When in Hawaii....

1.    ......go to a shrimp stand (or truck)! These stands are everywhere on the North Shore of Oahu and for good reason.  The garlicky deliciousness is addictive and I could've had another plate.  Everyone has their favorite..... We went to one with a line of people but not a crowd of tour buses.  Fumi's was exactly what I hoped, a bit of spice, a lot of garlic and a ton of flavor.

 2. ......Eat a shave ice!  Again, locals have their favorite stand but  M. Matsumoto has been a shave ice institution forever. Do like the locals and come here. Don't let the line intimidate you, it moves quickly....but do have your order ready when it's your turn.

3. .......go on a bike ride.  It's the best way to see the island. 

4. ......Have a mai tai (or 3)  

5. ......Have a poke  (poke ay)  picnic on the beach.  In Hawaii, getting fresh ahi tuna is easy.  Even  Safeway has 4-5 different kinds of  really tasty poke at the seafood counter.  I know, I know, I would normally never buy grocery store sushi but I'm telling you it's different there. People buy a ton of of so it's constantly getting made and is always fresh. My favorite is the spicy....sooooo good.  Wish my local grocery store had a poke counter. 

6. ......Go surfing! Or if the water is flat, try Stand up Paddle Boarding. 

And of course, go to the beach and relax. You're in Hawaii. Aloha!

Panama: We Need a Few Investors!

Ryan & I recently had the opportunity to visit the islands off the coast of Panama known as Bocas Del Toro. We chose there to visit for my love of clear blue water and Ryan's need of a good surf break. The fact that their economy is growing didn't hurt either. We realized right away it had everything we were looking for to build a future. Amazing jungle scenery, warm, clear water, friendly locals, dollar beers, music, artists, great food....the list goes on. We pooled our savings together and are hoping to buy a perfectly beautiful wooden house. It's set directly in the caribbean ocean.  The land is perfect to build a couple casitas in the hill surrounded by nature, each with a deck and a hammock, of course :) We have plenty of space to build a bar/restaurant where the music will play and the food will be locally sourced and delicious. Ryan will take surfers out to the breaks around the island and guests on snorkel trips. I will cook, ensure everyone has what they need and are having an amazing experience. We will hire the locals in need of a job, local furniture makers, gardeners to host a garden, the woman down the street who makes amazing johnny cakes! This is how we see our future, as a self sufficient lifestyle that escapes the trappings of "life" or "work" as we know it in the states. It is so important to us. We want to enjoy life to the fullest and help others do the same. We don't want to wake up to find life has passed us by while we work paycheck to paycheck for someone else. We are in charge of our own destiny, we just need your help! This is just a start for our first casita and additional funds will go toward additional casitas and our restaurant/bar . Thank you for your contribution to a young couple's dream. We feel very blessed that you are now a part of it!
Get in touch to view our business plan!

From the archives......performing at the House of Blues in '09

WOOHOO! Now if I could just get my own show...... ;)

ST LUCIA

snorkeling!

these are almonds (the little buggers are inside) So hard to get to....

 Cutting up mangos, bananas and soursop for fresh fruit, rum cocktails

it's hard work getting to the almond inside, you need a hammer orrrrr a sharp rock. Get at it!

yum,  cocktails

Soursop, a local fruit with a creamy texture that taste like a cross between a pear and a kiwi

eating flying fish at Big Bambu

thanks, little fishies

you were delicious. 

The chef at The Hummingbird restaurant as we were walking in walked over to the side of the road and picked these herbs.  He said he would be using them in our dinner!

           Volcano heated mineral springs & mud baths

Screaming for Strawberries...and ice cream

pureeing the strawberries

mixing the milk and sugarspinning them into ice cream

Do yourself a friggin service and go buy this $40.00 Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. It will change your life.

Ramen doesn't have to remind you of dorm rooms......

When I say "ramen" do you think of the .24 cent brittle, salty bricks that would probably survive an atom bomb?
Fresh ramen is actually amazing and doesn't even resemble the bastardized brother college students everywhere have come to know (and in most cases, loathe).
So, here is another simple dinner for you and it can feed more than a few. It's cheap, easy and fresh....fancy ramen done right.
If you have an asian market (we have the Japanese chain, Mitsuwa) near you, head there.  Everything is much cheaper than in your local grocery store.  If not, most items can be found at your grocery store.

Buy:
miso paste  (it's in a tub like sour cream)
Any kind of Asian refrigerated noodle, Soba, Udon, Ramen.....not the dried stuff.

shitake mushrooms
green onions
tofu
eggs (for hard boiling)
thinly sliced beef or pork (readily available in asian markets)
bok choy (chopped, use the greens and the white stems)







Now:
Boil a big pot of water and hardboil a few eggs
when done and removed,
add the miso paste ( a few heaping tablespoons)
noodles usually come with a "flavor packet"  use this as well if you want.
Add the de shelled, hard boiled eggs Add mushrooms and tofu
Add noodles (they usually only need about 3 minutes to cook)

Add  chopped green onions and meat (meat will cook in seconds)
For heat, add a douse or two of  asian hot sauce, Siracha

Topanga Earth Day Fest courtesy of The Gypsy Rider

Check out the pics from a beautiful day at Topanga Canyon!
click:
The Gypsy Rider: Topanga Earth Day Fest

It's almost summer at the beach!

Caribbean Food Trials

Making a simple syrup infused with lemongrass and keffir lime leaves to add to my pineapple sorbet. Also really yummy in cocktails!

Jerk Marinated tri tip with 2 kinds of okra, fried and sauteed with garlic

 I have also been experimenting with different ways of making jerk sauce and of course, jerk chicken.  If only I had an old oil drum ;)

(some of the many ingredients that go into jerk) 

Always essential: thyme, nutmeg, cinnamon, jamaican allspice, vinegar, green onions, scotch bonnet peppers (or habeneros). To mine, I also added molasses, tomato paste, garlic, hot mustard, brown sugar.  Assemble all the ingredients and put together the sauce.  No measurements needed, just taste and whatever you don't get enough of, add more.  Should have heat and sweet. Will be delicious.  Marinate meat, chicken, pork in it and also use as a sauce.  Seriously, this stuff is addictive and now I'm looking for anything to jerk :0 Ummmmmm.......:)

yum.

This time I played with the slow cooker.  I cooked the chicken for about 3 hours. It produced super tender, falling off the bone chicken with tons of flavor.  

On the side?  Plantains!!  No pics sadly.  Plantains sauteed in butter and brown sugar (just slice and cook) , mashed plantains ( treat like potatoes by boiling first) and plantain chips (sliced thin on a mandoline and fried) ! 

More island cooking to come!