Finding My Heritage Through Food

 #findingmyheritagethroughfood Pop-up Dinner - Monday, July 11, 2022

Growing up in Hawaii made it a little hard to be proud of being Filipino, because Filipinos have always been categorized as only blue collar workers...  groundskeepers, hotel maids & maintenance workers, housekeepers, dishwashers, cooks, nurses, etc.  Never people of talent, status and intelligence.  So I steered away from telling people what my heritage was and said I has born & raised in Hawaii.

I started collecting recipes from cousins, aunties, co-workers and from my childhood memory.  During the pandemic, I started experimenting with these recipes.  Because of me researching and cooking these recipes, I became more curious of my heritage. I wanted to know more of where, why and how my parents came to Hawaii in the late 40s.  I am fortunate that my 96 year old mom is still alive and is very memory sharp.

After a couple of years of cooking these recipes, I decided to share these recipes with friends at a dinner at Box Jelly in March of 2022. I wanted to share these recipes with friends that influenced the creative side of my life in the last 20 years. After this dinner in March, I was asked again to create a pop-up dinner, so I did and called it "Finding my heritage through food".

The menu I created for the pop-up, were recipes I was comfortable cooking and had added my own spin to them.  These recipes always started with using locally raised & grown products.

Appetizer: Shishito stuffed w/ local pork sausage lumpia

Starter: Fresh egg crepe filled w/ sauteed cabbages topped w/ sweet garlic sauce

Soup: Chicken Papaya w/ ginger, turmeric, lemongrass & moringa

Sides: Pickled bittermelon, chayote, red radish, daikon, carrots & peppers.

Main Entrees: Kare Kare, Adobong Pusit, Mung Bean Stew

Dessert:  Halo Halo w/ local mango, mountain apple, dragonfruit, rambutan & preserved sweet mung beans, coconut gel, palm fruit & ube ice cream w/ shaved ice

After posting the dinner on Instagram & Facebook, we sold out in 2 days.  I have a waiting list of interested guests for the next dinner.

Articles like the link below help in getting the word out about the credibility and deliciousness of Filipino cuisine & heritage to the mainstream of American culture.

https://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/new-generation-filipino-american-chefs

REPOST - My "bucket list" visit to the Hashimoto's Persimmon Farm

This is a REPOST, because it is the season to go and visit Hashimoto Persimmon Farm...

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My long awaited visit to the Hashimoto Persimmon Farm was a something I've only heard about, and always wanted to do.  And I finally made it to the farm, last November during a business trip to Maui.

The Hashimoto Persimmon Farm is located on the cool rocky slopes of Kula, the largest Persimmon farm on Maui.  The farm encompasses a total five hundred persimmon trees on five acres of land.  The fresh fruits are harvested and sold during the months of October, November and sometimes part of December each year.  They grow three primary varieties: fuyu, maru, and hachiya.  Please go to their website to learn more about how Mr. Hashimoto got his Persimmon farm started.  Such an inspirational story.   www.hashimotopersimmon.com

Note:  Before heading out to the farm, stop by La Provence Bakery and Cafe on 3158 Lower Kula Road, for a cup of coffee and the best croissants on the Island of Maui.  The bakery is on the way up to the persimmon farm and a wonderful way to start your day.

 

The breathtaking views from the farm.

Grandma Hashimoto still works the farm.  In fact, when I first got there, she was in the drying room packing dehydrated persimmons in packages.  I got to meet 4 generations of Hashimotos.  

Here you have the 3 varietals of persimmons.

The leaves of the persimmon trees are just as vibrant as the fruits themselves.

Here is a Fuyu tree.

This is the Fuyu is the most attractive of the persimmon varietals and is non-astringent.  The Fuyu can be eaten right after harvest. Here in Hawaii is available from November to early December.

More Fuyu...

Here is the Maru variety.  My favorite because of the little pockets of sugar in the flesh of the fruit.

More Maru...

More Maru...

