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!

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.

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.

Fresh vs. Processed

Before we as a nation and world started eating canned sodas, packaged cereals, boxed cookies and frozen pizza we lived in a world where squeezing orange juice, chopping carrots, kneading dough and baking cookies was the norm. In the past few months I started looking at food with a different perspective, perhaps that's because I am taking food seriously (ha ha). I have been noticing how much I can really do with food and how much I can make myself. Sure, it takes a little extra time, but it just tastes better. And perhaps I have also been paying attention to the abundance and variety.

When I was in Thailand less than two years ago it was very common to have street vendors selling their homemade goods to you everywhere. I don't think they needed licenses or a vendor permit! What I noticed was that even "junk" food was good for you. The ladies were selling coconut fried sweet potato, homemade coconut sweet sticky rice with mango, even Pad Thai and spring rolls. However, all of these items were freshly made with local produce and ingredients.

I have also noticed how much better food tastes when I make an effort to tasting it in its natural state. I thought to myself even the other day, wow, there are so many things you can eat that are natural and can be made into fantastic tasting products. Everything from avocado to dates and cashews and passionfruit juice to corn on the cob and homemade bean spread. It's amazing because when you realize how much variety is out there you can find complete satisfaction with prepared foods that are fresh and natural.

You don't need "junk food" or "processed" foods to satisfy your cravings. The key, eating a variety of foods and discovering the largest range of foods as possible. Don't just eat almonds, try cashews, walnuts, pecans and even macadamia nuts and sunflower seeds. Lettuce by itself is boring, add some shredded beet and fresh corn for a change to a salad. Instead of grabbing that cookie try some dates, chocolate and dried ginger to satisfy your sweet tooth. Texture is important. Crunch vs. soft vs. raw vs. baked or boiled. Variety of foods is extremely important.

Start experimenting and trying foods that you may not necesarily have eaten lately. Start with a different fruit that is in season or add a different type of vegetable to your mix vegetables this week. Just a few weeks ago at the local farmer's market "New Zealand" spinach variety was in season. Wow, what a taste sensation that was. It tasted nothing like the spinach I was used to. And in Oahu I bought four types of honey, wow, is all I can say. Foods in their natural state are varied, tasty, and so good for you when you eat them prepared with other fresh foods. Look around and notice. Activate your senses. Activate your sense of taste and smell and sight. Try adding color to an otherwise bland dish. It's important that you feel satisfied after a meal, even if it's just a salad.

And can you imagine if we as a nation started looking at food as a way of life versus which diet we need to eat. Trust your instincts. Start with a simple shift in perspective. You will start discovering a new world beginning to open before your eyes. What a beautiful, abundant and bright world it is. Open your eyes and mouth and taste the bounty that lies before you. And start putting what tastes good onto your plate and enjoy the taste like never before. Be adventurous. I think you'll surprise yourself and perhaps you will start enjoying what's all around you like never before. Live well, eat well.

The Maui Onion

I really enjoy cooking with onions and find them highly versatile. Since I try to maximize taste in each dish I create it's important to use ingredients that add high flavor value. Onion is definitely one of those ingredients. In addition to being versatile and flavorful there are many natural benefits and curative properties in the onion. Even the onion juice is used therapeutically. Raw onion is the most beneficial. In Hawaii the Maui onions is variety of sweet onion that lacks sulfur, which causes the strong odor and sharp taste associated with onions. The State of Hawaii has invested a great of money in marketing their famous onion variety, putting it on par with Vidalia onions from Georgia, another sweet onion variety. This distinct onion variety flourishes best in the rich volcanic soil of Haleakela, which dominates the landscape of Maui.

The Maui onion has a rich golden yellow color and they typically grow in a slightly flattened shape. This onion variety is not only mild and sweet but also very juicy due to its high water content. I love caramelizing these onions, with a little bit of Extra Virgini Olive Oil and Sea Salt, making them melt in your mouth. They can also be grilled and fried tempura style.

