Island Hopping to Sicily

Our friends Noel and Keith are in Italy. I miss them and I miss Italy! OK, I might even be a little jealous. It has been a few years since I was in cooking school in Italy. The time we spent there was probably one of the highlights of my life. When we hosted Noel and Keith's Bon Voyage Party, I had planned a big Italian meal, but Keith(it was also his birthday) wanted an Indian Dinner, so that is what I made, a GRANDE Curry Extravaganza. 

My Italian taste buds were still floating around in my mind after they left for Italy .... so I tried a new idea using Ahi Tuna which is abundant and inexpensive here (compared to the mainland anyway). It is quite common to see fishermen sitting along the road with big commercial coolers selling fish, most often Ahi, but also parrot fish that are caught spear fishing and beautiful big lobsters that they have gone diving for. There are also high quality fish counters in most of our local markets. Fishermen have made deals with the KTA and Sack n Save chains to buy their local catches. Safeway unfortunately sells mostly mainland fish. Go figure. LOTS of farmed salmon (colorant added) and Dungeness Crab. I don't get it, but that is another story. This one is about freshly caught local Ahi cooked in a method used on another island far away, Sicily. 

This recipe takes some resting time and is best if you start it a few days before you plan to serve it. I think you might just love this...

Grilled Tuna Rollatini under Tomato-Lemon Marinade 

Inspired by my favorite Italian Cook, Lydia Matticchio Bastianich 

When traveling through Sicily, you will often encounter tuna or swordfish rollatini or involtini as the Sicilians call them. It is a traditional dish there. What makes the dish particularly delicious and interesting is that they roll the rollatini in bread crumbs before grilling. 

Lydia taught me to add another step to the traditional method. She marinates them overnight in olive oil fresh thyme and garlic and then smothers them in a wonderful salsa of lemon and tomato after they have been grilled. The longer they sit before and after cooking, the more flavorful they become. 

This is a versatile preparation, easily doubled or tripled when you have an entire loin of tuna, as we often do here in Hawaii, then schedule the marinating and grilling to your convenience. You can serve them hot off the grill or later at room temperature when they taste even better. 

One rollatini makes a beautiful first course; tow make an entrée and a few slices make a great tuna sandwich for a picnic. You can also bake them in the oven if you don’t have a grill. 

Ingredients: 

For the Garlic-Infused Oil 

6 fat garlic cloves

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup olive oil 

For the Flavored Bread Crumbs 

1 cup fine medium dry bread crumbs

½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian Parsley

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon peperoncino (hot red pepper flakes)

2 tablespoons finely chopped pine nuts (I used macadamia nuts)

2 tablespoons finely chopped golden raisins or dates

2 tablespoons of the garlic infused olive oil 

For grilling and marinating the Rollatini 

1 ½ Pounds fresh tuna loin (ahi is best)

6 fresh thyme branches

About two cups oof the Fresh Tomato-Lemon Salsa 

Reserved  seasoned bread crumbs

Preparing the Garlic Oil and Crumbs

Stir the slices of garlic and salt into the olive oil. Let it sit at least one hour, longer is better. 

Mix all of the bread crumb ingredients together, then use your hands to blend in 2 Tablespoons of the garlic oil. Rub the crumbs with your fingers so that they’re evenly moistened. 

Preparing the Rollatini 

Slice the tuna into thin slices. Using a mallet or a heavy pan, pound the tuna to ¼ inch thickness. 

Sprinkle each scallop with a couple of pinches of salt, then cover with a thin layer (about 2 teaspoons) of the seasoned bread crumbs. 

Roll up and secure with toothpicks and place them all in a baking dish close together in one layer. Drizzle over them 2 Tablespoons of the garlic oil and scatter a spoon of the garlic slices. Drop in the thyme branches and turn the rollatini to coat with oil on all sides. Let them marinate for at least an hour, preferably 2-24 hours in the refrigerator. 

Grilling and Marinating 

Heat and clean the grill rack over medium heat. Rub the grill with a piece of paper towel dipped in olive oil. 

