Mango Season on Maui

MANGO SEASON ON MAUI

Mango season on Maui comes once a year. It's a time of year that I really look forward to. When I first moved to Maui I think I had a mango or two. However, it wasn't until last year that I really started noticing the mango trees on Maui. It was as if a blindfold had been removed from my eyes. They were everywhere. This year I had access to a mango yard of 10 trees!

Mango season came a little later this year because of the colder weather earlier. It's now August and we are still seeing some mangoes. My friend Debbie and her husband Bob visited from the Washington, DC area in July and I know that the mangoes were a highlight of the visit. We had fun picking mangoes, making mango smoothies, eating mango bread and dehydrating mangoes.

How can something like mangoes be so intriguing? I do not know why they excite me so much, but they do. I get so excited just thinking about them, finding them, cooking with them, sharing them with friends. Mangoes are a very lush and sweet fruit and they grow so abundantly, nobody has to do anything, they just appear. It's really quite amazing. The trees grow dozens of feet high. The mango is so delicious when you get it ripened from the tree. I am aware that most people will never have experienced the lusciousness of a tree ripened mango.

I know for sure that mangoes have inspired me. They inspired me to come up with new recipes. They have helped me make new friends. They put a smile on my face. I look forward to waking up in the morning and foraging for mangoes. I look forward to finding the deep red/orange ones that are perfectly ripened and ready to eat. I look forward to peeling, slicing and pureeing mangoes. Mangoes, they have created moments for me, good memories. Mangoes have taken me to a place of appreciation, awareness and creativity. It's really quite amazing how a fruit could do that!

Traditions - Celebrations - Rituals

What are your rituals related to eating, food, holidays, celebrations, everyday moments?

I know that I am a product of my upbringing as well as the environment I created in adulthood. My desire to create unique experiences that leave an impact is important to me. My father taught me a Japanese proverb, "always treat your guests as if you are never going to see them again." Always treat each person with such honor and respect and serve them the very best food and drink you have on the very best China you have. And remember, it's YOUR very best, it doesn't have to be the best that Donald Trump or Oprah can offer. It's your best. And it comes from the heart.

When I was growing up my father insisted on us eating together as a family, especially for Sunday breakfast. He never cooked, but every Christmas Eve when I got older it was the two of us who went to a small town outside of Detroit to buy our Polish traditional foods. And on Christmas Day we celebrated with my mother's Italian clan, with their traditions. However, to this day Christmas Eve is one of my most important holidays. My father made it a special day and wanted me to remember the moment and to remind me where he came from and my roots. The traditional foods that we ate are not as important to me as the ritual itself. And in that ritual I remember so many things. It's about the ritual and having a ritual, it doesn't matter what ritual.

In many countries around the world the food around holidays is so important. In China when you go to someone's home during the Chinese New Year's the simple offering of oranges and peanuts is a traditional offering. It's a very important custom. Something as simple as that is significant. When I was in Koh Samui, Thailand I had the opportunity to meet a German man who was an expert at Chinese tea ceremonies. The way he washed the tea leaves. The way he expressed his passion. The cups he used. The way each of us savored the magnificent tea from China in Thailand is a memory that stays with me years later. The way this man shared with us his wisdom and his ceremony was what mattered.

When I was in Italy for Christmas and New Year's over 20 years ago I remember the 12-course Italian feast. The grapes. The rabbit (which I did not eat!). The setting of this grand table. The wine. The significance of the large family coming together and celebrating. I was invited as a member of my extended family.

In every tradition, every family, every culture, we have rituals. Here in Hawaii one of the special gifts we have is Hawaiian chant and offering a flower lei to the hostess or guest of honor. It's a reminder of the special moment that the celebration signifies. In our every day life we have rituals. We have moments that remind us of who we are and where we are going. They may change over time, but the rituals you have as a family stay with you forever.

In my brother's family of 9 children his wife sees the extreme importance of honoring each child's birthday. As a child growing up she did not have this gift given to her and in being a mother to 9 children it is a priority for her. Each child feels special on their day in a very unique way. And I know that each child will remember that their mother did this for each child. They have 11 birthdays to celebrate a year, including the parents. There's always SOMEONE to celebrate.

