❤ Pizza My Heart ❤

Pizza, pizza, we all scream for pizza!!!

OK, so how does pizza fit in with Christmas???

Pizza is a great appetizer for any holiday party!
Being the pizza lover that I am, I have found several pizza recipes that will put the HO HO HO into your next holiday get-together!!!

 

 

Cranberry Camembert Pizza Recipe 

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
• 1 round (8 ounces) Camembert cheese, rind removed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

• Unroll crust onto a lightly greased 12-in. pizza pan; flatten dough and build up edges slightly. Bake at 425° for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Sprinkle cheese over crust. Spoon cranberry sauce evenly over crust; sprinkle with pecans.
• Bake 8-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12-14 slices.

Recipe courtesy of Country Woman magazine

PS..Enjoy this recipe with a medium-bodied white wine such as Riesling or Gewürtztraminer

 

 

 

 

 



 Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Pizza Bites

 

Ingredients

• Basic Pizza Dough, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 ounces goat cheese
• 8 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced
• 2 ounces salmon roe
• 1/4 cup minced shallots or green onions
• Fresh sprigs of dill, garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside.

Remove the dough from the bowl. On a lightly floured surface, knead briefly. Let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out into a rectangle, about 16 by 10 inches, and cut into six squares, about 5 inches each. Lightly brush each square with olive oil, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Bake until starting to turn light golden brown, about 6 minutes. Evenly cover each square with goat cheese and return to the oven until the crust is golden brown and slightly crisp and the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Cut each square in half diagonally. Arrange smoked salmon on each pieces and top with a dollop of salmon roe. Sprinkle with shallots, garnish with a small sprig of dill, and serve immediately.

Basic Pizza Dough:
1 cup warm (110 degrees F) water

1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups bleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

 

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar, and 1 tablespoon oil and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Oil a large mixing bowl with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

 

Use as directed.

 

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse



 

 

This next recipe is a great one to get the little ones involved in...
 

 

 

O' Christmas Treat Pizza~recipe courtesy of Disney's Spoonful  





 

What you'll need

• 1 package frozen, chopped spinach
• Yellow, red, and orange bell peppers
• Olive oil
• Cornmeal
• Pizza dough for one 12-inch round pie
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 to 1/3 grated Romano cheese
• Feta cheese

How to make it

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cook the spinach, drain, and press it to squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside.
2. Use tiny cookie cutters to shape circles and stars from the peppers. Set aside.
3. Coat a 12-inch pizza pan with olive oil, then sprinkle on the cornmeal. Roll the dough into a circle and place on the pan, pushing the edges to the rim.
4. Spread the tomato sauce on the dough and sprinkle on the grated Romano cheese. Top with the chopped spinach and then drizzle olive oil over the spinach. Sprinkle the crumbled feta over the spinach and arrange the pepper circles.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the bottom of the crust is browned. Cut the pizza into triangular slices and then trim the crust to form a trunk. Finally, top each slice with a yellow star. Makes one 12-inch pizza.



'Twas the Night Before Christmas ~ Hawaiian Style

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Lü`au

 

'Twas the night before Christmas

and all through the hale

Was singing and dancing and ho`omalimali

Papa in his malo and me in mu`umu`u

Greeting `aikane, pehea, mahalo

Sister gathered flowers for a lei

Brother watched the imu all of the day

Soon the music boys began to play

Mele old and new of Hawai`i nei

The tables were loaded with plenty of kaukau

`Opihi and salmon and steaming hot laulau

We ate and talked story until we were all pau

It was really maika`i at our Christmas lü`au

 

 







A hui hou kakou



It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Aloha Family & Friends,

With 12 days to go before Christmas...things are pretty hectic around here. Trying to get last minute gifts bought and shipped to the mainland before the big day arrives is a feat in itself.
All I can say is..."Thank goodness for online shopping and 2nd day delivery"!!!

When thinking of Christmas in Hawaii, some people have visions of Hawaiians decorating palm trees and substituting Santa Claus's sleigh and reindeer with an outrigger canoe and dolphins, Santa's elves wear aloha shirts and Santa is barefoot and carries a surfboard. ;o))

 

Most of the locals that I know are pretty traditional when it comes to Christmas. We import our Christmas trees long before the season arrives from Oregon & Washington. We look for the best grand firs, noble, and other popular varieties of fir or pine. We decorate our trees with keepsake ornaments and lights. We bake Christmas cookies and goodies and usually have turkey & ham with all the trimmings for Christmas dinner.   
We enjoy traditional Christmas carols, but we also enjoy carols sung in Hawaiian accompanied by ukulele or slack-key guitar.

When I think of Christmas I always think of delicious, decadent desserts! Below is a recipe for Pavlova that is so good........it would make Santa cry!!!!

