Behind the scenes at Food Network Challenge: part 2

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When they near the end of the challenge they start doing some pick up lines which is when you hear them say things like “competitors you have 1 hour left” or “get your proteins out of the imu” well after the proteins have been taken out. People began showing up in droves and sat in all of the chairs. Wimps! We were good and red and we’d only been there 2 hours at the time things peaked at their fever pitch. As time winded down, all of the chefs were scrambling to make things look just right for the judges. With about 3 minutes left, Bill Yosses decides to whip out a chainsaw to present his drink or some aspect of his dish in an ice sculpture and his blade broke so that shot that idea! (They later had us “react” to his blade breaking as well as looking forward like we were watching the chefs when no one was up there at the time and clapping and getting audience shots. Ooh we were so big time) Regardless, everyone finished on time though technically they had an extra 20 seconds. We started the countdown and one of the producers ran in front of the camera to grab something and we had to stop. Then when they got situated, we began the 5 second countdown again. Everyone cheered wildly and were encouraged to be boisterous and loud. The chefs shook hands and hugged and were glad standing over boiling pots in 100+ degree heat was done. Bev and Sam were at his kitchen resting when he motioned us up to his kitchen. Ooh we felt so privileged going past the ropes! LOL He introduced us to Bev who was very nice and we all chit chatted. Then Keegan saunters up to all of us for an interview for the crowd. (See above pic)

Is there good pizza on Maui?

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You know when you’re vacationing on different islands, sometimes you don’t feel like local food or some expensive splurge, you just feel like a good old fashioned pizza. We have found over the years that pizza on Maui is, to us, severely lacking. We tried Pizza Paradiso in the Honokowai area and were unimpressed. We heard really good things about BJ’s Chicago Pizzeria and felt it was a little bland and expensive. Vinny’s Pizza was probably the worst pizza we’ve ever had…anywhere. It said “authentic New York style pizza”…I beg to differ. NY style is thin but not thin as rice paper, barely any sauce and it was SWIMMING in grease. We went through 3 paper towels soaking the grease off of it. Pizza Hut is just awful anymore, it’s certainly not what it was back in the 80’s. It tastes distinctly manufactured over the past 10 years so you can’t even rely on the big chain pizza places for good food anymore.

We’re really not that picky when it comes to pizza, I swear! This year we’re going to try Round Table Pizza in Kihei. It looks good and while we don’t stay in that area, we’re making a special trip because we’re that desperate! I still get sticker shock when I see pizza prices like $25 for their “Maui Zaui” pizza.

We’re beginning to think a good zesty pizza pie just isn’t possible on the Valley Isle but we’d love to be proven wrong! So does anyone have any suggestions?

Behind the scenes at Food Network Challenge: Part 1

Filed Under Food Finds, Luau, Spread the Aloha | 6 Comments

I noticed the Food Network will be replaying the Food Network Challenge: Luau Beach BBQ a few times in June. We actually attended this event to cheer on our new friend, Sam Choy. I thought my readers might be interested to see what goes on behind the scenes at one of these. When my husband contacted Sam Choy to cook for our 10 year anniversary in 2006, we had to do a little last minute finagling because he was going to be in the Food Network Luau BBQ Challenge. We originally were going to do it our last night on the Big Island on May 18th but had to switch it to the 16th for him to do the challenge. When we talked with him after dinner, he said he didn’t have everything together but wasn’t too worried because they were dishes he was very familiar with. I feel like we got a bit of a preview when he made us some kalua pork among other things. Oh they were WONDERFUL! He said we were welcome to come down to the challenge which was going to be at the Sheraton Keauhou…a few miles from our rental home. So a few hours into it we showed up. He looked up and saw us and smiled and waved at us. The pic above is when there’s about 90 minutes left in the challenge. The camera crews were around Sam alot so we took whatever pictures we could of him when they cleared.

