Ceramics Class

Ceramics class started again.  I made the two cigar ashtrays in the middle, Erick made a bonsai plant bowl to the left of them, Cleta made cute cat wind chimes above and Geri made the hibiscus plate on the upper right corner.  

Maybe I'm more used to the easily ruinable nature of working with clay now.  I’m not as annoyed at it as in the last session. Yet.

Being Kai

Below is a compilation of some phone videos of Kai.

Manju!

Wendell went to Kauai recently for a softball tournament and came home with some Lawai manju.  I've been craving it ever since and even wondered if we should go to Kauai to pick up more.

And so I started looking up recipes.  I decided on Keeping it Relle's Sweet Potato Manju recipe because it was "simple" and used a lot of buttah.  Plus, she did a YouTube video showing how to make them.

 

You don't have to put them on a wire rack to cool, but I did because . . . 

   

this is what they looked like just out of the oven!!  Whaaaat??!!  I thought I would need to drain them, but eventually the melted butter disappeared and I guess was absorbed into the manju.  I figured that the next time I make this I would use 2 sticks of butter instead of 3, BUUUUT it turned out so ono that I think I might just stick to 3.

You can find the recipe on YouTube just below the video.  I used one can of Koshian instead of sweet potato and ended up with 20 pieces instead of 18.  My bake time was about 10 minutes longer than stated.  Also, the recipe calls for 4 egg yolks, so I used the whites to do the egg wash instead of wasting another whole egg.

Dungeness Crab from Yi Xin Cafe

We ordered food from Yi Xin Cafe in Market City for Landon's birthday and the Dungeness crab was a major hit.  It was super meaty, super ono and super expensive.  

Curry Crab with Naan Bread ($72.95)

 

Singapore Style Chili Crab ($68.00)

 

It was messy to eat, but DA SAUCE.  DA SAUCE.  That was enough for me.

Drop It

The other day while playing in the yard I could tell that Kai had something in his mouth that he was trying to hide from me.

I told him to "drop it".

 

He spit it out.  It was a rock.

  

Dd's Beer-Braised Beef Shank

This looks so good, I'm thinking I need to go shopping for some beef shank.

BEER BRAISED BEEF SHANK

 

1 ½ # bone in beef shank

¼ c. flour

Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper

Olive oil

1 small onion, stew-cut

1 celery stalk, stew-cut

1 small carrot, stew-cut

1 tomato, wedges

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 heaping TB tomato paste

12 oz. amber beer

1 c. beef stock

2 tsp Italian seasoning

¼ tsp. dried thyme

1 TB Worcestershire sauce

1 TB red wine vinegar

Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper to taste

 

Place flour in a shallow dish; set aside. Season beef shank well on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. In a saucepan over medium heat brown shank on both sides in oil. Add onion, celery, carrot and tomato into saucepan.  Saute until slightly limp, 3-4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic. Cook 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cover. Simmer 1 1/2 -2 hours or until beef falls apart easily. 

Serves 2.

Wendell's Halibut with Lemon Caper Sauce

Mahina's parents went fishing in Alaska recently and shared some of their catch with us.

Wendell made this super onolicious dish using a recipe from the kitchn site.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small lemon
• 2 cloves 

  garlic 

• 1 tablespoon 

  capers

• 4 tablespoons 

  cold unsalted butter

• 2 sprigs 

  fresh parsley

• 4 (4 to 6-ounce) skinless halibut fillets
• 1 teaspoon 

  kosher salt, plus more as needed

• 1/4 teaspoon 

  freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

• 2 tablespoons 

  olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the following, adding each to the same small bowl as you complete it: Finely grate the zest of 1 small lemon (about 1 teaspoon). Juice the lemon until you have 2 tablespoons. Mince 2 garlic cloves. Rinse 1 tablespoon capers well under cold running water, if salt-packed, to remove salt.
2. Cut 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter into 4 pieces. Coarsely chop the leaves and tender stems of 2 fresh parsley sprigs (about 1 tablespoon). Pat 4 (4 to 6-ounce) skinless halibut fillets dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just starting to smoke, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the halibut and sear undisturbed until well browned on the bottom and the sides are cooked just past halfway up the fillets, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, flip the fillets, and cook until just cooked through and the flesh flakes easily, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the lemon juice mixture and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the butter one piece at a time, waiting until each piece is almost completely melted before adding the next.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Pour over the halibut and serve immediately.

Cy's Breakfast

Beef Curry with Tripe and Tendon from Heaven Chinese Noodle and BBQ Cafe.  $13.

Wendell's Filipino Grilled Pork Belly

Wendell followed a Foodland five-ingredient recipe to make this.  He made it for his softball team and we got the leftovers.  It was yummy.

