Sunset Dinner Cruise

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One of the last things we did before we left Maui was a sunset dinner cruise, complete with whale watching. The boo chose to take the trip with the Pacific Whale Foundation. Not only is the crew on the ship providing great service with your meals, but they are also whale advocates for the foundation and are VERY knowledgeable about the humpback whale behavior. So they were able to explain what and why the whales were doing what they were doing.

We boarded the ship at 515, and there was live entertainment on deck until we reached an area where the pods of whales were swimming. We were there on a good night because there were over 7 whales swimming and flipping about. So what happens is, there is one female whale, and all the male whales start doing tricks and blowing bubbles to show off and get her attention, so that she will chose HIM to escort her on their journey.Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

But you know what? No matter how much someone stands out among the others,  she gets to pick, and she might be I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T and not have an escort at all. Ahh, the games of the heart.

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It was a beautiful sunset,  4 course, steak or chicken dinner, drinks included, and plenty of remedies on deck for those of you that get sea sick. PLUS its a non profit organization, so the money goes to protecting the whales! WIN WIN WIN!
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Da Kitchen: Loco Moco

locomoco

You know what I am going to miss about Hawaiian dining? Sriracha and Soy sauce on the table at every restaurant. One of the recommended places you can only eat at in Hawaii was Da Kitchen. It is a Hawaiian fast casual dining.

A popular hawaiian breakfast meal is the Loco Moco. It is a grilled burger patty, with onions, eggs and gravy, and a scoop of macaroni  salad. Sounds super hearty for breakfast right? It was delicious. Being of Asian descent, I love eggs, rice and soy sauce for breakfast so this was normal for me!

It might be a good idea to share one if this is the first time you’ve had something this hearty for breakfast, but definitely a MUST try in Hawaii.

I miss it already.

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Old Lahaina Luau

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For my birthday last week, we went to Hawaii. On my actual birthday, we went to a luau. My first luau ever. It was an amazing, beautiful, delicious experience. As soon as you walk through the door, you get a flower for your hair, a fresh orchid lei, and they hand you a mai tai.

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Mine was a non alcoholic drink. Still pretty! We were shown our traditional seats, and then we were free to roam the site. The stage was centered with a “moat” around it. Scattered around the moat were little stations of tiki carvings, jewelry, a place to take a sunset photo, learn how to hula, and play Hawaiian games. There was also a pit that had a pig buried underneath. Before the show starts, they tell you the history of burying a pig in the sand, why they do it, how they do it and who gets to have some.

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It is open bar and a buffet so great for everyone! Then the show starts and they tell Hawaiian folklore through music and dance. In the middle of it, they asked what we were celebrating, and ask us to stand, and she personally says happy birthday to all the people standing, and then invites the couples celebrating for a special dance.

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We talked to other tourists, about other luaus, and it just seemed like this was the best pick. If we go back, which we probably will, I would want to go here again. It was a beautiful experience. Makes me wanna learn how to hula!!

 

 

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Jammin’ Jambalaya

What a cliche name, I know, but it really is jamming. And delicious. So delicious, that AFTER my mardi gras party, I had to make another round to enjoy (since I didn’t get to at the party). And I made it a little spicier, which I didn’t do for the party since I was feeding a large group of people with a different range of spice levels.

So let’s get cooking!

Get the ingredients ready. The divine trinity in cajun cooking is celery, onions and green bell pepper. This is the base for the flavor in both etouffee and gumbo as well! For jambalaya I’ve got those three, plus garlic, tomatoes and a medium grain rice.

Emeril used olive oil. I used butter. Cook the onions, celery and green onions in the butter for about 4 minutes, when the onions turn clear.

Then add the garlic, tomatoes, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir until well mix. Then add the rice.

After rice is mixed in well, slowly add chicken broth. Simmer over medium until rice is tender. While this is happening, I dice the chicken breast, and chop the shrimp then add the crawfish tails in the same bowl, and mix well with cajun seasoning, you can you Tony’s or Louisiana brand creole seasoning. Emeril also has a recipe for his bayou blast.