Craving of the day…Mac Pie

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If you’re from the Big Island or even been to the Big Island and have come across the Mac Pie, the mere mention of those words just put your salivary glands into overdrive. (Wiping mouth) The Mac Pie Factory is now located in the Kona Marketplace which is a great place to browse while you’re in Kona. This pie is a delectable chess pie recipe by the owner’s grandmother made with fresh local ingredients and it shows. Our favorites are the regular Mac Pie (pictured) and the Chocolate Chip Mac Pie. They also have Coconut/Coconut with chocolate chips, Kona Coffee/Kona Coffee with chocolate chips, Butterscotch and Caramel. They’re a little pricey but worth every penny.

Not in the islands? No worries, you can order them online on their website. They have a good shelf life and once you eat one, you’ll be addicted too!

Going to be in the Kona area? Here’s a map…

View Larger Map

(Beautiful picture from Mac Pie’s website)

Four Foods on Friday

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Okay, this is my first Four Foods on Friday post that I picked up by reading Skeet’s blog but she got it from the Fun Crafts and Recipes blog. Here are the questions for this week.

#1. What’s your favorite food smell? The smell of brownies baking. Mmmm. My favorite? Ghiradelli Double Chocolate brownies. Heaven in a pan!

#2. What’s your favorite kind of apple? Pink Lady apples have this almost bubble gum taste to them, really good when they’re in season. Golden Delicious for all year or baking.

#3. What veggies do you like in your salad? Radishes, red cabbage, celery, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and red onions.

#4. Share a recipe that uses beef.

THE Best Meatloaf

Salad oil
1 carrot, small to medium dice
2 stalks celery, small to medium dice
1 medium onion, small to medium dice
2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
Dash Worcestershire sauce
3 slices bread
1/2 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
Ketchup

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. In a medium-sized saute pan, put 2 dribbles of salad oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Add the carrots, celery, and onions and saute, about 5 minutes. Put aside and let cool.In large bowl put the carrot mixture, ground beef and remaining ingredients, except for the bread, the bread crumbs and ketchup. Soak the bread in cold water, then squeeze water out (like a sponge) and drain it. Add to the ground beef and mix. (A stand mixer is may help make it easier). Add the bread crumbs and mix. Roll into firm loaf, spread ketchup over the top, and place into preheated oven for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, or until cooked through. Take out and serve hot.

Who wants some shave ice?

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In the islands, shave ice is pretty well known. For visitors, many are under the assumption this frozen treat is a sno-cone. You’d be nicely but quickly corrected. Sno-cones are a more crunchy, crushed ice consistency whereas ironicly shave ice is a more snow like consistency. (Almost seems like they got the names mixed up!) In Hawaii, everyone has their own favorite place to stop for shave ice. Most will quickly jump in with the famous Matsumoto Shave Ice on Oahu. Us, we’re fans of Aloha Island Shave Ice on Maui in Paia. I love an all cherry shave ice (I know, so adventurous) while the hubby goes with rainbow or all cherry. They chill the syrup in the fridge which we think makes a big difference. We’ve had some pretty bad shave ice in our time but Aloha Island Shave Ice does it right. (They’ve got good plate lunches too…yum!)

So how about you? If Matsumoto’s was NOT an option, where would you tell people to go for your favorite shave ice? It’s the first day of Spring so why not celebrate with a nice shave ice if you have the means!

Farmers Market listings

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If you haven’t had the culinary adventure of going to a Hawaii farmers market, you are missing out. So many wonderful produce items, spices and arts and crafts await you. The state has a plethora of markets to choose from.

If you’re planning a trip to the islands, make stopping by one of these gems part of your itinerary. Many foods are organic and you’ll be supporting the local economy! For a list of many local farmers markets, click here.