 

• 1 pound Pork belly
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Minced garlic
• 1/2 cup Brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Shoyu
• 1/2 cup Banana ketchup (or regular ketchup)
• 1 tablespoon Oil (any neutral oil)

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Cut pork belly into 1/2inch strips. In a large bowl, combine pork belly, salt, pepper, garlic, sugar, and shoyu. Mix well.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to marinate overnight or for at least 1hour.
• Once the pork belly has finished marinating, in a small bowl, mix ketchup and oil. Reserve for basting.
• Preheat grill to med-high heat.
• Once grill is ready, place pork belly down and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side, basting the top of the poke belly after flipping it over.
• Cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F or desired doneness.

Anything for Me?

This is Kai when I come home from shopping.

Potato Mac Salad (to go with your Hamburger Steak)

This was the best potato mac salad I ever made.  And the only . . . 

I looked at recipes online and kinda made up my own.

Throw together:

One good-sized potato, microwaved for 6 minutes, skinned and cubed

1 cup-ish macaroni, boiled and drained

2 boiled eggs, diced

1 can tuna, drained

1/2 cup (maybe more?) mayo

carrots, shredded

cilantro, minced (cause I had)

2 teaspoons onion powder (cause Landon doesn't like raw onions)

salt (sprinkle)

pepper (planny if you're Cy)

Hamburger Steak

I first posted this recipe back in 2008 and you can find it here.  It was super easy to make and so juicy ono that I want to make it again already.

 

Here's my bowl with the fixings . . . buttered corn, Geri's kimchee and Safeway potato salad.

   

I used this to make the gravy.  I added some of the juices from the frying pan to make it even more unhealthy.

  

Da Seedlings

Here are the Hawaiian chili pepper seedlings! 😬

Enchilada Sauce over Taquitos

This was the best enchilada sauce I ever made!  It was also the only enchilada sauce that I ever made.  The recipe is from the COOKIE + kate website.

I layered some taquitos from Costco in an 8 x 8 pyrex dish, covered them with some precooked taco meat (1 pound hamburger, 1/4 cup taco seasoning, 1/2 cup water), poured on the enchilada sauce and topped with choke cheese. Baked at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

It came out surprisingly good for an impromptu meal.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons flour 
• 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
• Pinch of cinnamon 
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. This sauce comes together quickly once you get started, so measure the dry ingredients (the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and optional cinnamon) into a small bowl and place it near the stove. Place the tomato paste and broth near the stove as well.
2. In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes, so be patient and don’t step away from the stove!
3. Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
4. Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some more as it cools.)
5. Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add more salt, if necessary.

Fred Update

 Fred is still around, though not as active as before, but still enjoying meal worms.

Dd's Pork Rind Crusted Chicken

Pork rinds!  Good idea!

BAKED PORK RIND CRUSTED CHICKEN

 

¼ c. mayonnaise

1 TB Dijon mustard

2 small chicken breasts, pounded ¼-inch thin

garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ c. pork rinds*

½ tsp. garlic powder

Salt, freshly ground black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise and mustard; set aside. 

Place pork rinds in a plastic bag; crush with hands or a rolling pin. Transfer into a shallow dish. Stir in garlic powder, salt and pepper; set aside. 

On work surface season chicken with garlic salt and pepper. Brush chicken on both sides with mayonnaise mixture.  Dredge in pork rinds pressing to adhere well on all sides. Place chicken on baking rack placed in baking pan. Bake 12-14 minutes dependent on thickness of chicken. Turn over; continue baking additional 6-8 minutes.

*Seasoned pork rinds will work well; eliminate garlic powder, salt and pepper. Serves 2.

Wendell's Ham and Potato Soup

Here's another dish that Wendell saw in the Crave section of the newspaper.  It's actually supposed to be topped with cheddar cheese and scallions but he didn't do that.  It still was super tasty. 

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 white or yellow onion, diced

• 2 stalks celery, diced

• 1 medium carrot, diced

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)

• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups diced cooked ham (8 to 9 ounces)

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups whole milk

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is just softened and everything is fragrant.

Adjust the heat to medium-high, then add the broth, potatoes and ham to the pot and cover to bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until light brown and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add milk and continue to whisk until thickened, making sure no lumps form, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Add the milk mixture to the pot. Stir until incorporated and the soup is fully warmed through and creamy, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. 

Growing Chili Peppers

I've tried growing pepper plants before but I've always failed.  My friend Ryan even gave me several very healthy potted plants, and somehow I just couldn't keep them alive. 

And yet, here I am trying again.  Because I saw a YouTube video.  I wanted to try the guy's method for sprouting seeds, and I wanted to do it with Hawaiian chili pepper.

 

The guy said to snip off the pointy tips.

   

You put the snipped seeds into a paper towel, dunk it into hot water, cold water, hot water, cold water several times.  Then, supposedly in 10 hours the seeds would sprout.

   

 It actually took about a week.  But that was okay.  I was just stoked that they sprouted.

  

Wish me luck!  🤗

Jar Opener

I've been having a hard time opening jars lately.  When the guys aren't at home I use this contraption.  It usually does the job, but is not that easy to manipulate.