You can find the recipe here.

 

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Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Sorry for the awkward silence last week. It’s been busy with a new puppy! But that didn’t stop me from celebrating one of my favorite holidays! Mardi Gras is today, but I celebrated with friends and family this weekend.

We had beads, hats, masks, noisemakers, lots of good food, and good times! On the menu this year was, jambalaya, catfish nuggets, fried shrimp (head on), crawpuppies, and beignets (thanks Deanna!)

I hope you have a great day indulging before giving things up for Lent!

Those of you that loved my jambalaya, recipe to be posted later this week!

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A New Addition

There’s a new little guy in my family. What was I thinking? I am very particular about how my house is kept. No dogs on the couch, when my friends bring theirs. No POOPING, NO PEEING, NO FUN. And here I am in love with this little guy. My life is full of cooking, blogging, designing, eating, traveling and now I want to start a youtube channel…all while potty training and loving my new baby. Am I crazy? I hope not.

sleep

Luckily I am not a single parent in this situation, and its just another element of chaos in my adventure of life. And a new character to write about in my blog. If you don’t like dogs, and you just want to come here for food…sorry. I guess you can just filter out posts by category! But seriously, who doesn’t like dogs? Even people who are scared of dogs, like them.

snoop

First adventure with Bawse? Potty Training. Wish me luck. Tips are appreciated!
bat

He’s a peculiar little guy. He might be half bat. He is completely knocked out and sleeping upside down!

I don’t always go outside, but when I do, I wear a sweater. Stay warm my friends. – Bawse

He has a facebook.

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Making Macarons

Don’t let the looks fool you. Yeah they are good looking. Heck they are even edible. But I didn’t like them. They were too chewy/dense flat for me. Yes I will try again. But this was my first try. I am determined to get these right. I eat them too much, to not know how to make them myself. And at two dollars EACH, it’s worth knowing how to make it with my own resources right? My batter (if that’s what you called it) made exactly a dozen macarons. That would be like $24.90 if I bought at a shop (that included taxes).

Instead of trying to start with a basic french macaron recipe, I went straight in for the kill. I made hazelnut macarons with a nutella filling. Maybe I should have learned how to make a basic macaron first. Oh well. I live dangerously. If you were to buy almond flour, it would pretty much cost about $1- $2 an ounce. I got a bag of blanched almonds, 8 oz for $3.99 and only needed 6oz for this recipe (because I made up the rest in hazelnut flour). I ground it myself with my new toy, Cuisinart Spice and Nut Grinder and it worked out fine. Everything was working out the way it should.

I aged the eggs for a day. At room temperature. Because someone said so. Is that why there was a slightly funky taste? Or was that just my nuts not meshing well together. Hm.

I had all the right tools needed. (Silpats are the best way to go, you get perfect bottoms)

and cute little feet. It all looked good. I made them a little too big though. The boo liked it, he pretty much ate them all himself.

I will try to make the basic chocolate one next. And then move on to pistachio. Once I get the technique then I can adjust the taste, right? Yeah that sounds like the best way to go!

Until then I will eat Michel Patisserie Macarons to get the right flavors in my head.

 

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Bistro Cacao for Dinner

Photo Jan 25, 7 03 07 PM

How much do I love this place? Probably too much. Out of all the French restaurants I’ve been too in the area, this is the best. Really. If you ask me where I want to go to celebrate something, I want to go there. As I mentioned in a previous post the atmosphere is very romantic and inviting. Need a recommendation for a romantic dinner date place, Bistro Cacao for dinner is it.

