Hot Lava, Hilo, and Chickens

We went to Hilo last weekend to get some chickens. My sister lives there now so it was a chance to soak up some East side fun as well expand our animal family times four. It's nice to have a reason to get out of Kona and even nicer that we now have a place to stay in Hilo.

So we drove away from the dusty traffic and endless vog of Kona, up and over Saddle Road to my sister's cozy rental house near the university. Somehow, her house feels like our childhood home in Portland, Oregon. I don't know if it's the familiarity of her routines, the way she makes coffee at all hours of the day or the perpetual muted TV glow, but staying with her brings me back to my childhood and I wouldn't mind curling up on her couch with a cup of coffee and never leaving.

Being new to Hilo town, my sister and her fiance have been spending a lot of time getting to know the surrounding areas. They had an agenda planned for our weekend before we arrived, which as a planner-type person, made me very happy. First stop, Kilauea Lodge.

Located in Volcano Village, this restaurant and inn has rave reviews just about everywhere. My sister gushed about it as did some other foodie friends. I really want to like this place. And to some degree, I did but one can only conclude that we must have landed there on an off night. The ambience was darling, a fireplace adorned with German beer steins, painted wooden place mats, and stained-glass windows create a cozy space. The wine list was great and even our not-so-good food was definitely made from scratch, noodles and all. Maybe the chef that night was rushed, but everything was under-seasoned and well, just kind of sloppy.

Glowing lava doom in background. Cool, my face looks shiny even in the dark.

A mediocre meal is not the end of the world, in fact we were on our way to see how the world begins. Minutes away from Volcano Village is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, open 24 hours. Lava is most visible at night, think red-glowing fire, so we stopped by the active crater for a peak. I've now lived on Hawaii island for 7 years and have never seen lava, tried many times, but was never lucky enough to catch it. So seeing the glow, deep inside the crater, was special indeed. It felt like Halloween with all the people milling around in the dark, the background a spooky, glowing, steaming crater. Our dog, forever scared of everything, cowered at my knee tripping me every third step.

It wasn't until the next morning, when a 4.6 magnitude quake got me out of bed, rattling the fragile wooden frame of my sister's house, that I realized just how epic watching lava come out of the earth really is.

We drank many mugs of coffee and watched silent episodes of "Roseanne" while waiting for the boys to come home from surfing. Around mid-morning we set off for Kalapana to buy some chickens advertised on Craigslist and ended up in a remote-as-it-gets housing development along the wild Puna coastline. For every cute, well-built home in this neighborhood there was a less-cute, shanty-type home built from plywood, tarps, and screens. Alas, our chickens lived at a screen shanty with a man, probably our own age, who appeared to have never worn shoes. He lovingly gave us tips on caring for the chickens and sent us on our way with two plastics tubs of four full-grown egg laying chickens. Don't worry, there were air holes for them to breathe.

Pahoa Farmer's Market

On our way back to Hilo and eventually back home, we stopped at the Pahoa farmer's market. Pahoa is known for it's abundance of produce and hippies. This market did not disappoint in either area. What surprised me was the amazing number of prepared food choices. It being close to lunch time by then, I dove right in getting Russian potato pancakes with beets, sour cream, and a pickled egg for me and a smoked meat plate with rice and mac salad for Dustin. We shared a refreshing hibiscus tea, which I really ought to try making at home.

By the time I sauntered back to the car, the chickens were panting. This immediately broke my heart and I started to panic. I totally thought the chickens were going to over-heat and die right on the spot. So as much as I wanted to stay and admire the hippies it was back over Saddle Road for us, windows down and back gate up.

Thankfully, the temperatures really drop as you head up the Saddle because the road goes right in between two mountains and makes a hell of an elevation climb. Just as my panic began to subside, probably about half way home, we heard the fluttering wings of an escaped chicken. I caught the dog as he tried to leap for the back seat and Dustin squealed over in the emergency lane. We dove in the back, trying at once to restrain the yelping dog and grab the brave chicken. In seconds it was over, the chicken safely back in the box, and my nerves at code red.

