The Mainland's Take on Chinese Food

I had read a poor review in a newspaper (I don't remember which one) about P.F. Changs shortly after it had opened, and it lead me to a good point. Why go to a mainland-owned Chinese chain restaurant when we are much closer to China and have great authentic local Chinese cuisine? But my co-workers (both originally from the mainland) wouldn't stop raving about how much they loved the P.F. Changs on the mainland and how they were glad it finally took up shop here in Hawaii. On top of that, one of them gave me a gift card to the restaurant for my birthday. I had no plans to go this restaurant until I was given the opportunity to decide for myself which hype to believe.

(Sorry for the pictures, I wasn't prepared and only had my camera phone on me-I will put in more photos from elsewhere)
If nothing else, the inside of the restaurant is beautiful. The color scheme is great, done in bright and warm hues that match with the golden light coming from Asian lanterns. Separating the bar area from the rest of the restaurant are large blown glass figures strung on poles that look to me like giant vertical beaded necklaces. We sat as far away from the entrance and outdoor dining area as possible in a booth.


(From the Honolulu Advertiser)
Our waiter was pleasant enough, though nothing to rave about, and we decided on an appetizer to split while we sipped on a Reisling (Randy's choice) and Gewurtstraminer (my choice). The wines were great and went well with our appetizer choice, Seared Ahi Tuna. The description the menu gave was that the tuna was rolled in Chinese spices, wok seared, and served cold with spicy mustard. This was the best dish by far, and the tuna was cooked great leaving the inside with a nice sashimi texture, though it may have worked better if they were warm instead. The generous drizzling of the mustard could have been lighter, but the flavors went well together and were balanced nicely with the sweet wines we had ordered. It came with a little sprout salad which Randy didn't care for, and I felt indifferent about.


(Seared ahi)
I should stop here and make a point about the bugs. As soon as our dishes were placed in front of us, the bugs came. I did happen to mention that we were as far away from the open seating as possible in the restaurant, but the bugs came anyway. They were irritating little flying things, sort of like fruit flies, that would buzz around our plates and faces. I found this very unfavorable as I have eaten in countless restaurants both indoor and outdoor and have not had this problem (maybe a few normal flies, but only when I was truly outdoors). We told the waiter and he asked us if we would like to move, but where would we have gone? Closer to the outdoors and the flies? He mentioned it might be because of the trash they put out and it left me thinking that they should keep better control of their trash so as not to bother diners.

For and entree we shared the Cantonese Roasted Duck (something that I had been wanting to have-Duck with plum sauce, but was having a hard time finding it on local Chinese menus). The duck was served with steamed wheat buns, cucumbers, scallions, plum and hoisin sauces. The buns were good, and the duck had an alright flavor, but was too try for my personal liking. The cucumbers and scallions were good garnishes, but the sauces weren't to my liking. I had tried plum sauce at The Elks Club before, and liked it much better. This version didn't have the sweetness I so enjoyed from plum sauce.

We got a vegetable to accompany this main dish and decided on Coconut Curry Vegetables. The dish was a mixed vegetable dish that was stir fried with tofu and peanuts in a coconut curry sauce. To me this dish tasted more Thai then Chinese, because of the peanuts and curry. Though it was pretty good, the coconut flavor didn't really come out and this was a dish that we couldn't eat too much of because the flavor got tiring (do you know what I mean?). We had to take it home and I ate it the next day.

(from Waikikinews website)
I think what I enjoyed most about the restaurant was the large Chinese stylized horse statue out front- that is to say I probably won't be returning. I am grateful for the giftcard and chance that I had to try this restaurant out, but even with the card, we paid a steep bill for the mediocre meal we had. My friend has dined twice there and said though the first time was below average, the second was great and changed her opinion about the place. Too bad for me there won't be a second time. This just goes to show that my reviews are my personal opinion and you never know how things are gonna go until you try it yourself! With that said, I think the flies should have helped with the bill because they enjoyed it more than us.

In honor of Jack Sparrow...

Last night I made a rum cake in the honor of the new movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Unfortunately I didn't go see it, but the cake was good! Maybe I'll go today. If anyone knows the first two movies, Jack Sparrow is always wondering why the rum is gone, and now I know! 'Cause I put it all in this cake!

I didn't take a picture, but as I was looking for photos to accompany this recipe, I came across a Caribbean product called Tortuga Rum cakes. In the movies, Tortuga is the infamous pirate-run island that Jack visits many times (evident by his many lady friends there). Not only does it exist, but it makes rum cakes!