Last year I went to my cousin's wedding. She is Italian/Polish and her husband is from Indian descent. It was so amazing. They merged both cultures in the celebration. They honored both traditions. She had a white wedding gown and a special Indian saree. It was so beautiful. They served Indian appetizers, American fare, an Indian dinner and an American dinner. Each tradition was honored with respect as the two cultures merged through the hearts of two in love.

Each moment when you do something, see it as a significant ritual, a tradition you are honoring or creating. Everything we do does matter. It does.

"As we see ourselves as the world, as we see the oneness of life, the whole world become available. Then the Zen cook knows that every aspect of life is an ingredient of the supreme meal."

--Instructions to the cook: A Zen Master's Lessons in Living a Life That Matters by Bernard Glassman & Rick Fields

Fresh - Local

THAI, FRENCH, LOCAL...

I love to travel. I don't particularly start cooking a cuisine that I have been exposed to. However, I do tend to incorporate some of the unique techniques and like to experiment with different foods and sometimes like to experiment with an international dish.

When I was in Thailand I definitely enjoyed the freshness of everything. If you have not traveled to Thailand you would be amazed at the quality and quantity of fresh food. Local women prepare food daily. The fresh mangoes and coconuts are abundant. I really enjoyed the fact that even "junk" food was still fresh and good for you. For example, dessert would be coconut sticky rice with fresh mangoes or sweet potatoes encrusted with coconut and fried.

Here in America it didn't always used to be easy to get "fresh" in every restaurant. It's easier to get farm to table more and more, but you usually have to pay a lot of money for these experiences. In Thailand, even the most inexpensive restaurants provide homemade everything.

The other week I prepared a French feast and even though I'm not trained in French cuisine I really enjoyed the challenge of being authentic as possible while incorporating the freshest of Hawaiian ingredients. I was able to create a bouillabaisse (fish stew from Marseilles) and located fresh Monchong, Blue Marlin and Opah. It was a good experience for me because it made me realize that a dish is only as good as the location where you get your ingredients. We are fortunate here in Hawaii that even in the local supermarkets local fish is brought in daily.

Wherever you are take a recipe that you know that you can locate fresh local ingredients or substitute items that you can incorporate into the recipe to make it your own. I know that my best recipes have been created from the local ingredients. One item that we get fresh here year round is corn. And so I have created fresh corn salmon cakes, or corn cheese pudding/souffle and corn with scallions and butter. With the local Big Island mushrooms I have come up with rosemary white wine mushrooms with chicken and special rosemary mushroom risotto.

It doesn't matter where you live. There are always local ingredients that are abundant at different times of year. And sometimes in your area you get an abundance of fresh ingredients from other areas as well. Be creative. Expand your culinary skills by being innovative while using local abundant ingredients.

Bon appetit.

Food Presentation

Presentation Matters

When I worked at a fine dining restaurant I will say that the most significant thing that I learned was the importance of food presentation. I have always felt that the way food looks is as important as it tastes. However, I recognize more and more that the way food is presented on the plate is a very important element to serving food.

I am a personal chef but know that the food appeal is a major part of the creativity in my work. And since I have to take photos of the food I also know how important it is to make the food look just right. I use the food to create the dramatic presentation.

I could not believe the results of the trifle. It is delicious. But in effect it is simply an orange cream, orange chiffon cake and a berry sauce. If you served the piece of cake with some cream and berries on a plate it would look great. However, by assembling it in layers in a trifle bowl the dramatic effect is amplified. And people come back for seconds.

What I have learned is that the more dramatic it is, the more appreciation I get. What I enjoy is getting a "wow" response. Food is art and food is meant to be eating, but it is also meant to be enjoyed for what it is.

And what I really love is that I'm getting more creative over time. I also feel that the food I am learning to work with is getting more versatile and exciting to use as well. For example, using fresh mangoes for a frozen mango cream, or using Big Island mushrooms that are versatile and also very "cute." I also enjoy using fruit, such as pineapple as the bowl to serve the medley. And of course herbs are a wonderful addition to a dish, such as rosemary sprigs or mint leaves and basil. And here in Hawaii we use fresh orchids to decorate plates a well.

