Pineapple Chiffon Pie
As far as I’m concerned, this pie is what canned crushed pineapple was born to do! The filling is a dream, with bits of pineapple suspended in a cloud-like custard.
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Simple Takuwan
Takuwan (takuan) is pickled daikon, a type of tsukemono, or preserved vegetable. In our house, we called tsukemono, “ko-ko.” Mom would serve just a tiny portion of ko-ko, nestled up against the rice, with every dinner. Here’s a recipe for this ko-ko that is usually bright yellow, but if you are wary of food coloring, you are welcome to leave it out.
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Sweet Rolls – 1st Prize Maui County Fair
What delicious little rolls! I made these for Thanksgiving dinner and they were so yummy plain or slathered with butter and dipped in gravy. OMG. They are light and slightly sweet. They were also fun to make, but be sure to account for two rising cycles.
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Sekihan (Red Bean Rice)
Sekihan is my spirit food—a dish that runs through my veins. It is one of my favorites, which means that every time I visited my grandma, she had a huge batch of it ready when arrived. She made it the “old fashioned” way, using a stovetop steamer. This recipe uses a rice cooker, which I can handle! The beans infuse the rice with a subtle nutty flavor, which is heightened by a sprinkling with salt and sesame seeds before serving.
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Chocolate Chippy
Did I really just find my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe of all time? Yes. Yes, I did! Very crispy all around, with a small chewy center — it is truly the G.O.A.T. 🍪!
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Nishime
For me, nishime is a special occasion food. My aunties and grandma would make it for every family gathering. Today, I make it once a year for the New Year. This is a great recipe that results in the perfect balance between sweet and salty that I love so much about this dish.
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Mango Upside-Down Cake
I love me an upside-down cake! And after receiving a big box of mangoes, instead of 2 mangoes, in a recent grocery order, I had to find a way to use some mangoes ASAP. This is a simple and delicious recipe. With very little effort, you get a pretty spiral of yummy caramelized mangoes on top of a light and fluffy cake.
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Drop Coconut Cookies
Remember the yummy coconut cookies from Roberts Bakery in Hilo? They came in white plastic tubs and I loved these cookies. Roberts is long gone and so are the cookies, but this recipe comes close to delivering the cookie of my childhood. 🥰
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Kim Chee Dip
I was intrigued by this recipe because of its simplicity. Just put kim chee and cream cheese in a blender and you have a dip? I had to try it. It is delicious. I ate it all by myself in two days.
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German Chocolate Cake
For Hawai’i folks, I think the mere sight of this frosting on this cake will trigger some good memories, even if my execution is pretty wonky! In Hawai’i, this is called chantilly frosting, though outside of the state, chantilly refers to more of whipped cream frosting. For me, this frosting found a place in my heart via a supermarket single-layer german chocolate cake sold frozen in an aluminum pan.