Do you have a tool or tip that works for you?

Family Reunion

We met up with some of Kai's family yesterday.  Kai had a blast.  Me too!

Thank you R and S for hosting this event. 

From left to right:  Sister Naimi, Mom Maggie, Sister Luna, Brother Teru, Brother Reshi Bear and Kai.  Dad Yume is in the foreground on the right. 

Dd's Chimichurri Sauce

Didi made this sauce to go with her steak.  She said it was "winnahs". 

CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

 

1 c. packed fresh Italian parsley leaves

¼-1/2 c. cilantro leaves, as desired**

3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed

½ tsp, lemon zest

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. chili garlic crisp

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ c. olive oil

2 TB red wine vinegar

 

Place all the sauce ingredients to a small food processor.  Pulse 4-6 times until herbs are roughly chopped and chunky to your desired consistency. Transfer to a serving bowl.

**Note: I love the taste of cilantro stems, so I add about 2 TB.

 

Makes approximately ½ c.  Great with steaks, seafood, on eggs.

Kai's Toys

 Click on the photo below to watch Kai with some of his fave toys.

Cy's Breakfast

 Turkey from Times.  $12.99.

Then and Now

 Kai at 2 months old and now. 

Green Island Cheese Cake

I joined Geri on her excursion to Chinatown the other day.  We visited Green Island Cheese Cake for the first time.

 

We couldn't resist trying the Custard Tart and the Honeymoon Cake right there.

   

The Custard Tart was flaky ono, but our fave was the Honeymoon Cake.  It tasted like a baked (not deep fried) coconut jin dui.  I think the gal there said that it was made with mochiko.

I guess sometimes you just gotta go out of your comfort zone (Hotel Street) to find and enjoy new things.

Domino's Pizza Deal

Domino's is having a great deal right now:  any size pizza with up to 7 toppings for $10.99.  The promotion is available until August 3rd. 

This was the second time in just as many weeks where we had pizza for dinner.  🤤

Chicken Salad

I got this recipe from the Allrecipes site.  It was really easy to make, and came out ono except that it was a bit salty.  Maybe if you use the Costco chicken like I did, no need put in the salt.  My favorite ingredient might have been the nuts.  I used walnuts instead of pecans.

Ingredients

• 2 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into cubes

• 3 stalks celery, finely diced

• ¾ cup chopped pecans

• ½ cup mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion

• 1 ½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish

• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard

• 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper

• 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh dill

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• ½ teaspoon white sugar

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Stir together chicken, celery, pecans, mayonnaise, onion, relish, mustard, pepper, dill, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and paprika in a large bowl until well combined. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Wendell's Pork Tenderloin

This was called No-Fuss Tenderloin in the past Crave section in the Star Advertiser.  Wendell made it for a class get-together and for his team.  We got the left overs. 

I actually got to try the first slice, and it was super tender and very tasty.  

The interesting thing about this recipe is that you bake the pork for only 5 minutes at 500 degrees.  You then turn off the heat and leave it in the oven for another 30 minutes!!

(Patty, your balsamic vinegar came in handy again!)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)

• 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

• 2 tablespoons seasoning salt

• Optional: minced parsley, as garnish

Directions:

In a container or plastic bag, place the pork with the oil, vinegar and seasoning salt and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or even overnight. Take the pork out of the refrigerator on a foil-lined pan and let it get to room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Heat your oven to 500 degrees. When it reaches temperature, place the pan in the middle of your oven for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, but do not open the door for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and check the temperature of the meat with a thermometer. It should be between 145-160 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes.

Slice into 1/2-inch rounds and serve. Drizzle any liquid from pan over the meat. Garnish with minced parsley. Makes about 2-3 servings as a main dish.

Cy's Breakfast

 From Lam's.  $15 plus $3 for extra sauce.

Wendell's Vegan Summer Salad

Here's another dish that Wendell made using a Star Advertiser Crave recipe.  It was so good that I ate a ton of it.

(Patty, thanks for the balsamic vinegar!)

Ingredients:

• 2 large yellow potatoes (about 3/4 pound) 

• 2 cups fresh green beans, cut in 2-inch lengths

• 1 cup organic, canned white beans, drained

• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 cup pitted olives

• 4 marinated artichoke hearts 

• 2 tablespoon capers, drained

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish

• Salt and pepper, to taste

For dressing:

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon agave 

• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Scrub potatoes (no need to peel) and place in a pot filled with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes. Drain and let cool. Cut in pieces to make about 2 cups. Set aside.

Blanch green beans 2 minutes in boiling water. Immerse beans in ice water 1 minute, then drain and dry.

To make the dressing: Mix the first five ingredients, then whisk in oil until emulsified (well-combined).

Arrange potatoes and all the other ingredients on a platter. Drizzle with dressing. 

Adjust to taste with salt and pepper. Top with parsley. 

Serves 4.