Allow your creativity to expand and explore the world of food that will tempt your palate and please the stomach.

Celebrations

CELEBRATING NOW!

I have been meaning to write on this topic for a long time now. Celebrations mean a lot to me. And hosting or cooking for celebrations is one of my favorite things to do.

Whether it's a birthday party, Easter, a baptism or another holiday. I can be creative. Guests can be creative.

For Easter this year my friend Katherine was in charge of Easter eggs and the baskets. The colors. The sweetness. I had some colorful candles and before you know it we had a beautiful festive table. And of course the food was delicious. The day was gorgeous. It was a day of celebration.

For my mother's 70th birthday it was important to create a memorable day. I created the feast. However, I included the guests in contributing special words of wisdom, a song, a poem.

For Thanksgiving this past year I cooked for 2 families. What I loved about it was that I knew that that I was creating a memory, for the families, the children, for all of us.

I believe in celebrating in a big, colorful way, with food, friends, and a splash of class. My father taught me an ancient Japanese proverb. Always treat your guests as if it was the last time you would see them. Treat them to the best food, the best wines and the most memorable experience.

Perhaps this is why people remember my parties and events. For me, I love making a day extra special. I want people to feel special. I want the guests to feel loved and appreciated and know that we are celebrating the moment together.

It's not how many breaths we take, it's the moments that take our breath away.

Gourmet Lunch - Farm to Table

Almost 2 months ago my mother came to Maui to celebrate her 70th birthday. I created a magical week for her. On her actual birthday we woke up in the morning to do yoga on the beach. It was raining. That's a rare occasion in Kihei (desert!). She saw a rainbow and was so happy. It was a day full of surprises. I wouldn't tell her what we were going to do. I know I was excited. We were going to the O'O Farm in Kula to pick our fresh produce and have a chef prepare a lunch for us. It was raining but we picked fresh peapods and greens. It was so awesome.

The rain made the experience even more memorable. We were given rain capes and were shown the property. The guides are not only knowledgeable, but dedicated to their work on the farm. They have a selection of produce for their restaurants on Front Street, I'O and Pacifico.

Here on Maui I am continuously amazed at the ingenuity, dedication, love and commitment people here have to the land and to continued improvement. This working farm is an amazing example of this.

I know our meal under the rain covering with our wine and fresh bread was the perfect way to spend a day with my mom.

Being a Personal Chef

Aloha and Mahalo. It has been over a year now that I have been working as a personal chef. It has been a fascinating journey. And what's interesting is that my biggest fear of not having variety or getting bored definitely is not an issue in this field. It has been an amazing year of opportunities and growth. My birthday is in less than a week so I thought it would be appropriate to express my thanks and gratitude to this amazing island of Maui, its visitors and the local ohana that is so bright and beautiful.

I can now say that I specialize in gourmet fresh food with Hawaiian//Mediterranean influence. It's been awesome getting to know the local vendors for the freshest fruits, vegetables and herbs. I have also had a lot of fun creating new dishes incorporating these ingredients.

My clients have included families hiring me for the week in their luxury villa. Visitors here for weddings hosting private events at their oceanfront homes. Romantic dinner surprises. Guests having birthday celebrations for friends and family. People buying gift certificates for cooking classes as gifts for their friends here on Maui. Cooking classes for children. Thanksgiving lunches. Posh Christmas gatherings for 40. Raw food gatherings. I have have been able to get a name for some of my specialty desserts. I also have regular clients who get my gourmet meals weekly. I have traveled the entire island and my versatility and flexibility have given me many opportunities I could not have imagined.

This year has been a journey into the appreciation of celebration, food and being creative. I have learned so much this past year about the versatility of ingredients and the need to keep true to my desire to keep meals fresh, healthy, delicious and full of variety.

It has been awesome to help people celebrate events in a memorable and fun way. I appreciate the creative opportunity. It's an honor to be with people as they celebrate, whether it's a honeymoon, a birthday, a sunset, a holiday or just a beautiful day on Maui. Thank you Maui. Thank you everyone who has helped make this journey possible. Mahalo.

I will be writing again soon. Have a beautfiul day.