We managed to make it home without further incident and the chickens now happily reside in their coop, made from old pallets. In a week they have already given us eight eggs. I'd say it was a successful trip.

Sustainable Camp Eats

Rare and endangered ahina'ahina (silversword)

My HYCC team spent five days camping and doing conservation work at Kona Hema, an 8,000 acre nature preserve stewarded by The Nature Conservancy in south Kona. 

Ancient camp site high above the coastline

We spent most of our work hours fixing the 25 miles of fencing that keeps damaging pigs, goats, and sheep out of the preserve. 

The gorgeous ohia lehua

We also found some time to admire the pristine forest around us, including the biggest koa tree in the world and many rare and endangered plants. We were able to pick plums (non-native) an I attempted to make a pie with them, see pictured. How lucky is that? 

Plum pie attempt, topped with instant oatmeal packets

I've harped on this before and I'll do it again, it has been super important to me that my team eats as sustainably as possible on our camping trips being that we are a conservation group and all. Luckily KTA has a slew of locally grown and made products, so I've done all my shopping with them. In case you're wondering where else to find local food products in the Kona area, Sack n Save and Costco also have plenty of choices. The farmers' market wasn't an option (this year) because I only had a credit card to buy food with. 

Meals with a * by them were made using locally grown or produced ingredients. A list of locally made products I purchased for this trip is below the menu. 

Day	Meal
Monday	*Dinner: Spaghetti & salad
Tuesday	*Breakfast: Portuguese sausage, eggs, rice
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies
	*Dinner: Pork adobo with veggies & rice
Wednesday	Breakfast: Yogurt, oatmeal, fruit
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies
	*Dinner: Burgers w/sweet potatoes & chips
Thursday	*Breakfast: eggs, toast, fruit
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies
	*Dinner: Beef stew & rice
Friday	Breakfast: oatmeal, yogurt, fruit
	Lunch: sandwiches, chips, fruit, cookies

Locally made products purchased for this camping trip at KTA:

Grass-fed beef (ground and stew meat)

Pork belly

Eggs

Lettuce

Sprouts

Cucumber

Bananas

Kale

Yogurt

Sweet potatoes

Taro

Bread

A Greek Easter Feast

Smoky Slow Cooked Lamb and Traditional Greek Salad

My most memorable Easter was spent on the island of Crete in Greece. Dustin and I were there in 2006  just after getting engaged, upsetting our lives to spend some time in Europe and figure out if marriage was right for us.

We'd rented a tiny studio apartment overlooking the ocean with two wooden twin beds, a hot plate, and a cold water shower. All the other tenants were Greek, including the friend we'd made at the car rental agency who'd found the apartment for us. We spent lazy days cruising the coastline by scooter discovering vibrant red poppy fields, tasting homemade moonshine and wine in the dark back-rooms of grocery stores, and purchasing our daily supply of perfect, sun-warmed tomatoes.

It was spring so the weather was still cool and the tourists were at a minimum. The Easter buzz began two weeks or so before the holiday. Everywhere we went, locals warned us that all businesses would be closed for several days around the holiday and tried to prep us on all the upcoming events. Coming from a background of fuzzy bunnies and egg hunts, we had no context for the festivities that were to come.

Traditional Greek Salad

I don't know the ins and outs of the Catholic religion/Greek orthodoxy, so forgive me if I explain this incorrectly. During the days leading up to Easter, the people will fast. On the eve of the holiday, people gather in the evening, in our case the town center was a small lake, and start to set off fireworks. It was quite pretty to see the reflection of the sparklers in the water as thousands of people gathered around in their Sunday best. As the excitement builds toward midnight, the fireworks become more intense. We were constantly dodging roman candles and M80s at this point, the devilish grins of teenaged boys illuminated by a constant spark.

A religious procession made its way to the lake, led by robed priests and what appeared to be a life-sized figure nailed to a cross. There were prayers and songs and candles held high by all in a moment of silent reflection. And in one fantastic finale, the figure on the cross was floated upright in the middle of the lake and set ablaze. Cheers rang out and firecrackers exploded everywhere. I swear someone threw dynamite into the lake at one point.