Remembering one of the last great tiki bars

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While growing up in Columbus, Ohio going out to a really fancy restaurant was a big thing. It was an even bigger thing when you got to go to the Kahiki Polynesian Supper Club. (I encourage you to click on the link and go to the Kahiki Supper Club Video in the bottom right corner to see the inside of this historical building.) Now this tiki bar was in it’s heyday back in the 60’s and 70’s and it never really updated…ever. But the kitschy appeal as time went on made it that much more fun. I remember going there for my birthday once, for prom, for family gatherings and my first really fancy date with my husband. The outside of the building was beautiful and resembled a war canoe. Large Easter Island statues stood on either side of the entrance with their “hair” aflame every night. As you walked in, there was this really cave-like entrance with a black light and the water that ran down the lavaesque walls looked like milk. To the right was the gift shop, which I loved to stroll around as a kid and then the Beachcomber Bar. To the left were the restrooms which had huge clamshell sinks ala old Coco Palms style and portholes. If you walked a little further, there was a staircase leading down to the disco which later became the banquet/party rooms. Man, if you were able to sneak down there it was just the coolest thing as a kid. Right in front of you is this big fountain shaped like a head.

As you enter the restaurant, there are various huts named after the Hawaiian Islands, things like puffer fish lights on the ceiling, high back wicker chairs, heavily varnished tables and booths that sat you either on the aquarium wall or the “rainforest” wall. The centerpiece of it all was a HUGE 80′ tall mask fireplace. It looked downright evil yet entrancing. Now before my honeymoon in 1996, this was my only exposure to “polynesian” culture. Now that we’re more than well versed in many aspects of Hawaii and Polynesian tradition, we know that some things weren’t exactly representative of Hawaii. Like I don’t remember hearing steel drums in Hawaii…ever. But they have a wonderful steel drum band there. The food is more Chinese, American and I suppose a tad of what is now known as Pacific Rim but nowhere were there real Hawaiian dishes like a plate lunch, kalua pig, huli huli chicken or any of the things you’d come to expect on a regular menu at a local restaurant. But there were “tropical” dishes so I suppose that’s close enough as you’re going to find in the midwest! The rainforest side of the restaurant was basically a pipe over the windows that would leak during the “storm” while the “wild birds” (aka-sparrows and robins and a few other birds) flew around. Do I wish they had more authentic representations of the islands? Sure. But whatcha gonna do? Well, if you’ve got big business in the form of Walgreen’s breathing down your neck because you’re sitting next to a CVS pharmacy, then you take your business of 39 years and fold the restaurant. Yes, this beautiful restaurant that lumbered over our city since the 60’s and intrigued everyone to react whether positive or negative, to its closing day was reduced to rubble so Walgreen’s could compete next to CVS. It was an atrocity. We went for our last dinner in it’s final, crowded weeks when everyone came from cities near and far to say their alohas to this central Ohio landmark. The owner was sure they would reopen downtown on the riverfront but this did not match our mayor’s vision for the city and he would not green light the project. It saddens most central Ohioans or anyone whose ever been there because they’re a dying breed and our dreams to seem to be on hold for ever seeing Kahiki restaurant reborn. Kahiki Foods, their frozen food subsidiary, have done incredibly well and can even be seen in Hawaii grocery stores. But for those who crave Kahiki’s restaurant menu, what is a person to do?

Well, you head on up to Hilliard, Ohio (northwest central Ohio) to Tropical Bistro where the chefs and employees of Kahiki, with the blessing of Kahiki bigwigs, now prepare the exact same menu! Some of my personal faves are the crab puff pupu, Hong Kong Steak, Malagasy Chicken, the Tahitian Mermaid *yum!*, Islander Flaming Beef Teriyaki and Teriyaki Chicken. They have a great lunch buffet if you want the basics. My only complaint is the Pina Passion drink is served in a ceramic pineapple and they used to be served in a whole pineapple which was half the fun. One of the highlights of this wonderful restaurant is their ukulele player Francis who lived in Kona and played for Jamesons. He is a delight, filled with aloha spirit and loves to talk story.

