Year: 2022

Salads for Summer

Salads for Summer

Did you know that May is National Salad Month (created out of enlightened self-interest by the Association for Dressings and Sauces in 1992)? To help you prepare and celebrate, here are some favorite salad recipes we shared over the years and one fantastic dressing...

Chinese Ginger Scallion Sauce

Chinese Ginger Scallion Sauce

Ginger scallion sauce is a classic Chinese condiment traditionally served on cold poached chicken. But to limit it to a single dish would be a crime. From fried chicken to poke to scrambled eggs, ginger scallion sauce will bring life to your dishes, even those that...

Ube Banana Pudding

Ube Banana Pudding

We are celebrating Mother's Day this year with these lovely Ube Banana Puddings. This recipe takes Magnolia Bakery's famous banana pudding and gives it a tropical twist by incorporating ube, adding a gorgeous color and subtle flavor to this iconic dessert....

Wonton Soup

Wonton Soup

Wonton soup is Chinese comfort in a bowl featuring delicious wonton dumplings in a flavorful broth. It's not difficult to make and if you have a little foresight you can make enough for a future meal or two. Homemade is the best When I first moved to Boston I had a...

Banana Bread with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Filling

Banana Bread with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Filling

Banana bread is one of those comfort foods that are easy to whip up and delicious to eat. I have made my go-to Chocolate Chip Banana Bread for years (dare I say decades?) and with or without chocolate chips, it's a winner. Recently I started thinking about...

Furikake Deviled Eggs

Furikake Deviled Eggs

Easter is just around the corner and with the abundance of hard-boiled eggs that will be on hand, making deviled eggs is a no-brainer. There are many different variations of deviled eggs, so I took this opportunity to put an Asian spin on this classic. What are...

Crispy Gau Gee

Crispy Gau Gee

Crispy gau gee is a popular fried dumpling, similar in taste to a fried won ton but different in shape. It wasn't until I began writing this post that I realized that this is one of those Hawaii-only Chinese dishes (like cake noodles) that you rarely find outside of...

Springtime Fairy Cakes

Springtime Fairy Cakes

It is officially spring and we are celebrating with these sweet little springtime fairy cakes. What are fairy cakes? Unlike their American cupcake counterparts, fairy cakes in the UK are smaller and lighter - like a delicate little fairy. The cakes themselves are a...

Mom’s Chinese Chicken Salad

Mom’s Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese chicken salad was one of my mom's go-to family potluck recipes. She would often prepare it in one of those disposable aluminum trays, carefully layering the ingredients. Then when it was time to serve, she would shake-up the dressing, pour it over the salad,...

Easy Mint Brownies

Easy Mint Brownies

Over the holidays I needed an easy dessert to take to a gathering and came across this Mint Brownies recipe from Taste of Home. It makes a fantastic dessert and can barely be called a recipe. It uses a boxed brownie mix that, once baked, has melted...

Jam and Cream Hand Pies

Jam and Cream Hand Pies

A sweet way to celebrate Pi Day In preparation for Pi Day, this coming Monday, 3.14, I made these lovely jam and cream hand pies. These pies are inspired by Miami's Cuban pastelitos de guayaba - flaky, sweet pastries filled with guava paste and cream cheese....

Confetti Bundt Cake

Confetti Bundt Cake

When I was looking for a cake to make for my sister's birthday, I wanted something fun and festive. It also had to be something my nephew would enjoy making with me but not overly complicated as his attention span only goes so far. And finally, given the price of...

Banana Lumpia with Coconut Caramel Sauce

Banana Lumpia with Coconut Caramel Sauce

Banana lumpia is a sweet dessert spring roll that was brought to Hawaii by Filipino immigrants. It is another thread in the culinary fabric of local Hawaii cuisine - a blending of so many different cultures that developed back in the day on the plantations. It only...

Creamy Furikake Dip

Creamy Furikake Dip

One of my all-time favorite Top Chef contestants is Sheldon Simeon. He is such a wonderful ambassador for local Hawaii cooking, bringing together his Filipino heritage and the multiple ethnic influences represented in our islands. I couldn't wait to get my hands on...

Peanut Butter & Jelly Tiffin

Peanut Butter & Jelly Tiffin

This recipe comes from one of my favorite contestants of The Great British Bake Off, Nadiya Hussain. Her take on this British treat is influenced by the American peanut butter & jelly sandwich. The mixture of chocolate and festive candies makes it a...

Ready for Game Day

Ready for Game Day

While some folks are excited about this Sunday's game, we have never been big sports fans. What we do love about any game day is hanging out with friends and family. Instead of the game, we focus on the food. Game day is all about the delicious but not-so-healthy pub...