It turns out the figure on the cross was Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, whom everyone was happy to burn. We were some of the last people hanging out by the lake after midnight as the local people went to their homes to share a meal and break their fast. The next morning we were invited to our neighbor's apartment for dinner and ate some of the best food of our lives including grilled lamb and fresh bread.

This year, we'd tried to relive some of those memories by hosting a Greek style barbecue on our very different island home. Below you will find recipes for slow-cooked lamb and traditional Greek salad. We also enjoyed spanakopita, tzatziki, and grilled asparagus fresh from our garden as my nephews hunted for eggs in the sand.

Beach egg hunt

I hope you have a delicious, memorable, and special Easter.

Smoky Slow-Cooked Leg of Lamb
serves 10-15

5 lb boneless leg of lamb
5 cloves garlic
1/2 cup fresh rosemary
1/2 cup fresh oregano
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup water
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a food processor blend garlic, herbs, and some salt & pepper to form a paste. Cut lamb into large sections about 1 pound each. Rub the lamb with the paste, drizzle with olive oil and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

In a slow cooker, add lemon juice and 1/2 cup water. Stack lamb in the slow cooker, sprinkle with more salt & pepper and olive oil and cook on low for just shy of 8 hours. You want the meat to easily pull apart, but not so loose the it fall apart when picked up.

Prepared a charcoal grill with wood chips. Grill the pieces of lamb, drizzled with more oil, for no more than 5 minutes each side so as to impart smoky flavor and form an outer crust, but avoid drying out the meat. If the meat is falling apart (that's ok!) then simply grill it on a piece of foil so it won't fall through the grate.

Serve with tzatziki, on pita bread or make a gravy from the drippings in the slow cooker. Enjoy!


Traditional Greek Salad
serves 10-12

3 cucumbers
5-6 tomatoes
1/2 red onion
1 cup kalamata olives (or other Greek olives if you can find them)
5-6 oz feta cheese (be sure to get the block style and check that it is made with sheep's milk)
fresh oregano or a dried mediterranean herb blend
fresh lemon juice or your favorite vinegar
olive oil
salt & pepper

Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and chop into 1/2 inch slices. Slice tomatoes so they are a similar thickness to cucumbers. Please in a bowl and sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Layer thinly sliced red onion and olives on top. Slice cheese into 1/4 inch slices and layer on top, sprinkle with herbs and salt & pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil when ready to serve. Enjoy!

Waipio Valley's Edible Treasures

When we first moved to Hawaii in 2006 I wanted to go everywhere and see everything. We've traversed razor sharp lava rock roads, hiked barely visible trails, and splashed across slippery streams in search of some sort of hidden Hawaiian rainbow waterfall treasure. The thing about hidden Hawaiian rainbow waterfall treasures is that they'll be found when they're good and ready. You can go ahead and drive every back road and visit every beach but you'll never satiate your need to find the MOST special the MOST secret the MOST real Hawaiian experience of all time.

What draws us to Hawaii is the very thing that eludes us. Because the most special, secret, real Hawaiian experience of all time cannot be had by all. There is a sacredness here, and it is our responsibility, no matter who we are and where we come from, to honor that.

I spent the past weekend in a place called Waipio Valley on the island of Hawaii with a group of fellow teachers. For the past two years, I have been participating in a program called Kahua that has been specially designed for new teachers to help us implement culturally relevant teaching practices in our classrooms. Part of Kahua has been visiting and learning about significant places on the island. I had been looking forward to the Waipio trip for over a year as it is a very special place that few get the chance to experience.

We stayed on a taro (or kalo) farm tucked back from the beach, surrounded on all sides by fresh water streams and protected by the steep walls of the valley. Reaching the valley requires a very steep hike straight down the valley wall or a nervous car ride in a 4x4. 

Ho'i'o

The best part of the trip was gathering food for our dinner. Ho'i'o (in Japanese it is known as warabi, English is fern shoots) grows wild in massive boggy clumps that extend 8 feet or more upwards. Once you know how to spot a shoot, they are easy to gather. The shoots, when blanched, are similar in texture to asparagus and taste something like cucumber. If you can get your hands on some, try this Fern Shoot Salad. 