Aloha and A hui hou Kahiki. We hope your treasures will one day be unveiled to bring your ambience and menu together again. Mahalo Tropical Bistro for allowing the Kahiki loyalists to have a place to go to reminisce and make new memories as well!

Update: Sadly The Tropical Bistro has closed. It was in a horrible location and we knew it wouldn’t last long there. One can only hope they might choose a new location but I won’t hold my breath. Sigh.

(To see the heartwrenching pictures of Kahiki being dismantled, click here)

Kahiki Restaurant picture courtesy of Kahiki.com

The quest for the best teriyaki sirloin…

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When we came to the islands for our honeymoon, we went to Duke’s Canoe Club on Kauai and I had my first (and certainly not my last) teriyaki sirloin. I was instantly hooked. When we went to a decent restaurant, if teriyaki sirloin was on the menu…I was ordering it! Some of the best I’ve had were at Duke’s, Kimos on Maui, Leilani’s on the Beach, Kalaheo Steakhouse, The Chart House and Hilton Kauai Beach Resort. Of course the first 3 restaurants are all owned by TS Restaurants so when you get a good formula going, don’t mess with it. If you know the menu at one of those three restaurants, you know it for all three. But something perplexes me, why would Kimos yank this delectable item from their menu?? Yep, despite it still being listed on their online menu, we went to get it and they didn’t have it anymore so we left. Luckily Leilani’s on the Beach had it and it was actually a tad better. The Chart House is long closed from its idyllic oceanfront location on Kona Bay to make way for the high brow favorite…Hooters. Yeah. This beautiful location is now a backdrop for hootin’ and hollerin’ men looking for boobies and we don’t mean the red footed variety. But if you ask any local, they’ll still reference “turn right just past the old Chart House” so you’d better know it’s on Waterfront Row or you might be screwed direction wise!

I was sad to see that the quality of Duke’s teriyaki sirloin has gone slightly downhill when we were there in May. I was surprised that the Hilton’s version was actually a little more flavorful. There’s nothing like being able to taste the ginger and garlic that accompany the shoyu/sugar based sauce. It’s all a delicate balance which made me wonder…have I had THE best teriyaki sirloin Hawaii has to offer? That’s where you come in.

If you’re a teriyaki enthusiast like me, in your opinion, who has the best teriyaki sirloin in the islands?

Mmm…poke!

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If you read that and said “mmm…poke” (like poke your brother in the head) and not “mmm…poke” (po-kay) then you’re missing out on a yummy traditional staple in the islands. Poke means to cut into cubes and usually consists of raw ahi tuna, a little sesame oil, shoyu (soy sauce), red pepper flake, Hawaiian salt and maybe some scallions…toss it and you’re done! Now that was a very basic recipe but the variations are so far out there that you can truly make it anything your heart desires from tuna to tofu from shoyu to yes, peanut butter…poke is the dish that keeps on evolving. It’s so popular that friend/famed Hawaiian chef Sam Choy has a Poke Contest every year where entrants both professional and amateurs give their own variations on the dish.

Now there are some people who can’t stomach the raw fish. I’ve had it “traditional” (raw) and it’s tolerable but the hubby can’t get past it. We prefer it to be flash fried. When Sam made this for us once he used ono (wahoo) and it was DELICIOUS! He said as an alternate for the flash fried version, you can use swordfish for the same effect. Knowing I didn’t have access to the ogo (seaweed) he used on the mainland, I sought out dried ogo in the store and came across the Poke Mix by NOH. It is wonderful! All you need is ahi or swordfish depending on which version you’d like to make, the poke mix and 2 tbsp of sesame oil, fry it up in the wok and as long as you don’t overcook them–it’ll taste just like the pros! If you want this easy way to make poke, the best deal is through Amazon.com. The 12 pack averages out to $2.27 per packet which is the cheapest price out there. Take some for yourself and give some to others as stocking stuffers.

So what about you? What’s your favorite way to make poke?

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