Take the Rollatini out of the marinade and roll them in remaining bread crumbs, pressing so that the bread crumbs adhere to the rollatini on all sides. When the grill is prepared, lay the rollatini at right angles to the grate. Allow the tuna to sear without being moved for 2-3 minutes until they have been branded with grill marks on the bottom. The bread crumbs should be golden, not brown. Turn down the fire or raise the rack if they are cooking to fast. 

Using tongs, rotate the rollatini 180 degrees, so the first grill marks are on top. Grill and mark the opposite side for about 2 minutes. Turn 90 degrees and grill about 1 ½ minutes on the third side and then rotate them all to finish the remaining side for a minute or so. Drizzle remaining garlic oil on the rollatini as you turn it. 

After being grilled on all sides (6-8 minutes total) the rollatini should be cooked through, but moist in the middle. Place on a serving dish and remove toothpicks. They can be served warm but for the most flavor, allow to cool and spread with the tomato lemon salsa and allow to marinate for 2 hours. Serve at room temperature one or two per person. For longer marinating refrigerate the rollatini after 3 hours at room temperature and serve the following day. They will keep for up to 4 days if properly sealed. 

Stay Tuned... I am not finished with my Italian Jag... Next Post will be Long Slow Cooked Velvety Sugo with Turkey and Pine Nut Meatballs... Bellisimo!

I LOVE a parade!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE parades. I grew up in Southern California, where one of the most amazing parades, The Rose Parade happens every January 1st. We used to go camp on the sidewalk overnight so we could get a spot. We used to go to at least four Christmas Parades every year. My favorite was the Hollywood Christmas Parade down Sunset Boulevard. I have attended two Hilo parades and both were truly special events.  We were here last November for the Veteran's Day Parade and it was so much fun and gave us all a chance to say "thank you" to our local vets. The Hawaii County Band  opens every Hilo Parade and they are a big hit in their red and white uniforms. Click here for a little History of Hawaii County Band  which has been playing in Hilo for 126 years! 

In the perspective of "Largeness" Merrie Monarch Week is the biggest thing that happens in and around Hilo town. Hilo is a town that loves to celebrate for almost any reason and parades seem to bring out an abundance of fun loving characters. The Merrie Monarch Parade was no exception to the rule, in fact it brought out almost EVERYONE!

I was the designated "Parade Place Holder" for our group of friends because I come down to the farmer's market every Saturday very early anyway. I secured a spot on Kamehameha Drive downtown by 8:30 am. When I first set up our chairs and cooler, I wondered if I needed to be there so early, but within an hour the sidewalk was packed and it became quite a tailgaiting event. With cell phones our friends all joined us by the time the parade began at noon. 

As usually happens at such events, we also made new friends. This is Chris who was visiting the island and met up with our buddy Keith at the health club earlier in the day. 

Chris and Keith carrying their Huli Huli Chicken

Another good friend, Tom Lackey who I met through Punaweb and PunaOnline had a Huli Huli Chicken and Steak Stand set up at the parade. Even though Tom recently had a knee replaced, he started his day on his new knee at 5 am that day. I am sure he had an ice bag on it as soon as he got home. The chicken and steak were ONO (good)! Here is Tom at his station!

Our friend Noel choose to hike to the Filipino Restaurant for his stuffed squid. 

The parade featured a lot of floats, a few bands and lots of beautifully decorated horses featuring a queen and princesses from each island. 

The hand made leis for the horses were gorgeous, as were the queens and their handsome banner carriers. 

What you have to understand about our little town is that it is like being back in the 1960's. Many reading this may not have been alive in the 1960's, but life was simpler then and life in Hilo is based on that essential principle of family, cultural history and life on an island thousands of miles from the closest land mass.

Here is an auntie and her cute dogs. Chihuahuas are very popular dogs here and these are adorable ones!

We Hawaiians are a peculiar people in that we don't necessarily want the changes that the fast paced American Life represents. Come visit us and see just how lovely life is in Hilo.

It's HULA Time

Above is a video I shot, with a sampling of the evening's traditional dances and a view of the winner of Miss Hula 2009; Cherissa Henoheanäpuaikawaokele Käne who is a student of singer/songwriter Kealii Reichel.


Here we are in the midst of the World Championship of Hula, the Merrie Monarch Festival. It is Hilo's yearly opportunity for the world to visit and for the ancient and revered art of Hula to be showcased in a way that is not done in any other venue.