Next we collected tender, baby kalo leaves that also grow wild along the steam beds. These leaves must be boiled or steamed thoroughly to cook out the "itchiness" that you will get in your throat if you eat it raw or undercooked. When cooking, treat the leaves as you would collard greens.  We cooked ours with some beef and it was so delish. 

Although we didn't get a chance to eat any, the valley is covered in apple snails, an extremely invasive variety that is slowly destroying kalo crops. 

Gathering ong choy

Last, we harvested ong choy (or Chinese watercress) and stir-fried it with some pork. These treats were served with farm-grown poi, and steamed purple sweet potatoes. Who could ask for more? This was one the most special meals of my life by far. 

Returning home I felt re-inspired to gussy up my garden and re-committed to eating as many locally grown products as possible. The message I want to bring back to you after being so lucky as to enjoy this sacred place is that although I understand the need to seek out the best Hawaiian experience of all time, there are places that are better left alone. Tread lightly. 

Why do you love food?

Food. Where do I begin? It starts somewhere between boiling salted water until it was dry just to see what would happen and staring, longingly, for hours at the glossy pages of my mother’s Betty Crocker cookbook. I’d hover around my father, working over our little white enamel gas stove throwing bits of leftover chicken, the last of the cabbage, and squirts of teriyaki sauce into a pot to turn out something comforting for us on a rainy Portland night.

In college, my palate seared after a year of suffering through carbohydrate-sprayed cafeteria lettuce, I managed to cook all my meals in a dorm room, to the marvel of my peers. “How DO you make a bean burrito?” they’d ask. “That chicken smells divine,” they’d cluck. And of course it was far from divine, it was chicken breast in a pan with some salt.

At one point I even pledged to drop-out of university to attend culinary school. But my family, lovers of higher education that they are, didn’t approve. Looking back, I’m still not sure why I’d listened.

Luck flew me to Spain for a semester abroad where a sense of adventure in eating was born. I dove into barnacles, snails, stinky cured pork hanging from the ceiling, curious wines, and a little something called saffron. I visited Greece and fell in love with gyros pita, olive oil, the darkest greens, and foraged herbs. Never had I ever loved a cheese as much as feta. The yogurt, the homemade wine, the lamb, it was all so much and yet never enough. Around and around Europe I went, sampling and tasting, cooing and coveting. My love for global cuisine was bred.

As a real adult I now live on the Big Island of Hawaii, in a whole new world of sub-tropical edible wonders. I’m passionate now about discovering and preserving Hawaiian food culture.

But I feel that I’ve reached a plateau with my culinary skills that can only be continued with a culinary education.  Please help me continue along my path toward great cooking, and this time, I won’t let my family talk me out of it.

*This was my submission to the Food Network Great Food Truck Race scholarship contest in answer to the following prompt: "What cuisines are you passionate about? Explain how a scholarship from The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes could help you expand your knowledge of global cuisines." Wish me luck. 

PS: there is still time to enter if you are interested, deadline is 2/28/13.

Up Country Bakery & Cafe in Captain Cook, HI

Bagel with lox & breakfast burrito at Up Country

It's not often that I get REALLY excited about a new restaurant. As you can imagine, living in a tourist center means restaurants come and go nearly as often as the tides.

Dustin & Cruiser soaking up some rays outside Up Country

Up Country Bakery & Cafe, located 30 minutes south of Kona in Captain Cook, makes food to get really excited about.

Oatmeal cookies with cream cheese frosting at Up Country

It's your usual cafe fare with an island twist. The homemade bagels, breads, and pastries won't disappoint. Plenty of vegan, vegetarian, organic, and gluten-free options to choose from. Everything we ate here was fresh, simple, affordable, and filling. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, the staff is super friendly, and I'm happy to say I will definitely be back.



I was not paid or compensated in any way to write this review. Check out my other (boring but to-the-point) reviews on Yelp. 