I first tasted this particular recipe at church and being the cook/baker I now am, asked my mother to get the recipe from the lady who made it (she knows almost everyone at the church). I finally got it, but to my dismay, it just listed ingredients and a few steps- leaving out several things. So I made it up as I went and it turned out very well. The cake is soft and moist, and the soaking sauce gives it a feel somewhat like the tres leches cake (as the bottom is soaked through with the rum sauce). The rum sauce called for 1 cup of butter, but I reduced it, and you could reduce it even more if you wanted. Also it maybe would get denser and more soaked if you left it overnight. Another thing about the sauce, it is VERY rum heavy in flavor, you may want to reduce that as well since it doesn't get cooked out. But I liked it!!!

The Pirates of the Caribbean Rum Soaked Cake
1 box butter pecan cake mix
1 package (4 serving) instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs well beaten
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup dark rum (I used Meyers)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional-I didn't put these in)

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bundt pan with pam spray or butter. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan evenly.
2) In large bowl mix all ingredients with an electric mixer until well combined. Scrape bowl occasionally. Pour into prepared pan.
3) Bake for 38-40 minutes (I did for 38 minutes-this kept it very moist on the inside and outside). Cool for 5-10 minutes in pan.

For Rum Soaking Glaze:
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup of water
1/3 cup sugar (I used partially Splenda)
1/2 cup dark rum

1) Melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar and water, bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Once cooled, poke top of cake (while still in bundt pan-so technically it will become the bottom) with fork or knife all over, 1/2 in from each other. Pour rum sauce slowly over top, allowing it to soak into cake. Let cake sit a couple more minutes before inverting onto serving plate.

I hope this recipe works well for you! Have a piratey day!

Italian at Heart

I love pasta and most Italian food but unfortunately I don't eat it as much as I'd like for fear of the deadly carbs. When I do, I like it interesting full of yummy add-ins like veggies. Here are a few pasta dishes I made in the last few weeks.



This dish was discovered on a fellow foodie blog, and it's called Drunken Pasta. Now WHO can resist a name like that? I followed the recipe and minimized the salt, but at the end, found that I needed to add more. I guess it's better than having too much salt by putting it in throughout the recipe. Alongside is a sugar snap pea salad with onions and lemon. You can find the recipe for the pasta here.


For a deliciously light and healthy pasta dish with shrimp, I found this great summer recipe in a Good Housekeeping May 2006 issue. It is chock full of fresh veggies like asparagus, carrots, and snow peas, plump pink shrimp, and a surprisingly light cream sauce. The only problem I found was getting the sauce to reach all the noodles and ingredients, it tended to sink to the bottom of the serving dish, so make sure you toss well, or continuously.

Pasta Primavera
Ingredients:
1 package (16 ounces) medium shell or bow-tie pasta (I used spiral/rotini pasta)
4 medium carrots, sliced diagonally into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 cups broccoli florets (half a 12-ounce bag) and/or 2 cups 2-inch pieces asparagus (8 ounces)
6 ounces snap peas or snow peas, strings removed, or 1 cup frozen peas
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 pound uncooked frozen or fresh shelled and deveined large shrimp, with tail part of shell left on if you like
3 plum tomatoes or 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup loosely packed mixed fresh herbs such as basil, mint, dill, and/or parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

Directions
1. Heat large covered saucepot of salted water to boiling over high heat.
2. Add pasta to water in saucepot; heat to boiling over high heat. Cook pasta 3 minutes. Add carrots, broccoli, and snap peas to pasta; heat to boiling. Cook pasta and vegetables 3 minutes longer. Remove 1/2 cup pasta cooking water; set aside. In colander, drain pasta and vegetables; set aside.
3. In same saucepot, heat cream, lemon peel, reserved pasta cooking water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Add frozen shrimp and cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn opaque throughout. (If using fresh shrimp, cook only 2 to 3 minutes.)
4. Add pasta and vegetables to shrimp mixture in saucepot. Add tomatoes and mixed herbs and toss to combine; heat through.

Yes I know the Muffin Man...

Hello all, ready for some more delayed and belated recipes? I love muffins, and always like experimenting. Several weeks ago I was browsing through my recipes as I always love to do, and found a lemon poppy seed bread recipe. I had just bought some poppy seeds and decided to give it a go, but I wanted personal sized servings, so I instead turned the bread into muffins. Because I used the same recipe, the muffin was more dense and less moist and fluffy than regular muffins, but they still were very good. I got inspired by another food blog to put half a strawberry in each before baking but wasn't prepared for the surprise explosion that resulted in holes through the top. They were still tasty and I look forward to modifying the recipe someday.