Last night was the first competition, the Miss Hula competition. Traditional Costume, Dance and Hawaiian language in chants and song are among the judging features for the Kahiko portion of the competition. Then there is a costume change and the Auana segment of the competition, which is more modern and formal begins. Here you can see both dances of each top contestant thanks to our local ABC channel:

Miss Aloha Hula 2009 Results:

· Winner: Cherissa Henoheanäpuaikawaokele Käne 1,064 points (Video: Kahiko Auana

· 1st Runner Up: C’ari Mae Kawailehua Kealoha 1,038 points (Video: Kahiko Auana

· 2nd Runner Up: Kaholo Kahikipi‘ilani Panui 1,026 points (Video: Kahiko Auana)

· 3rd Runner Up: Pöhaikau‘ilani Ann Nu‘uhiwa 1,017 points (Video: Kahiko Auana)

· 4th Runner Up: Maria Ka‘iulani Kanehailua 1,005 points (Video: Kahiko Auana)

· OHA Hawaiian Language Award: Cherissa Henoheanäpuaikawaokele Käne

And so the fun continues. Tomorrow I will be filming the parade, which is supposed to be one of the best parts of the whole festival. We shall see and so shall YOU!

For more history and information on Merrie Monarch, visit my friend Connie's blog post: Coconut Girl's View of Merrie Monarch

Random Smiles

I realized yesterday just how much I love Hilo. While most residents and many visitors are focused on Hula this week because of the InternationalMerrie Monarch festival going on in our fair city. 

My focus has been on getting my ceramics  ready for the first firing this weekend and going about the daily tasks at hand. I have heard many people say that Hilo is the town that time forgot and that it is like living back in the 1960's except now we have cell phones and internet. I could not agree more and that is one thing I love about living in Hilo. 

My market days coincide with the farmer's market days and so, yesterday I went about my marketing. The first stop was the Transfer Station which we affectionately call "the Dump". On the island, you can get trash pick up service, but most people don't, as there are many transfer stations with recycling and trash collection and it is all free, on your own schedule. It is very convenient to us, recycling the many cartons we have been unpacking.  Our Dump is located about 1 mile north of our house in the community of Pâpa’ikou. To get there, you drive up the highway and cut in on a road that takes you through a dense jungle with giant palms and other beautiful vegetation. There is a roaring waterfall next to the dump, which makes for a rather unusual feature at a dump! There is a worker that sits in a little guard shack at the dump to over see activity. He also feeds the "dump cats" that help keep the rat population in check. There is even a little kitty hale (house) to protect them from rain while they are feeding. 

Yesterday I was caught in a torrent of rain when I arrived and I had an entire station wagon full of cardboard cartons and rugs that I was dropping off. Just as I opened my door and put on my raincoat the little old man came running across the parking lot with a big umbrella. He said, "Oh I can't sit in my shelter and not help a pretty young lady with her trash!" Of course his statement was taken in context, as sweet as it was and his assistance was welcome. He got half of my cartons put into the bin while I worked on the rest of the items. I drove away, waving good bye with a smile on my face, thinking that this kind of aloha has become more and more a natural part of my life since moving to Hawaii. 

Next stop... the Hilo farmer's market with the usual suspects. I have a few favorite farmers and their array of fruits, vegetables and lettuces were abundant. The only disappointment was that I got to the market too late to get a white pineapple. The guy that sells them only brings a few each week along with a lot of gold pineapples. However, I had more than my share of Pineapples last week.  So, I skipped the Maui Gold. 

As I was leaving the market, I ran into a "gaggle" of pilots from the Air National Guard. As is my practice when seeing soldiers, I wanted to thank them for their service and I did, but not before snapping a picture of them with their purchases from the market, armloads of flowers. 

Ah... another only in Hilo moment. They were glad to pose with their posies. Each had an armful of the most abundant flower at our market, the anthurium. While orchids are certainly my favorite, I love the waxy long lasting anthuriums too. Another great thing about Hilo is the price of the flowers. Each armload of flowers these guys were holding probably cost less than $10. I almost said $5 and that is not unlikely. 