Where Pearls Go & Other Oyster Adventures

Photo from Love, A Yi

You don't just eat one oyster. In my case, you don't eat a dozen oysters either. You go at the little mollusks as if you'll never have the chance again. Maybe you won't, fresh oysters aren't exactly readily available in the middle of the Pacific.

After reading "Consider the Oyster" by M.F.K. Fisher just before arriving in New York, the taste was already on my tongue. You may be surprised to learn that I'd never really eaten oysters before, my only memory of trying them was when dad breaded and fried hamburger sized ones that were, to me at the time, inedible.

My friend Jessica, appalled by this new knowledge, promptly escorted me to the nearest dollar oyster joint where we indulged in fries, beers, and the ephemeral oyster. And then I fell in love, just like that.

Fast forward another week or so. Lured by the promise of free oysters, Jessica and I made our way over to the South Street Seaport Museum to hear a panel discussion on Manhattan as it was in the early 1900's. Back in those days, oysters were so abundant in New York, they were considered a poor man's meal. Awaiting us at the museum were the fresh and tasty Naked Cowboy and Shibumi oysters from Blue Island Oyster Co. Like I said, you can't eat just one, so we all but commandeered the shucking table.

In the photo at the top of this post is an oyster with a pearl. Folks, this is real life. A real, honest, could-not-make-this-up-if-I-tried pearl. The oyster shucker dude totally shucked it right in front of my eyes.

And then he ate it. Guys and gals he ate the pearl. He said it is tradition. Tradition! I waited for a solid 5 minutes for him to give it up and admit he was joking. Not joking. He ate the pearl.

This sealed my romance with the oyster. Forever.

Brooklyn is for Picnics

The apartment I shared in Brooklyn this summer was minutes away from Prospect Park, probably one of my favorite parks of all time. Yes, I liked it even more than Central Park. For one, the landscape allows for excellent people watching. The main field, or Long Meadow, is just that, long and skinny, so you can watch so many people at once. Also, it feels like you are part of the community, everyone there together playing and laughing.

It's huge and includes its own lake, zoo, live music venue, dozens of trails, little waterfalls, and a sweet carousel. The best part of all? At dusk the fireflies come out, zipping all around making firefly magic. This was real special for me as we don't have the little guys on the west coast or in Hawaii. I had only seen them once before in my life, so it was natural for me to head down to the park and enjoy them as often as possible during my stay in Brooklyn.


Fireflies from Gwen Edwards on Vimeo.

And I didn't just oggle the fireflies, I ate some food, too. There are few pleasures like bare feet in grass and a good sandwich in hand on a balmy evening.

Or some cheese, New Jersey apples, and rose petal jelly.

And if you're really prepared, some pasta and a good rose.

I have finally emerged from summer laziness with a recipe for you. Feet in grass required.

The Brooklyn Sandwich (pictured above)
makes 2


4 thick slices ciabatta bread
4-6 slices prosciutto
a piece of pie sized slice of camembert cheese
4 large kale leaves
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
juice from 1/2 lemon
4 TBL olive oil
1/2 dijon mustard
salt & pepper

In a small bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking the olive oil into the garlic, lemon juice, mustard, and some salt & pepper to taste.

Wash and trim the kale leaves by removing the ribs. Cut into approximately 4" pieces. Place kale into the bowl with the dressing and stir to coat.

Layer cheese (cut cheese into chunks, see photo below) and meat on bread and top with dressing coated kale. Drizzle remaining dressing on bread  and stack your sandwiches. Pack em up and take em somewhere. Enjoy!

Coney Island and Frog Legs

During it's heyday in the early 20th century Coney Island was a major resort destination complete with a full-scale amusement park and expansive beaches. Since it was a short train ride from my temporary pad in Brooklyn, I dug out a swimsuit and took off to see what it was all about. It's all still there, the beaches, amusement park, even parts of the resort, but is not exactly the glamorous destination it once was.

Which is just my style. It's gritty, it's run-down but also nostalgic and sentimental and downright historic. Maybe just don't swim in the water.