The service is exceptional. We had Karim, who was polite, observant and very personable. He really knew about the food, and made sure to point me in the right direction when I had questions. Who would have thought to eat a duck medium well? Not me. And thats why I have eating adventures, to learn as much as I can about food. Now lets get to the good stuff. Food.

charcuterie

Their dinner menu is not as extensive as other restaurants, which is perfectly fine in this case, because I think that ensures that every dish is awesome. I missed having a good french charcuterie like in France, and the places that I’ve gotten it around here just didn’t quite hit the spot. When I asked Karim, he put together a board of cheeses and meat for me, even though happy hour was over (thank you!). It came with crostinis, not french baguettes, but it still worked out perfectly. For my main course, I chose the pan seared duck breast, with a port wine blueberry reduction. It was accompanied with braised endives (my first time) and  potato gratin.

duckbreast

I got the duck breast cooked medium, which left me with a tender, juicy cut of meat. Even though smothered in sauce, the duck came out with a beautiful crisp crust. I’ve never had such a tender cut of meat. Except maybe a cow’s tongue, but for those of you who aren’t familiar with a well prepared cow’s tongue will immediately be disgusted so I don’t wanna make that reference. I didn’t even make it to the sides, I wanted to devoir all of the duck. And I did. The boo had the filet mignon which was equally amazing, and he cleaned his plates. His sides were also a potato gratin, baby carrots and haricot verts.

profiteroles

Filled to the brim, Karim asked if we wanted dessert. I was so full, and I had to regretfully decline. A few minutes later, he brings us a dessert any way, on the house. Yum, profiteroles. Cream filled puffs with a scoop of ice cream, and chocolate sauce.  He places it in front of the boo and says to me jokingly, “You are full, so I guess you can’t have any,” with a wink. After I gave him a mock look of surprise, he puts the plate in the middle and hands me a spoon and says, “Happy Anniversary!”.

I love this place so much.

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Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Yes, I tried to make and eat a vegetarian burger. Yes it was good, but NO I WILL NOT CRAVE THIS. I love burgers. I love the beef, I love the bacon. This will never replace a juicy, bacon-y burger with crunchy tangy pickles and oodles of cheese. Nope, not for me. But some of you did ask how I did it (via my instagram) and I am happy to oblige!

Portobello Mushroom “Burgers”
Makes 6

Ingredients:
6 portobello mushrom caps, stem removed
2 tbsp olive oil
Coarse Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Steak Seasoning (optional, your favorite kind will do)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425F. In a roasting pan, toss the mushrooms, and olive oil with a little seasoning. Place is stem side down and add 3/4 cup of water. Cover pan loosely with foil. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender.

Add it to a toasted bun with your favorite toppings and enjoy! You might wonder why I chose this way versus grilling. I feel like grilling it would make it lose its juiciness, and yeah it would have that charred taste you love from a burger, but its not the same kind of protein so it won’t work.

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Meatless Quesadilla

Remember how I am trying to eat less meat, and attempting to only eat meat on the weekends? Yeah I’m struggling. But this is one of the deliciously simple, quick meatless meals I made. Here’s how:

Enjoy when done! You can added any kind of cheese you like, I also threw in a slice of pepper jack for an added kick of flavor. I don’t like to eat the garlic, so you can just discard that (that’s why I leave it whole, and smashed versus mincing) or put it in someone’s quesadilla that wants it!

Meatless Quesadillas

Ingredients
4 white mushrooms, sliced
1/4 of a medium onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic, smashed or minced
1 tbsp of butter or olive oil
1-2 tsp adobo seasoning
cheeses of your choice
2 flour tortillas

Directions
Melt butter, or heat olive oil in a skillet. Saute onions and mushrooms with adobo seasoning until mushrooms are cooked and onions are clear and caramelized. Remove mushrooms and onions from pan and set aside on a plate. Keep the remaining butter in the pan.

Add the tortilla to the pan, put desired cheese on one side, then top with onions and mushrooms. Fold over the opposite side and the the cheese melt and seal. Then flip the quesadilla to brown the other side. Repeat this with the second tortilla.

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