Haupia Squares

One of my favorite desserts is haupia. Haupia is a traditional Hawaiian coconut pudding with the firmness of gelatin. It is typically served at luaus, as a refreshing finish to a heavy Hawaiian meal.

This recipe for haupia has a nutty crust that gives a nice textural balance to the rich coconut. For the nuts, I use macadamia or walnuts. It is sweet and creamy, and would make a good end to any day.

Haupia Squares (from Cooks.com)
Crust:
1 1/2 sticks butter
4 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Haupia Layer:
2 12 oz. cans coconut milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
7 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 1/2 cup water

For crust, cream butter and sugar. Add flour and nuts. Press lightly into greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, cook thawed coconut milk, sugar and water over medium high heat. Add cornstarch mixture to coconut mixture, and stir vigorously until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat, and pour over baked crust. Refrigerate to cool, and cut into squares.

Somen Salad

Somen salad is a Japanese dish that my mother frequently made for our family and various potluck gatherings when I was growing up. As a small child, I remember being allowed to help by shredding the lettuce and chopping the kamaboko fish cake. My favorite part of the dish was always the pieces of vibrantly colored fish cake, so cold and refreshing.

It is simple to make - just chop everything up, and toss it together. It is served cold, with a delicious sesame dressing. Somen noodles and kamaboko are both available in Japanese markets.

Somen Salad
1 package somen noodles, boiled
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup thinly sliced ham
2 eggs, scrambled and thinly sliced
1 package kamaboko, thinly sliced
3 stalks green onion, chopped

Sauce:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cooking oil
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Lay somen in 9x13-inch pan. Garnish with lettuce, kamaboko, ham, green onion and egg. Mix ingredients for sauce in a bottle, and shake well. Pour over salad. Serves 6-8.

Portuguese Bean Soup

With less time these days, I have started cooking in massive batches and freezing the leftovers.

This strategy comes recommended by many mothers who have experienced the early days of parenthood, when time for a shower sounds like a luxury. Our freezer is now stocked with gallon bags of soup and chili, all ready to be thawed and enjoyed.

One of my favorite soups of all time is Portuguese bean soup, a comfort food in Hawaii. It is so simple to make, and is full of hearty meat, potatoes and vegetables. Luckily, I usually have Portuguese sausage on hand in the freezer, thanks to a reliable source (aka my mom), but any other spicy sausage can be substituted. The soup tastes even better on day two or three.

Portuguese Bean Soup
1-2 pounds smoked ham hock
3 cans chicken broth
2 cans kidney beans (15 ounces each)
2 cans tomato sauce (8 ounces each)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
4 potatoes, cubed
4 carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 small head of cabbage, cored and sliced
2 spicy Portuguese sausage (10 ounces each), cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 bay leaf

In a large pot, cover ham hock with chicken broth. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, and lower to simmer until tender (about 1-2 hours). Skim off fat while cooking. Remove ham hocks, and de-bone, dice and set aside. Add rest of ingredients and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Add diced ham hocks, and simmer for 40 minutes. Serves 8-10.

Butter Mochi

Mochi is a Japanese sticky rice cake that has Chinese, Filipino, and other Asian counterparts. Because of its rich Asian culture, Hawaii is a hotbed of hundreds of varieties of the dessert.

A favorite of mine has always been butter mochi, and I've been trying to perfect mine for a while now. The best butter mochi is moist, soft and chewy, with a slightly crisp edge. Mochiko (or mochi flour) is glutinous rice flour, and can be found in most grocery stores in the Asian food section. Mochi will keep for a few days. Do not freeze or refrigerate mochi, as it will dry out and harden.

Butter Mochi
1 pound mochiko
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
5 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can coconut milk

In large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add in remaining ingredients. Mix with wire wisk until batter is smooth. Pour into well-greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares with a plastic knife.

Welcome to Flavor of Hawaii!

Many of my fondest memories growing up in Hawaii were moments in the kitchen and around the dinner table. From munching on my grandmother's crispy Chinese pretzels, to observing the hours-long process of the kalua pig roasting in the imu, to standing outside the local bakery for a warm malasada, food played a central role in my life.

Hawaii is home to many cultures, and local Hawaiian cuisine reflects those influences, including Polynesia, China, Philippines, Japan, Korea, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, Thailand and other places.

With this blog, I hope to share with you the Hawaiian food and recipes that are dear to my heart.

For people who hail from Hawaii, for visitors who fell in love with Hawaiian culture, and for the curious cooks who what to try their hand at Hawaiian cuisine, this blog is for you!

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