 



Ali's Pavlova with Christmas Berries and White Chocolate Cream

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ lemon
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup caster or very fine granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2½ teaspoons cornflour
• 1¾ cups thickened cream
• ¼ cup white crème de cacao liqueur
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds only
• White chocolate shavings – optional
• 3 cups berries of choice, we used red currants, raspberries, pomegranate seeds etc…

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 300˚F
2. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper or wax paper.
3. Rub the bowl and whisk of the electric mixer with the cut side of the lemon (the acid in lemon helps to make sure the bowl is extra clean and stabilise the egg whites).
4. Lightly whisk the egg whites before adding the sugar gradually, whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and glossy.
5. Add the vanilla and sieve over the cornflour, whisk until combined.
6. Spoon 12 mounds of the mixture onto the lined trays – 6 on each tray or one large whole pavlova.
7. Bake for 1 hour, swapping the trays around after 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and cool in the oven for 1 hour before removing and cooling completely.
8. Whip the thickened cream with the white chocolate liqueur and vanilla seeds using the electric mixer or electric beaters until soft peaks form. Tap the top of the Pavlovas to collapse slightly and dollop heaped spoonfuls of the white chocolate cream into the crevices.
9. Top with berries and dust with confectioners' sugar… Christmas heaven!

recipe adapted from "What Katie Ate"

 

 

 



 

Aloha nui loa,
~Lynn Marie 

 



Interior Motives & Outer Spaces

Interior design is and has always been my passion. As a teenager, when my girlfriends were buying Tiger Beat and 16, I was buying magazines with house plans and design ideas.
Years later, after the kids were grown, I decided to go back to school and study Interior Design and Environment. My studies eventually led me to a job working for a design firm in Silicon Valley for several years.

Since moving to Hawaii, I've been researching Hawaiian style design. Hawaii has some of the best interior designers and architects in the world. Sit back and enjoy the beauty of the islands...design aloha style.

Living room with 100 year old Kona coffee tree

Jennifer Day Interiors

 

Formal dining on the lanai at night with the lights of Kona below

 

    Powder room with koi painting

Kona dining room
(forget the rattan, floral prints and hula dancers)

 

 

 

The photos below are designs from some of the top architects in Hawaii


The Kona Residence
Belzerg Architects & MLK Studio

Entrance to The Kona Residence

 

 

 

The Ocean House - Maui
Olson Kundig Architects

The Slaughterhouse Beach Residence
Not quite sure why it's called The Slaughterhouse...hopefully, that's the client's name!! ;o))
Close to a well known surfing spot on Maui, it is not your average surfing hut.
Take a look...

 

 

 

Until next time...Aloha nui loa

 

P is for passion fruit, G is for guava

Hawaii is a haven for exotic tropical fruits, not the least being the Hawaiian Passion Fruit and the Hawaiian Guava....

Hawaiian Passion Fruit or Lilikoi

 

Hawaiian Passion Fruit, or Liliko'i as we call it here, is a yellow variety of passion fruit, not the purple kind that grows in South America or Australia . The lilikoi tastes great all by itself, but it can also be used in cooking savory dishes, in desserts, or even in martinis and margaritas.

 

 

 

 

Lilikoi Cheesecake

 

Makes one eight inch cheesecake.

Shortbread Crust:
¼ lb. plus ½ oz. butter
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup plus 3 Tbsp. flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour and sugar together. Using fingertips or a pastry blender, work butter in the flour mixture until coarse meals form. Lightly work mixture to form dough. Press the dough into the bottom of an eight-inch spring form pan. Bake for thirty minutes. Let cool completely

Cheesecake:
24 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract (or one vanilla bean, split)
½ cup passion fruit puree

Preheat over to 350 degrees, Begin to boil water for the water bath.

Combine sugar and cream cheese in a bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrap down the bowl in between each egg.

Add heavy cream, vanilla and passion fruit puree and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place cheesecake pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water in the large pan until hallway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil prior to adding water.

Bake 45–55 minutes, until it almost done (will jiggle in the center). Turn off the oven, and let sit for one hour. After one hour, remove cheesecake from the oven, remover from water bath and let cool completely. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate to chill. Top with glaze once fully chilled.

Passion Fruit Glaze:
¼ cup water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup passion fruit pulp
Juice of ¼ lemon

Boil water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat for five minutes. Add passion fruit and lemon juice and boil for three minutes. Remover from heat and allow to cool. Garnish cheesecake with passion fruit glaze.

 

recipe courtesy of Chef Mike Fennelly

 

 

 

 

 

 Hawaiian Guava

 

The Guava is the favorite wild fruit in Hawaii, found growing abundantly throughout the islands. It is rich in vitamin C.

There are innumerable recipes for utilizing guavas in pies, cakes, puddings, sauce, ice cream, jam, butter, marmalade, chutney, relish, and other products.