The next muffin is now famous throughout the food blog circles. It is called the Snickerdoodle Muffin but now affectionately renamed The Refund Muffin. Peabody, being the most amazing baker she is, originally posted these delectable muffins. To everyone's shock, someone had the audacity to write Peabody saying that it was a horrible recipe and they wanted a check for the money they spent making it!! I am now submitting my official approval that these muffins are THE BEST and that person was completely out of their mind! Peabody deserves all the credit for these muffins so please visit her site for the recipe. They were moist, cakey, and tasted exactly like the beloved Snickerdoodle cookie. My whole family adored them!



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I must post another recipe on here that fits the "breakfast" theme. It is a great recipe of a dish I see popping up in every cooking magazine, Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes. These are made with a chunky blueberry sauce and are very healthy, not to mention delish! The ricotta taste didn't stand out but kept the dish soft with almost a creamy texture inside, and the blueberry sauce had just enough sweetness.


Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons canola oil divided (I used extra virgin olive oil)
3/4 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries

1) Whisk whole wheat flour, AP flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg in a small bowl. Whisk ricotta, egg, egg white, buttermilk, lemon zest and juice in a large bowl until smooth. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
2) Brush a large nonstick skillet with 1/2 tespoon oil and place over medium heat until hot. Using a generous 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake, pour the batter for two pancakes into the pan, sprinkle blueberries on top of each pancake, and cook until the edges are dry and bubbles begin to form, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining oil, batter, and berries, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning. Keep finished pancakes warm in a 200 degrees F oven if desired, while cooking the rest.

Makes 4 servings, 2 pancakes each

Chunky Blueberry Sauce
(good on yogurt, ice cream, or cottage cheese)
2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Stir together blueberries, honey, lemon zest, and juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, at least 15 min. Let cool for 10 minutes; serve warm.

Viva Mexico!

Cinco de Mayo was so much fun, and VERY tasty and I'm sorry I took this long to post it. I made a beef (using turkey) taco skillet, baked tortilla chips, and my first ever Tres Leches cake. We had yummy margaritas too, and I love Mr and Mrs T Margarita mix.


I pulled this recipe from a magazine, it was part of a Campbell's add. This was super easy to make, and so amazingly delicious, we all LOVED it!

Ranchero Taco Skillet

1 lb ground turkey
1 can Campbell's tomato soup
1/2 cup salsa (I used a peach pineapple salsa of medium heat that gave each bite a hint of sweetness)
1/2 cup water 8-9 small corn tortillas (or 6 six inch flour tortillas), cut into one inch pieces (strips or triangles-I did both)
1/2 cup (or more) cheddar cheese (or mixed cheese blend, I used cheddar and Monterey Jack)

1) Cook turkey in large skillet until browned, stirring to break up meat. Pour off fat.
2) Stir in soup, salsa, water, and tortillas. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 min. Stir, and top with cheese. Makes 4 Servings.


I made my tres leches cake from a recipe I found on the website "Diana's Desserts". There were two different was to make a topping for the cake, and I chose to make the whipped cream topping instead of the Meringue. This cake was very moist and the texture of the milk soaked cake reminded me of tiramisu. It was a little difficult to measure because I wanted to third the recipe since I really didn't need or want 9-12 servings hanging around. I used a small loaf pan for the cake and it turned out fine. You can find the recipe here.

These are My Obsessions

I have been in a love affair that has lasted almost a year in a half now, and whenever I am near them I just melt into pure bliss. Who, do you say gives me such heavenly pleasure? It's not who, but what.....Dates. I am in love with these natural candies of the dessert and buy them whenever possible. I have tried a couple different brands, but my heart belongs to Sunsweet Pitted Dates. Just biting into one makes me feel relaxed and almost as if I am in a dessert oasis with the warm breezes caressing me as I savor the sugary goodness of each succulent fruit.

My new favorite snack and way to eat them is dipped in or stuffed with just the right amount of cream cheese. This is how I first tasted dates and was amazed by the contrast of the sweetness with the rich creamy flavor of the cheese. You need to try this, all of you, and discover why I ate 12 of them in a row when I got home from work yesterday!


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Another new beloved addiction of mine has become Caribou Coffee Granola bars. They taste like dessert, but are only 140 calories. I have tried the mocha, caramel, and the mint. These are granola bars made by General Mills, and they are just amazing. Each bar has the aroma and taste of coffee, complimented by the chewy and crunchy granola and accompanying flavors. The top is drizzled with a flavored "icing" of sorts, and the bottom is dipped in dark chocolate studded with ground coffee beans. The Mint Condition flavor smells like coffee and has a hint of coffee taste, but truly tastes like a bar version of mint chocolate chip ice cream. So if you're on a diet and are missing the sweet flavors of those coffee house Frappuccinos, pick up a box of Caribou Coffee Bars and never miss out again!