Caramelized Onions

INGREDIENTS

2 cups thinly sliced Maui onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp. Sea Salt

PREPARATION

Caramelize onions by heating 2 tbls olive oil in sauté pan on high. Stir in onions and coat with oil. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Allow them to start softening on high heat. Stir constantly so they do not brown too much or burn at first. After onions start becoming opaque you can lower heat to medium high. Stir often in the beginning to prevent uneven cooking and burning. Monitor the heat. After the first process of softening you can stir occasionally. Watch and continue to stir and be sure onions are caramelizing evenly. Once they start cooking and you have adjusted the heat they won't burn if you stir them occasionally. However, it's important to make sure they are evenly browning and caramelizing. They should be a deep golden brown and softened. This process can take 25-30 minutes to create the caramelization. You can add these onions to wraps, fritattas or stir-fries. Enjoy!

THE MANGO

This year here in Maui, Hawaii mangoes have been flourishing and I have found myself in mango paradise. I discovered a tree in my neighborhood here in Kihei that was bearing fruit in April. Mangoes usually mature early July and August here in Hawaii. I then discovered over a dozen trees of differing varieties in a 2-block radius. I am so excited because it feels like a gift that keeps dropping from heaven. I so look forward to my morning foraging for mangoes. It’s a piece of paradise that I can touch, feel and taste.
I am like a kid in a candy store. I started eating the mangoes raw, making fruit smoothies, even mango muffins and mango coconut sorbet, frozen mango pie and started sharing the mangoes with friends. Along the way I have discovered lemon, pomelo and breadfruit trees as well around the corner from where I live. It feels as if I have been able to access what comes to us in its purest form without any human intervention. This experience has given me a greater appreciation of the local produce and the beautiful place where I live.

What I have discovered on my journey of learning about the mango is that it is considered a royal fruit. It’s a fruit that comes from a rich descent. It is an enchanting fruit that has caused me to want to write about it. This fruit is exceptional, not only for its nutritious value and amazing intense taste, but it has a history as well. It has been estimated that there are over 1000 commercial varieties in India, where mangos are often called the "king of fruits". India is the world's largest producer of mangoes and has been cultivating this species for more than 4,000 years.
It is said that the Buddha was given the gift of a whole grove of mango trees where he could rest whenever he wished. It was a place for him to go and sit back and enjoy nature and a piece of paradise on earth. From that time on the mango tree was held in awe as capable of granting a person wishes. It is said that in India that the mango tree is so revered that it has become a symbol of love. Offerings of mango leaves are presented at wedding ceremonies, a ritual that guarantees the couple will bear many children. Throughout Indian villages there is a powerful belief that the mango trees grow new leaves each time a son is born. To herald the new birth to their neighbors, doorways are decorated with mango leaves.
Revered not only for their exotic sweetness and juicy quality, mangoes are known for their many health benefits. In addition to offering huge amounts of beta carotene, antioxidants and vitamin C, the mango also contains an enzyme that is a soothing digestive aid. A mango consists of over 80% water and is a great fruit to eat to replenish energy after working out.
Mango trees are evergreens and grow as high as 90 feet with a width of 80 feet. Mangoes are in the same family as pistachios, cashews, poison oak and poison ivy. Perhaps that explains why so many people have allergic reactions when they touch the skin and sap. Weight of the fruit varies and can be up to over 4 pounds. Each tree produces about 100 fruit. Mature fruit has a characteristic fragrance and a smooth, thin, tough skin. Mangoes should be picked before they are fully ripe, at which time they soften and fall.
When selecting a mango make sure it has a tropical fruity aroma as unripe mangoes have no scent. A fresh mango will give slightly to the touch, but soft and bruised fruit will be overripe. It’s best to allow them to ripen at room temperature and then refrigerate. A mango will continue to ripen at room temperature especially if you see sap and enough sugars from the tree still on the fruit itself. Some mangoes ripen to a combination of raspberry, orange and green shades, while other varieties are golden yellow or green when ripe. The size of the mango varies according to variety. The larger the mango the more fruit in relation to the pit.
What I know for sure is that the mango has given me a greater perspective on gifts that come to us from a place that cannot be seen or heard. It’s a place where gifts are given and the receiver must be open to receiving. I had gone by the mango trees so many times and never even noticed their magnificence. I never even noticed that they were there. Now I go by those trees everyday and am so appreciative of what they represent. They represent magic, abundance, well-being, vitality and grandness. It is as if the awareness of the mango has allowed me to tap into the essence of what it represents. Enjoy and let the taste of the mango fill your body and its essence fill your spirit.