Soup Kitchen Volunteer

Hale Kau Kau is the soup kitchen run by St. Theresa and a group of dedicated people and volunteers. This soup kitchen has been running for 17 years. It is open 365 days a year 7 days a week. They serve dinner to anyone who comes every evening in Kihei. I was impressed when I went there to volunteer the other day.

Last week I had a bag of groceries that I brought over there and popped my head in to see if I could volunteer and when. Marie, the manager said that they needed a cook on Wednesday evenings. I said I would be there and showed up a little after 2:00 ready to create a meal.

I felt privileged to work in such a positive environment. Everything was so well organized. I had leeway to make what I wanted that first evening since I was the cook. I wasn’t quite as fast as I could have been, considering that I had about 90 minutes to make a meal for 100 people after figuring out what to make. I saw what was in the pantry and walk-in and made some quick evaluations. In addition to the men and women who come for meals every evening the soup kitchen also provides meals for home-bound people across the island. We prepared enough meals for 40 carry-out meals so that people who cannot leave their homes would get fed as well.

I made pasta with fresh basil garlic pesto with carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. There was some spiced turkey that I had cubed and we put that into the pasta for the main course. Since there wasn’t enough pasta I also made another main course with risotto and turkey and served a side of spinach, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Gail, a regular volunteer and amazing woman made salad that everyone raved over. Every evening they serve dessert, bread and fruit too, along with milk. It’s a very healthy and fresh meal.

I loved the fact that the people who were coming to eat a meal were getting food that was not only home cooked but was cooked with love. I knew right away that everyone at Hale Kau Kau loves what they do and do it with compassion and caring, it’s obvious.

If you are in Maui visiting or a full time resident come by and volunteer or drop off donations at the kitchen at St. Theresa’s in Kihei. During the week you can come and volunteer at 3:00 Mon- Fri and 2:30 on the weekends. This was a good experience for me, to help me open my eyes wider and see another world beyond the one I exist in.

Live well, eat well and appreciate all that you have.

Easy Spreads and Dips - Recipes Included

When I was growing up the dips that we used to make were always made with mayonnaise and sour cream. Since most people are looking for healthy alternatives I have had to come up with some options. I am a huge fan of spreads and dips and have come up with a few that are really healthy as well as really beautiful too!

Today I came up with a recipe that uses carrots and cashews! It’s delicious yet so healthy and you could eat it guilt-free. Remember, that even if you are eating something like nuts that are heavy in calories and natural fat you are not eating these calories in the other fatty ingredients you normally would be using and eating. In addition a cashew is full of vitamins and nutrients. The recipe for carrot cashew paté is a great dip for an afternoon snack with your children, using baby carrots and celery sticks as dippers.

I also am going to share my ultimate garlicky hummus recipe. I made this recipe up for a friend who didn’t want to spend the $5.00 at the health food store for a small container. The ingredients were still expensive, but in the end a much better deal because of the quantity and quality of the end result! If you want to get away from bread and fatty crackers there are fat-free crispy flatbreads available and even tortillas that you can use for these spreads.

The key to eating well is thinking outside the box and discovering alternatives that will satisfy the cravings and yet your taste buds are still enticed. You can make these spreads ahead of time for parties and they last up to a week or so in the refrigerator. You can make them look beautiful and get creative when you decorate them for even your family, I bet your kids will want to participate!

Eat well and make cooking an art, not just something you have to do. Make it fun and try something new and different! Thinking outside the box allows your creativity to flow and your imagination run wild.

Cashew Carrot Paté

Ingredients:
3 med. carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 cloves garlic peeled
1 c. raw unsalted cashews (soaked for 1 hr. and drained)
1 tbls. soy sauce or tamari
2 tbls. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
sea salt, to taste

Preparation:
In a food processor blend the carrots, celery and garlic to a fine consistency.
Drain the water from the cashews. Add them to the processor with the vegetables and process along with the soy sauce or tamari, olive oil and sea salt. Stop periodically and scrape the sides with a rubber spatula. Continue to blend until creamy. Chill and serve.
For serving you can put the mixture into a medium glass bowl to use as a mold. Place a plate under bowl and carefully allow paté to sit in middle of plate. You can take a peeler and make a few carrot curls for decoration on top. Place a few whole cashews on top if you like or even a few chopped cashews for decoration. Serve with carrot or celery sticks or crackers and flatbreads.