Texas Time and Splendaville- Dining Out Reviews

I'm sorry I don't have pictures of my own, but I thought I needed to do a couple small reviews to clear the backup of posts I have waiting to go up. In the last couple weeks I have been to several places including these in posts to come: P.F. Changs and Soul De Cuba Cafe.


Molly's Smokehouse- Texas Style BBQ, Wahiawa
Randy the fiance is from Texas and ever since the sad close down of Deb's Soul Food in Kailua, we had been looking for a southern food place to chow down at. When I found this restaurant online and read the reviews, I immediately put it on my list of places to go, but because it was way out in Wahiawa, it had to wait for a day trip to the North Shore. We went a couple of weeks ago, late morning, with our stomachs prepared and eagerly rumbling. To my surprise the place is sit down and though it boasts southern hospitality, the dining room was rather sterile and plain to me. The one standout addition was the large black meat smoker outside, in the front of the diner, that released smoke with a savory aroma.

Photo of Sweet Tea from Chowtimes.com
We wanted to try a bunch of different things (including the kolaches that had been written about in several newspapers), so we ordered a combo plate of spare ribs and brisket that came with sides of cole slaw, corn bread, baked beans, and corn on the cob. We also ordered an extra side of fried okra, and 3 kolaches "to go". To drink, we shared a large sweet tea. The first to come out was the warm corn muffin, and though we were splitting the meal, it would have been nice if they would have given us two without us having to ask. The cornbread was average and the sweet tea was perfect in Randy's Texas opinion, but too sweet for me; so much so that I had to water it down. The good thing about it was that there was free refills!

When our meal came, we were ready to eat. The meat smelled good and had a good flavor. I liked the smokiness of the beef brisket, but didn't care much for the ribs. I love BBQ sauce and unfortunately this sauce was too spicy for me. Actually I was expecting the meat (especially the brisket) to be a lot more tender and fall apart, but it was tough and because of this, I didn't really like either entree. Randy agreed that they weren't as supple as the slow cooked brisket he had at home, but he still loved it. The sides were my favorite, I liked them better than the meat. I guess that's because I'm not a southern girl. The corn was average (it would have been nice if it had been Kahuku corn), but the cole slaw was fresh and not too soupy, it had the perfect amount of the sweet cole slaw dressing. The fried okra was really great, I hadn't had some if so long and I think it might have tasted better with some sort of a ranch dip. My favorite side was the baked beans that were both sweet and savory, and went very well with the corn bread muffins.

Of the kolaches, I really enjoyed the pulled pork. I had never had a kolache before and though the flavoring of the meat was different (and WONDERFUL), the bread texture and slightly sweet flavor reminded me of a baked manapua. The sweet kolaches on the other hand (we got blueberry and cream cheese) tasted like a bun version of those prepackaged danishes you can get at gas stations and continental breakfasts. Because of this, they didn't stand out to me as something I would order again.

Would I come back? Probably only for the savory kolaches, and only if I was out at that side of the island to begin with.
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Sweet Nothings Bakery
Randy and I have discussed many times the possibility of the military (or some other organization) tapping our brain and stealing our brilliant ideas. This happened first with Randy's idea of different kinds of butters made out of seeds and nuts (like peanut butter). And sure enough there is now sunflower butter and cashew butter (I think). With the advent of Splenda, the baking sugar substitute, I thought it would be a great idea to make a sugar-free bakery that offered sweets accessible to people with diabetes or on diets. And sure enough, today I discovered a bakery called Sweet Nothings.

This bakery located less than a block away from Ala Moana sells only sugar-free items (except for a couple of soft drinks) including some commercial candies and snacks that are sugar free. Made in the bakery are pies, cakes (including cheesecake), chocolate dipped strawberries, turnovers, muffins and cookies. Along with this spectacular line up were napoleons of puff pastry filled with a generous piping of luscious white cream and several flavors of chocolates that are (of course) sugar free.

Randy and I were so interested in what the items from this shop would taste like (since I use Splenda a lot at home), that we had to order a couple things. The products are a little more expensive than their full-calorie counterparts but we didn't mind too much. He ordered an eclair and I ordered a raspberry pinwheel. The raspberry pinwheel was an adorable shape, made out of crispy pastry dough and filled with a tart raspberry jelly like filling. There was also a really sweet drizzle of icing over the top and I couldn't tell at all that it was sugar-free at all! The eclair was light and airy and the chocolate was sooo good, very dark and sinful. The cream filling was so creamy and flavorful, and I only detected a hint of Splenda. It seemed like the entire flavor of the pastry was focused on the flavors of the eclair rather than sweetness that often comes with pastries.

You guys should definately go check this place out!