Here are the flowers I bought at the Farmer's Market yesterday, total cost $6:

From the market I went to the downtown KTA for a couple of things they had on sale and experienced another typical Hilo moment. The store is quite small and has been there for over 50 years. It is crowded and typically has long lines, partially because they are usually busy but also because they do things in a typically slow way. For instance, the woman in front of me was buying a small container of oatmeal. The cashier said, "Oh Auntie (no relation, just a term of endearment), the large size is on sale, you want I go get one for you, yeah?" The woman nodded and the cashier ran off through the store and then stopped at the bulletin board where they put coupons for those that forgot to clip them from the Tuesday paper. She held up the industrial sized container of oatmeal and said, "See, now you just pay twenty cents more for this big big size and I got you a coupon too!". The little woman smiled and took her money from her change purse to pay. Back on the mainland people would get irritated if a clerk did something like that. But nobody in line complained or even looked put out at all. I love Hilo. 

Then it was on to store #2, Sack n Save, as I followed the sales. They had bread flour on sale. Flour is a commodity from the mainland and usually a 5# bag costs at least $6-$8 and sometimes much more if you are buying an organic brand. When on sale, you can buy it for 1/4 of the price sometimes, and so I have learned to stock up then. When in Sack and Save, there is typically an item or two that is a loss leader product to get people into the store. I have found that "canned meat" is the biggest draw. One week they have Spam (all 23 varieties)  on sale another time it will be Coral Tuna (I know it is a stretch to call it meat) and yet another time it is canned corned beef (VERY popular food here). This week it was Vienna Sausages. I am not talking about just a can of them, but CASES of them on sale. $5.99 a case. They need no refrigeration and have enough preservatives in them to store for the duration. I don't think I would like them and I don't think I will try them either, but people were grabbing their limit of them and even having their children and husbands buy a few cases. Go figure, I still love Hilo. 

It is my guess that this huge mountain of Vienna Sausages will be gone by today.

Finally, I got home, unloaded my packages, arranged flowers and got to work in the studio. 

I noticed that my crop of sprouts was ready, 

so I made an avocado (always abundant here), tomato (also always abundant and beautiful on our island) and sprout sandwich. Did I mention I love Hilo? 

Two Juicy Pineapples + 4 Juicy Pork Chops

Maybe I am a Pineapple Princess.... 

It all started when I was walking through Sack n Save in downtown Hilo. This is normally my "market of choice" for things I cannot find at the Farmer's Market. Although, living on an island, we of course have to make runs to various stores (Safeway, KTA and Cost U Less; No Whole Foods or Trader Joe's here) to find some things and there are also things that we may not be able to find at all. I was meandering in the sprout section (which is actually quite comprehensive) and saw a sign out of the corner of my eye, "Pineapples .25 cents a pound, Save $2.54 a pound!"

Being a person that finds it difficult to pass up a true bargain I decided to pick up a couple of fifty cent pineapples. Normally I buy white pineapples that come over from Maui. A woman a the Farmer's Market brings them once a week. BUT those white pineapples come at a hefty price, usually about $7 each, so doing the math did not take long for me. Dole Gold would do just fine this week. 

Another great thing about pineapples is that every one you buy gives you more pineapples. Yes, that is if you live in the right climate. I just twist off the top, strip the leaves about one inch from the bottom and put it in a glass to root. My studio has a window sill filled with rooting pineapple starts. Once roots are developed you just plant and wait about 18 months for your own sweet juicy pineapples! 

Now what? Hmm... let's see if they have some big juicy pork chops to go with the pineapples! They had local range fed pork chops which I scooped up and I made my way home with my pineapples and pork chops, my head was spinning just thinking or what I might do with them. 

Last Sunday at Scuba Sunday, my friend Carey had just given me a bag of Cuban Sour Oranges, or Orange Lemons as they call them here. She has an abundance of them and Carey always loves to share much to the delight of our dive club and Cooking Club. I decided to juice the Sour Oranges and make a marinade for the pork chops and then do a Pineapple Salsa to top them.