NOTE: you can use soaked raw almonds (skins removed) or sunflower seeds instead of cashews. Cashews give a nice creamy consistency, especially raw ones.

Ultimate Garlicky Hummus

Ingredients:
2 15 oz Cans Garbanzo Beans (2 2/3 cup cooked beans drained, reserve 3/4 c. bean liquid)
6 Garlic Cloves Peeled
3/4 c. Tahini (raw sesame paste)
3/4 c. Bean Liquid
1/2 c. Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbls. Sea Salt
Optional Herbs (parsley or basil)

Basil Leaves

Pine Nuts

Sundried Tomato Strips

Preparation:
In food processor blend garbanzo beans, garlic cloves and tahini until mixed. Slowly add reserved bean liquid and lemon juice until processed. Add olive oil in a slow drizzle. Keep blending until well blended and smooth. It takes about 10 min. Add 1 tbls. or more sea salt to taste. You can add dried or fresh basil and/or parsley. Blend mixture a little more until just mixed.

To serve you can decorate the top with a sprinkling of pine nuts, basil leaves and a few sundried tomato strips. Use your imagination.

This makes over 4 cups hummus. Refrigerate in covered containers, keeps about a week. Enjoy with flat bread or in wraps.

NOTE: If you need to adjust the lemon juice or garlic to taste with a little more water or bean liquid. If you are using fresh herbs only add a few basil leaves or parsley, you do not want the mixture to turn green.

Your Life Now Animated

I just finished watching the movie Miss Potter. It’s the real life story about the children’s author and illustrator Beatrix Potter. She is the best-selling author of children’s stories, including the “Tale of Peter Rabbit.” It was so inspiring because it tells of a tale of a woman’s imagination as a child. She was fearless in her pursuit to express herself through her art and her stories that brought the images alive. She said that when she started a page she had no idea where the journey would take her. For me, this is what life is about, the journey that we begin, but not knowing the destination. How many of us are willing to follow our heart’s journey? I highly recommend watching the movie “Miss Potter” as it will touch your heart and awaken the imagination of a child.

Today, as you go about your business imagine a life that you want to live, tell your story the way you want it to be. Start looking at the people and things all around you and see them, not just notice them. This alone could change your life. Start seeing the very things that show up a little more animated, a little more alive, a little more sensation.

If I relate this topic to nature I can only relate my own experience related to the fruit trees just a block from my home. I never noticed them for a couple of years now. And yet, they are so alive and so awesome. When the trees just have leaves now I notice their awesomeness and their aliveness. And when they produce fruit I now stand there in appreciation for the gifts the tree bears. In my ignorance the tree still existed and in its existence it still was awesome, but I lacked the awareness to even notice.

In fact, just recently I discovered passion fruit trees in my backyard. They are producing fruit. I wondered where the fruit was falling from, as the little yellow fruit just appeared one day. I didn’t even pay attention to its source. It took me a couple weeks to focus on the source and to pay attention to where this beautiful and tasty fruit was falling from. Then weeks later I realize that the huge trees that are full of intertwining vines are in fact passion fruit producing trees. It was only today that I realized that I had a couple of these awesome trees growing where I co-exist.

During this journey of discovering what is surrounding me I also figured out that there were not only several types of mango varieties in the 20 or more trees within 2 blocks of my home but also papaya trees, a lemon tree, a pomelo tree, an orange tree, coconut palms and at least one avocado tree. It’s amazing really. I know it’s Hawaii, but who could possibly imagine this abundance so near but so far away when I closed off my senses? It makes me feel so alive when I realize that this reality is now opening to me.

Just like Miss Potter I am so grateful that my senses have been awakened and my awareness to what is all around me is now visible to my outer eyes. And in that awakening I know that the “reality” of what is can become even more colorful and animated; just like the pigs, ducks and rabbits Miss Potter could see and hear and helped come alive to her many readers.

On your journey towards awareness allow yourself to become awakened within as you explore your inner and outer world that surrounds you.