uncomfortable as I never had anything to give back but goldfish crackers and a half-smashed banana, but I’ve gotten over all that for two reasons: first of all his cooking is too good to refuse, and second, Ross enjoys watching others eat his food as much as he enjoys making it.
One Sunday this past spring he found out I was throwing a baby shower for our mutual friend, and he asked me what I was making. I ran off the menu: fruit salad, cream cheese wraps…and that was all I had so far. Ross told me to make Luau stew and gave me the recipe. As the shower approached I became overwhelmed and told Ross I had decided not to make it, especially since I had never attempted it before. The morning of the party we heard a shout from a truck outside our house: “Brother Ryan!” Ross yelled for my husband, who came back in with a warm pot of freshly made Luau stew. That afternoon, as the lonely fruit salad sat still, we ladies in our dresses were scraping the pot for the last of Ross’ stew.
Only once or twice have I been able to offer Ross some good food. One of these times was on my wedding anniversary. My husband and I were in our yard with our children when Mahea and Ross stopped by. He entered the yard with an ‘ukulele singing “All I have to offer you is me.” Ryan and I shared a dance as he sang and our babies tugged at our legs. Afterward I offered Ross a hamburger with cheese in the middle and my mother’s broccoli salad. As we ate I asked him how he had remembered our anniversary. “Oh easy, it’s my birthday” he answered, before scooping up his daughter and heading home to his wife.
Perhaps of all his recipes, Ross’ rice pudding is the best: it’s simple, can be served hot or cold, it feeds a crowd, it is a favorite among children and adults alike. It’s also hard to mess up this recipe. Simply put, this dish is comforting, like seeing Ross’ smiling face upon arriving at the beach.

Mahealani’s Favorite Rice Pudding

2 cups rice
8 cups water
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 stick of butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Rinse rice. In a large crock pot, add rice and water. Set crock pot to high for approximately 2 ½ hours, stirring once. Since crock pots vary in time and temperature, taste the rice from time to time. It is done when the water is all gone and the rice is no longer hard. When rice is done, immediately add in cans of milk, butter and vanilla, and stir until melted and mixed. Serves 12 people, preferably on a windy day at the beach when the sun is fading and little cold bodies are wrapped in towels, hungry.

The five 'o clock recipe

2009-07-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

published in The Garden Island Newspaper

He usually calls around 5 p.m. as he’s driving home from work on the H-1 freeway on O’ahu. He will tell me of vanity plates he sees on his commute; usually a clever saying in pidgin we have to sound out together to decipher. And then at some point in our conversation, my brother asks the same question: “What are you making for dinner tonight?” And I always give the same answer: “No idea.”

At this time of day, I am usually in the kitchen with one baby on my hip, stepping over the two other ones on the floor. There is sweat forming between the phone and my cheek, and cheerios stuck to the bottom of my feet. My brother Charlie, an island away, is driving home in his air-conditioned SUV, his crisp suit wilted and wrinkled from selling himself all day. The five ‘o clock hour is when I am tired and want to simplify, and it is when Charlie is off work and wants to expand, create (and selfishly plan his own dinner for the night.)

I tell him what I’ve got: chicken and noodles. “Do you have a good white wine?” He asks. I answer yes. “Capers?” Yes, surprisingly. “Shallots?” No. “Charlie, you know I don’t buy that stuff. I have onions.” Charlie sighs loudly in to the phone. “All right, get a pen, write this down,” he commands. “Okay,” I reply earnestly, reaching inside the fridge for a corona and a baby teething ring instead. “Okay, dust the chicken in flour—Come on lady, try a blinker—Sear it in the pan on both sides.” he yells into the phone. I wait, putting down one baby, picking up another. Charlie has at this point has entered into his chef mode: he is talking to me, other drivers and himself all at once, with spices and herbs swirling around in his head. He’s entering the improvisational dramatic monologue of creating a recipe.

“Okay, the sauce, always the most important part, Sis, remember that.” He begins to spit out the sauce ingredients only, with no measurements. One kitchen technique my brother and I do have in common is we don’t do exact measurements. We both pour what we estimate the right amount of wine or stock is, he out of wisdom and experience of working in the restaurant business, me out of laziness and not wanting to wash multiple measuring cups and spoons. Charlie continues: “O.K., wine, chicken stock, caper juice, lemon juice, vindaloo,” Wait. “Vinda-who?” I ask, wondering if we are back to sounding out a license plate on the road. “It’s an Indian spice; I think will go good in this, just a hint, not a lot.” Well, obviously I don’t have this, but I do have the crushed red bell pepper and fresh basil to top the dish with at the end, of which I am quite proud.

This is how I get dinner (and pretty good ones) on the table a lot of nights. Tonight I will make a decent chicken and pasta dish, but Charlie will go home and make something else entirely—an art piece served up effortlessly, intuitively adding another spice or two at the last minute. Although he’s a successful salesman, he should have been a chef. He has the ill-temper, quickness and creativity suited for the kitchen, and he creates something magical with food. “I Gotta go. Don’t overcook the chicken like you always do” Charlie reminds me. “Yeah, yeah” I say, and hang up the phone, inspired to make dinner.

Charlie’s Pasta Piccatta

12 oz. pasta (any kind)
4 chicken breasts
Flour for dusting
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup shallots (or onions)
Juice of one lemon
Sprinkle of vindaloo (optional)
2 tablespoons capers with juice
Fresh basil sprigs
Crushed red pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan heated to medium. Dust both sides of chicken breasts with flour, add chicken to saucepan. Sear each side. Take chicken out of pan, set aside. Add wine, stock, shallots, lemon juice and vindaloo and capers. Bring to a boil. Add chicken back to pan, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
While sauce is cooking, boil pasta, drain and put back in pot. Assemble pasta on a plate. Put chicken breast on top, and pour sauce on top of chicken. Sprinkle with basil and red pepper. Serves 4 people.