Here is the resulting recipe which us easy and very Ono (GOOD in Hawaiian): 

Pork Chops in Sour Orange Marinade with Pineapple Salsa

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1/4 teaspoon lime zest
• 2 Sour Oranges or Limes juiced
• 2 inch piece of ginger chopped
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 1 serano pepper, chopped 
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

Directions

Pineapple Salsa:

• 1/2 pineapple, diced and cored, juices reserved
• 1 ripe tomato, diced
• 1 clove of garlic finely minced
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 red jalapeno, diced (or green if you can't find red)
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 sour orange, juiced (or lime if you cannot find sour oranges)
• Salt and pepper
• Bone-in, center-cut pork chops (this recipes makes enough for four, but you can adjust it)

For the marinade:

Blend all the ingredients in a large bowl. Place in a resealable plastic bag and add the pork chops. Marinate in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours.

For the salsa:

Mix all the salsa ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste for seasoning. Set aside for 10 minutes for flavors to meld.

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Remove chops from marinade. Grill for 5 minutes per side for a medium rare and 8 minutes for medium. Remove chops from grill and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Spoon on salsa.  

*note... this salsa and marinade could also be used with fish & chicken. 

Now, here are a few more great Pineapple Pictures for you courtesy of my 

Two Juicy Pineapples Productions

Espana de Hawaii !

Spain Hawaiian Style!

Our International Cooking Club had the March Dinner at our house this month. Over 50 people showed up for Tapas Night and we had some truly amazing food. The weather tested us a few times, but we were able to spill out of the house on to the lanais during the evening. Here are a list of the dishes people brought for our Tapas Night:

• Marinated Pork Loin from the Moorish Town of Calatayud
• Spicy Sausage & Cheese Tortilla with home made Chorizo
• Catalyan Style Traditional Chicken Stew with Eggplant and Peppers
• Basque Eggs with Bell Pepper and Dill
• Sausage with Black Beans, Roasted Garlic & Pepper Cheese
• Croquetas de Bacalao (Cod Croquettes) with Aioli Sauce
• Albondigas
• Asparagus Spears with Smoked Salmon and Aioli Sauce
• Berejena con Andocas y Huevos (Eggplant with Anchovies and Egg)
• Roasted Peppers with Egg, Olive Oil, Salt and Garlic
• Marcona Almonds Andalusian Style
• Tortilla al Estilo Route 11 (Potato Chip Omelet with Kalamata Olives, Sun Dried Tomatoes & Asiago Sprinkle)
• Ensalada Vasca (Basque Salad)
• Home Made Chicharrones !
• Marinated Mushrooms en adobo
• Mussels Ole'
• Espinacas con Garbanzos (Actually local Chard, Kale and Garbanzos)
• Tortilla al Estilo Route 11 (Potato Chip Omelette with Lardons, Garlic and Paprika)
• Crescent Pastries with Sherried Tarragon Crab Filling
• Chorizos & Peppers
• Broiled Jamon and Manchego Cheese Crostini from the La Mancha region of Spain
• Patatas con Ailoi (Potatoes with Garlic Mayonaise)
• Datiles con Tocino (Dates wrapped with Bacon in a Red Pepper Sauce)
• Pulpo Gallego (Octopus with Potatoes)
• Salad with two dressings, one Chipotle Vinaigrette
• Olive Oil Bread
• Pan con Chocolate, Aciete y Sal (Rustic Bread with Dark Chocolate, Olive Oil and Sea Salt
• Home made Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Crepes with Nutella
• Special Sangria al Paukaa
• LOTS of great Spanish Wines and a few domestic ones too
• Beers
• Iced tea
• Fruit Flavored Water

No, I do not have a photographic memory, I used the cards that we had in front of each dish to compile this list. Unfortunately, some may have been lost in the clean up, so if I missed your dish, I am sorry. As I copied all of this from the cards I realized that I missed tasting a lot of dishes as I was playing hostess. People grazed all night on the small plates and everything I did get a chance to taste was superb! Jim brought some really special wines and I did get to try those.

It was a fantastic evening of Aloha Spanish Style. Our group has some truly fantastic cooks and people that love to share food together. Many of the dishes were made with local ingredients and a few with imported Spanish Cheeses and Meats.

Many thanks go to the support team of Noel, Keith, Bonnie, Joey, Jim and Carey for coming early and helping us move furniture, set up tables and light over 40 candles (and keep them lit all night).

I can't wait to see what our April event is like!

If you are interested in joining our group, please send me an E-Mail

Here are some more pictures from the evening taken by Keith and Noel: