A good friend, who shares an appreciation for spam, found a recipe on the Three Hungry Bellies blog for spam buns. In this evolution of the hot dog buns commonly found in Chinese and Japanese bakeries, a slice of spam is encased in a soft, fluffy bread. I...
At this time of the year there are so many beautifully decorated holiday cookies - from traditional gingerbread men to festively iced sugar cookies to snowflake linzer cookies. It's easy to forget about the humble slice-and-bake cookie but during the busy holiday...
Are you looking for a way to add a personal, homemade touch to your gifts this year? From candy to cookies to snacks, here are a few edible gift ideas for everyone on your list. And if you're going to make your own gifts, don't forget the wrapping. No one can resist a...
#BakeADifference for @Cookies4kids with @OXO Like its cousin the gingerbread man, ginger cookies have all the flavors and scents of the holidays without the added work of rolling and cutting out cookies. In fact, the original recipe doesn't require refrigeration prior...
We always have some form of cheese in our refrigerator - sliced cheese for sandwiches, string cheese and cheese wedges for snacking, and lots of other cheeses that sounded interesting and delicious. One of the ever-present cheeses you will find is feta. It is great...
For many, many years, when I lived in Boston, I spent my Thanksgiving holidays with my extended family in Seattle. It was an easier trip to make (half the time it took to fly from Boston to Hawaii) especially when I knew I would be in Hawaii a few weeks later. Among...
With the holidays nearly upon us, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and forget to slow down and breathe. As a confirmed Anglophile, there's nothing I like more than sharing an afternoon tea with friends and family. There's something special about...
It's the beginning of November and it is still hot in Hawaii. For visitors seeking to escape the oncoming winter, it is near perfect weather - clear, almost cloudless skies with lots of sunshine. For those of us going about our daily lives, we're looking for a little...
In bakeries in Hawaii you will often find Dobash cake in the display case. This Hawaii-born cake layers chocolate chiffon with a pudding-like frosting. It is a favorite in the islands, but many, including my co-worker, will be quick to tell you that despite its...
My sister is introducing my teenage nephew to the joys of baking. More often than not my nephew gravitates to simple chocolate sweets - chocolate ice cream, red velvet cake, Kit Kats. He is decidedly against nuts of any kind. With that in mind, my sister started him...
What happens when monkey bread meets cinnamon rolls and gets wrapped in fall flavors? You get this deliciously decadent pumpkin cinnamon roll pull-apart loaf. It is the perfect centerpiece for a fall breakfast or brunch but in our house, it probably won't make it to...
In my time back in Hawaii there has been no shortage of new and delicious places to eat. I recently shared some of the lunch places my co-workers have introduced to me (and there are more to come). This post is a bit of a catchall of more new-to-me places -...
Happy National Taco Day! To celebrate I decided to take a local Hawaii dish and make it a taco. (Note, local Hawaii food is not the same as Hawaiian food - people often get the terms mixed up. Check out this post from Onolicious Hawaii for an...
It's October and I'm officially embracing pumpkin, not PSL (which I've never understood), but actual pumpkin. And once again, Nigella Lawson delivers a simple recipe for a beautiful, no-churn ice cream that celebrates this autumn fruit. 'Tis the Season for Pumpkin and...
Happy National Dumpling Day! Although this is an artificial holiday created as a marketing campaign by a food company, I can't help but celebrate one of my favorite types of foods. From pierogi to empanadas to gyoza to madombi, most cuisines have some form of a...
Update 2022: Sadly, 'Ōlena closed its doors on December 24, 2021. It's been just over two years since I moved home to Hawaii. I was fortunate to find a job early last year, just before things shut down due to the pandemic. I am grateful for this blessing every day. I...