 



 

 

 

 

 

Guava Cake Recipe

Guava Cake, is a delicious desert made from the juice of the guava fruit, common throughout Hawaii and a favorite dessert.
This recipe is courtesy of the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu.

Ingredients:

• 1 package yellow cake mix or strawberry cake mix
• 1-1/3 cup guava juice
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 small package Cool Whip, thawed
• 2 cup guava juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

Preparation:

Bake cake according to package directions, substituting guava juice for water. In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with hand mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla and beat in. Slowly fold in the Cool Whip and refrigerate until ready to use. In a medium saucepan, bring the 2 cups guava juice and sugar to a boil. Make a paste out of the cornstarch and a small amount of water. Remove guava juice from heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Return to heat and bring back to a boil and boil for one minute. Cool in refrigerator.

Assembly:

Thickly ice the cake with all of the cream cheese mixture. Glaze the top of the cake with guava gel. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

Aloha nui loa my friends

 



Timing is Everything

This afternoon while driving through the banana farm, I thought back about the days when I arrived in the islands in the mid-1970's. The effects of the sugar plantations were widespread. The long lines of cars crawling the Hamakua Coast behind an over-loaded cane truck, the cane debris, mud and even rocks on the road which seemed to appear instantly as I would begin to pass one of these monsters, and the sight of low-flying helicopters looking for the dozens of clandestine pakalolo (marijuana) patches which were planted among the thick cane rows. 

Cane Haul Truck

Farmers like me were often relegated to marginal lands because the sugar plantations controlled most of the good cropland. After 4 years of growing bananas in what I would now call a "pile of rocks", Puna Sugar announced that it was closing.  Planting would stop immediately and the final sugar harvest would begin. As better farmland began to open up to small farmers, I began a search which led to our current location.

A brief summary on Hawaii sugar plantations:
Sugar plantations have been a staple in Hawaii since the first plantation was started in 1834, on Kauai. In order to satisfy America's sweet tooth, plantations were eventually thriving on Kauai, Maui, Oahu and the Big Island.

Workers Cutting Sugar Cane

Plantation owners brought in labor from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and other locations to keep the plantations running. Through the decades, the industry moved from hand labor to mechanized harvesting and processing. By the 1950's Hawaiian sugar growers were among the most efficient and highly paid agricultural workers in the world. The industry had a robust research program and as new methods of cultivation were combined with new varieties the industry began to share it's knowledge with the rest of the world. Eventually, government subsidized plantations in third world countries with low labor costs began to flood the market with cheap sugar. There remains only one plantation today, Hawaii Commercial and Sugar on Maui. They are currently studying the processing of sugar into jet fuel.

As it turns out, I had come to Hawaii Island at exactly the right time.

It's Time for Some Ono Grinds

 

When you think of Hawaiian cuisine, what comes to mind? Poi, laulau, kalua pig, poke, and of course don't forget the Spam!!

The islands of Hawaii now include a diverse demographic of ethnicity's all adding their own flavors.

It’s not just the ambiance but the food through the years that have evolved from simple island flavors to exquisite dining that will give the experience not just of American food but the food of the world. Hawaii is not just the destination for a great vacation it’s also a destination for a superb dining experience.

 

 

 

 

 Charred Mahi-Mahi With a Sesame Crust Topped With Lime Ginger Beurre Blanc

1/2 cup dry white wine
2 slices fresh ginger
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
3-ounce mahi-mahi fillet
1/8 cup white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon black sesame seeds

In a skillet, combine the white wine and the fresh slivers of ginger. Simmer on medium heat to reduce by half. Add the heavy cream and reduce again by half. Cut the butter into small cubes; then add them one at a time until each is incorporated into the reduction. Make sure to keep the sauce right under boiling temperature while you incorporate the butter. The sauce will separate if it boils too rapidly or becomes too cold.

Next, pass the reduction through cheesecloth. Put the sauce in a blender and add the minced garlic and the lime juice. Process at medium speed until the ginger and the lime juice are incorporated into the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reserve to the side until fish is ready for serving.

Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Mix together the cornstarch and white sesame seeds. Next, press one side of the fish into the seed mixture. Place a heavy-bottomed skillet or a wok on high heat. After the skillet is really hot, place the fish in the pan with the sesame seed side down. Cook until crispy brown. Turn the fish over and cook an additional 4 to 6 minutes.

Serve on a small bed of stir-fried vegetables. Drizzle the lime ginger butter sauce around the fish and garnish the dish with black sesame seeds.

recipe adapted from A Pacific Café, Kapaa, Hawaii

 

 

 

It's time to move on to dessert.  