Have I told you I was a carny once? Oaks Amusement Park in Portland, Oregon was my employer for a summer back in college days. Everything about it was great, the sunshine, the screaming children, the other carnies, even the puke (Adventureland is spot on). Most of us have a special place in our psyches for amusement parks, but I feel a double fondness having worked behind the scenes.

Nathan's Famous is a Coney Island landmark, known for it's hotdogs, french fries served with a tiny fork, and house-made lemonade. And frog legs apparently. Since I'm not a hot dog eater (long story) and have never in my life seen frog legs on a menu, it was an obvious choice. Deep fried in a thick batter they are about the size of a chicken drumstick, but taste more like a fish stick. It's hard to dislike anything deep fried, but these were really not half bad. I even made some friends over frog leg discussion. New Yorkers are so dang friendly, it's hard not to love 'em.

I even caught a minor league baseball game while there, the Brooklyn Cyclones, and will proudly sport the free jersey I got just for walking through the gate. My kinda place.

NYC Foodie Highlights (Part III)

Guys and gals I'm sorry to say my New York adventure is officially over. For now. I'm back again typing this on my old leather couch next to a snoozing puppy who was pretty excited to have his mama home. The Hawaiian breeze and birds completing this scene really ain't bad. But I could go for another giant chocolate chip cookie (more like a scone really) that was perfectly crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside from Levain Bakery.

Or another slice of New Haven pizza with clams or mashed potatoes on top. I was lucky enough to pass through Connecticut on my way to a wedding in Saratoga Springs, such a beautiful state.

The bride Kacie was my roommate when I studied abroad in Spain. We were known for such adventures as hotdog launching, botellon drinking, and bringing Halloween to a whole new level in a country that doesn't even celebrate it. Congrats Kacie, you looked stunning!

On our way to a Mets game, I snacked on some plantain chips.

Go Mets! Wait, Gwen, where are you looking?

Lobster bisque from The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market. Uh, I could live in this market. It's basically an old warehouse turned modern-day foodie mecca with all sorts of specialty foods shops and cafes.

I walked that cup of cream off in the nearby Chelsea art district which is loaded with galleries of all kinds, including public ones like this. I thought the space invader in the top right might be the real thing.

Mrs. Lee and I had a lovely blogger meet-up and shared an Italian meat and cheese plate. She is such a doll, so glad we got to meet. That may or may not be a giant glass of limoncello.

I was so inspired by all the art and culture around me on this trip, especially the Guggenheim museum and the Brooklyn Museum, that it was hard not to get into artist mode myself. Doodling while sipping on a cafe au lait and munching an Apple Jacks bar.

For the last meal it was off to Chinatown for amazeballs lamb burgers, cold noodles, and lamb face salad. That's right, lamb face. Thank you New York, in yo face!

NYC Foodie Highlights

One of the best things in life ever is finding a terrific meal for a great price. It's a win win. Fortunately this type of win win is found easily in New York, where there is amazing food for next to nothing (let's be fair, I'm comparing to Hawaii prices). I know what you're thinking, "but New York is expensive!" it is, so you need to do some research to find the deals, but thanks to competition, the deals are everywhere.

Oysters and beer. My first time eating raw ones if you can believe it. They were delish. Scratch that one off the Summer Bucket List!

Cannolis in the West Village.

Coffee and a cupcake = breakfast in central park. I love these coffee cups because you always see New Yorker's drinking out of them in the movies.

Bagel with lox cream cheese.

Chocolate egg cream at a real soda fountain. This place was seriously authentic, down to the soda machines, milk shake maker, old dude wearing a white hat behind the counter, chalkboard menu, diner-style waitress, and grandpa and grandson enjoying a milkshake at the counter.

Lamb and rice plate from a street vendor. I heart spinning meat.

They call this the "sloppy bao," it's like a sloppy Joe, only the Vietnamese way. I call it the bomb. Seriously, this was the best sandwich I've ever had. Meaty, spicy, saucy ground beef topped with marinated green mango and cilantro on a crusty baguette. Nom.

Brooklyn beer on the ledge at the apartment I'll be staying at in Brooklyn. Love this place already.

More to come.