Maholo Hawaii

 Our hearts and our prayers are with the brave people and their animals of Lahaina. These people are not onyl couragious but resilient. These are the ones  - and the island that have contributed so much to the American table.

Keep in mind that Hawaiian food was really the first fusion food., It was  from Twelfth Century Polynesian colonizers who brought such basic staples as pigs, sugar came and taro for poi, There were also coconuts, sweet potatoes and yams. These made up the island diet for centuries until British and American colonizers came in. These people exploited the indigenous people with their introduction of sugarcane and pineapple plantations. New England missionaries brought in their own dishes with the salted fish becoming the Hawaiian staple, lomiloni, a simple tomato and salted salmon salad. it was the plantation workers, the Filipinos,  Chinese Portuguese , Puerto Ricans and Japanese workers created a kind of fusion food as far backa s the 1850's when they would pass around bowls of rice and top them with their version of chicken, beef fish and vegetables. The Japanese brought over what everyone loves about the islands  shaved ice. Spam also became popular after the Second World War and it's used in various dishes.

Thanks to bloggers like Relle Lum,a recent contestant on PBS's Great American Recipe show, people from all over the world can make the multiethnic and delicious dishes. er recipes reflect the island' as well as her ancestry on her blog, two months ago the New York Times Wednesday food section also celebrated Hawaiian cuisine. They feaured pinkabet, a Filipino stew made with fatty pork shoulder or butt, Filipino fish sauce or patis, Japanese eggplants , okra and long beans. Ginger, tomatoes andonions flavor it  along with bitter melon. The pork is sauteed first and then the veggies are added. It;s served over rice. Relle's dish of mochiko chicken is the Hawaiian form of fried chicken. what makes it different is adding soy sauce, rice flour and sugar  to the coating.it's also marinated from four hours to over night.It's served with chopped scallions on a bed of rice.As for dessert you could try Relle's malasadas a fluffy Portuguese doughnut she made on the Great American Recipe. These are made mostly for Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday but you can make them any time. They can also be filled with guava , custard chocolate , haupia or coconut pudding or passionfruit or lilikoi.

To the people of Lahaina, stay brave.It;s tough going right now. All of the world is behind you and your amazing recipes right now.

Not SO Local Hawaiian food

 What is Hawaiian food? it's not exactly local or indigenous. Think of it as an amalgam of various cuisines from far away Europe, Polynesia and Asia. It makes for interesting and delicious flavors.

Bon Appetit contributor and new one to the New York Times Food section, Elyse Inamine wrote about Hawaiian food in yesterday's section. Hawaiian food ia marriage of different cuisines from around the world. It first started between the Tenth and Twelth centuries  when Polynesians settled on the unihabited Hawaiian Islands.They brought taro, sugar cane and pigs, recognizable in today's cuisine. They created such isand standards as poke made with reef fish and kalua pig roasted un an underground oven. Yet the arrival of  British and American colonizers  dismantled the Hawaiian kingdom, supressed its 'c ulture and eventually attracted an influx of immigrants to work on plantations. The term locall is releatively recent , coming from a trial in which a white woman, Thalia Massie, a white woman living in Manoa, a Honolulu suburb falsely accused five mixed and mostly Asian men of rape.It started as a term of abuse but eventually was embraced by the locals. Now it also refers to the dishes which have a long hisoty of being fusion.

Yet what is Hawaiian cuisine? Islanders will tell you it's family recipes that have been passed down for generations. every family has their own versionTrue Hawaiian recipes are hard to come by. Nurse practioner and food blogger Relle Lum is trying to find them. As she states when the foreigners came everything Hawaiian was banned, even the hula. It's important to keep up whatever tradition that are left. She showcases such classics as squid luau with  stewed taro leaves as well as mochiko chicken which is a  blend of Japanese karaage and Southern fried chicken. There is also musubi  which is basically Spam sus    hi, with the meat placed on a bed of rice and wrapped in nori or black seaweed. Cooks on the island see a fusion of all the cuisines. At Tiffany's a popular restaurant, chef Sheldon Simeon has playful takes on local food. He infuses traditionaloxtail soup with the flavor of pho,, adding cinnamon , clove and burned ginger to teh broth. His fried chicken is steamed then fried , then sprinkled with  apowder flavored like sinigang  the sour Filipino pork stew. Other influences are Spanish , Filipino Korean and Japanese. So long asi t's ono, or delicious.

Hawaiian cuisine is everything. It's a historic , multi cultural mix.It's a palyful take on foods but also a devotion to all t hings Hawaiian.

Springy Sauces From San-J

The warm weather is here and that means barbecues and sauces. San-J, creators of gluten free soy sauce has come out with two zingy sauces perfect for the grilling season. They will liven up any cook out and give that special oomph to any meat or fish.

San Jirushi or San-J is one of Japan's oldest soy sauce manufacturers. The company was started in 1802 by the Sato family. Their sauces derive from ancient recipes for miso and tamari or soy sauce. Unlike American brands that dilute theirs with wheat which means there's also gluten in it as well. San J has always made the purest sauces using only one hundred per cent soy. This creates a richer sauce with a smoother flavor and texture. Now they're expanding into sauces - perfect for the upcoming barbecue season. Like the other sauces they are gluten free, perfect for those who suffer from celiac disease.The flavors are varied, from Thai Peanut to Mongolian to Szechuan. I like their sauces tremendously, especially for turning boring chicken and soy nuggets into exciting eats.The Sweet and Tangy has a tropical fruit taste , ripe with pineapple and the tang of garlic. The Orange sauce starts out with a burst of sweet orange followed by a nutty aftertaste. This is due to the addition of the fermented tamari sauce . Another reason to like both sauces is that they're made with organic ingredients like apple and pineapple juices for the Sweet and Tangy and orange juice and organic honey for the Orange Sauce.

Home chefs are going to go crazy over the many different dishes they can create with these two sauces.The Sweet and Tangy is perfect for any chicken recipe.Think kebobs marinaded in it
along  with extra pineapple juice for a sweet South Pacific treat.Marinate diced chicken, green pepper strips and pineapple chunks in the sauce foe two hours. Layer on six inch skewers and grill. Have a bowl of the Sweet and Tangy on the table too for dipping. You can also make Polynesian shrimp this way too.Another fun idea is having the sauce as a dip for  barbecued  jerk veggies, chicken and shrimp . can get a sweet spike from the sauce too. Pork is a great medium for  this sauce and the Orange Sauce. The pineapple juice or orange juice enzymes will be perfect in tenderizing the meat. Marinate a one pound  roast with half a cup of the Sweet and Tangy  before roasting. Orange sauce and duck go together and home chefs can make an exotic outdoor cooked  version of duck l'orange.Instead of making an involved  sauce use San-J's Orange. It can also be used on Cornish hens along with chicken breasts to create tasty, crisp and sweet barbecue.The sauce would also be good slathered on chicken wings and also as a dipping sauce for them.

The barbecue season is fast upon us . Try San-J's Sweet and Tangy and Orange sauce to liven up those kebobs and wings along with outdoor roasts.It's a tasty and exotic spin on American cook outs.