 

 



Haupia

 

 

Haupia, is a traditional dessert of Hawaii.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup whole milk
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp vanilla (if desired)

Preparation:

Pour one cup of coconut milk into a saucepan. Combine sugar and cornstarch stirring into coconut milk. (Add vanilla is desired) Heat over low stirring consistently until thickened.

Add remainder of coconut milk and whole milk and continue to heat until thickened. Pour into 8 inch square pan and chill until firm.

The recipe can be easily modified for personal taste using more or less sugar and cornstarch.

 

 

 

Yes, I have acquired a taste for Hawaiian food. But I still love the food and recipes from the mainland. I consider my self somewhat of a "Foodie".

I will not only be sharing recipes from Hawaii. I will also share recipes from family and friends living on the mainland. It's time for some ono grinds!!! 

 

E ʻai kākou



Filling the Empty Nest

Aloha family & friends and happy 1st day of December!

Like a lot of empty nesters, we have now replaced our children with pets.
They are like our kids, only lower maintenance and more cooperative. They are a genuine part of our household, sharing, eating, and sleeping. We spoil our pets as we did our children and the bond between us keeps growing. They help us feel more needed and they also give us a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

We have four wonderful pets. T.Rex, the oldest of the pack, is our black miniature poodle. But trust me, there is nothing miniature about him or his demeanor. T.Rex pretty much rules the roost and the other animals. :-)

T.Rex the "Mob Boss"

 

 

 

 

Next in line is Zoe, our golden retriever. Zoe loves everyone and everything. Her favorite past time is to run out into our banana field and find a nice big mud puddle to relax in. So needless to say, she spends a lot of time at the other end of the garden hose getting rinsed off.

 

 

Zoe the "Wonder Dog"

 

 

 

 

Rounding out the foursome are Luna and Bella, our two shelter kittens whom we adopted last summer. They are growing by leaps and bounds, so I guess you really can't categorize them as kittens any more. They are more like kittens hitting their teens and puberty!



 

 

Luna the "Foodie"

(she has never met a bowl of cat food that she doesn't like)

 

Bella the "Explorer"

(she is our hunter & gatherer) 

 

 

 

There is no better way to enrich your life than by sharing it with the unconditional love of pets.

Please visit your local animal shelter and adopt today!!

 

Aloha nui loa

   

Island Style....

 

Had to share this video.

It's one of my favorite songs.

 

 

Ho'olu komo la kaua

 

 

 

 

A little slice of the islands from John Cruz, Jack Johnson, & Jackson Browne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Go Nuts for Mac Nuts!!!

Macadamia Nut Tree

 

 

Think of the creamy rich taste of a macadamia nut. Consider its crunch. Many believe the macadamia to be the world's finest nut. The uniquely flavorful and creamy taste of a mac nut is incomparable. They are loaded with protein and calcium. A true Hawaiian delicacy.


 

 

   

Banana-Macadamia Nut Muffins

 

A moist and flavorful banana-nut muffin with a distinctly tropical twist.

 Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts, toasted, chopped

 

Preparation:

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease twelve muffin cups or line with muffin papers. Sift first 4 ingredients into large bowl. Combine bananas, both sugars, butter, milk and egg in medium bowl. Mix into dry ingredients. Fold in half of nuts. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle tops of muffins with remaining macadamia nuts. Bake until muffins are golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer muffins to rack and cool.

recipe adapted from Bon Appetit   

 

 

 

Our good friends Joe and Colleen Ayer (also Santa Cruz alumni) live on the North Kohala coast of the Big Island. They started a company a few years ago called Just Macnuts. They make the most divine macadamia nut butter!!

 

 

 

If you're interested in acquiring this delicious delicacy that is pure Hawaii from North Kohala you may contact Colleen at sales@justmacnuts.com. 

   

Until next time,

Aloha nui loa





The Sun is Shining

Banana plants on our farm

Aloha Kakahiaka (Good Morning),

Woke up this morning to sunshine and the beautiful sound of a Chinese Thrush singing outside my bedroom window.  
After several days of rain, the sun is a welcome relief. I love the rain, don't get me wrong. It's much needed for our banana crops. But, there are days when I have to shout out loud "enough already....bring back the sun!!"

Due to our location on the windward side of the Big Island, it is one of the wettest areas in the world with an average rainfall of 129 inches.
On average, precipitation of more than .01 inches is measured 278 days of the year. Temperatures average around 70°F in the winter and 75°F in the summer. Lows range from 63°F - 68°F and highs from 79°F - 84°F.

While our side of the Big Island definitely has a large amount of rain, much of it is at night. Most days have prolonged periods without rain.
A benefit of the rain is that our area is always lush, green and flowers abound.
Below are some photos Lynn and I took on our last visit to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. The garden is located along the Hamakua Coast just north of Hilo. If you ever visit the Big Island, I highly recommend visiting the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aloha nui loa