The brown spots in the Maru fruit are little pockets of sugar deliciousness.

Hachiyas...God Bless You

The Hachiya is an orange astringent variety.  Remember you cannot eat these unless they are fully ripe and jelly like. But totally worth the wait. It needs to be eaten soft (like gelatin).

Each fruit is handpicked at the peal of ripeness and hand sorted to ensure you receive the best fruit possible.  Many of their trees are over 90 years old and were planted by the late John Hashimoto's father and grandfather...

"Red Chicken" Recipe

Natalie's Red Chicken Recipe

1/4 cup AP Flour

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

salt to taste

4 chicken thighs

Vegetable Oil for frying

Sauce:

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons Adoboloco Jalapeno hot sauce

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon plum sauce

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 medium onion sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix flour, paprika, and salt in a shallow bowl.  Dry chicken thighs, season with salt & pepper, and toss in flour mixture.  Shake off excess flour mixture.  Set aside.  Heat vegetable oil.  Fry the chicken on both sides until crispy and golden brown.  Drain on a brown paper bag.

Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.  Set aside.

In a baking dish, place drained chicken thighs on bottom and pour sauce all over the top of the thighs.

Cover baking with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Take off foil, baste thighs with liquid, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Serve over steamed rice, mashed potatoes, cous cous, or spaghetti.

Enjoy!

Kakaako Eats a New Meals-to-Go Food Manufacturer Company in the Honolulu Area

Kaka'ako Eats is a new Meals-to-Go kitchen created by Honolulu Baking Company.  Follow them on Instagram @kakaakoeats for their weekly changing menu.

Kaka'ako Eats is focusing on traditional comfort food recipes.  Recipes like Chicken Pot Pie, Shepherd's Pie, Traditional Quiche, salads, fresh cut fruit, and weekly specials.

Email them your order by Tuesday night and currently pick-up is on Thursdays from Noon to 4pm.

Email:  oatcake@honolulubaking.com

Please see this week's menu:

KAKA’AKO EATS MENU 

MARCH 25TH

 

 ENTREES: 

Tino's Fried Chicken w/ cole slaw (6 pieces)

(2 breasts/2 drumsticks/2 thighs) - $30.00 WEEKLY SPECIAL 

Mashed Potatoes (1lbs) - $6.00 WEEKLY SPECIAL 

Quiche: Traditional - $20.00 

Quiche: Vegetarian - $20.00 

Pizza Half-Sheet: Sausage/Pepperoni - $25.00 

Pizza Half-Sheet: Vegetarian - $25.00 

Pot Pie: Chicken - $30.00 

Pot Pie: Veggie - $30.00 

Mac&Cheese:  Bacon - $12.00 

Mac&Cheese:  Cheese - $10.00 

 

SALADS: 

Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower, Garlic & Kale Salad - $8 (16oz.) 

Potato Salad - $7 (16oz.) 

Macaroni Salad - $7 (16oz.) 

Nut-Free Pesto Pasta Salad - $7 (16oz.) 

Beet & Kale Salad - $7 (11oz.) 

CousCous & Carrot Salad - $8 (10oz.) 

Garden Salad - $7 (10oz.) 

 

FRUITS: 

Papaya - $12 (1.5lbs.) 

Pineapple - $10 (2.5lbs.) 

Li Hing Pineapple - $12 (2lbs.) 

Mix Fruit Platter - $14 (2.5lbs.) cantaloupe, honey dew, pineapple, grapes 

Vegetable Platter - $14 (2.5lbs.) broccoli, tomatoes, celery, carrots 

 
PIE: 

Double Apple - $25.00 (9 inch) 

Pumpkin - $16.00 (9 inch) 

 
WEEKLY BAKED SPECIALS:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches - $6 (2PK)

Oatmeal Cookie Cinnamon Sugar Ice Cream Sandwiches - $6 (2PK)

BAKED GOODS: 

Oatcakes - $11.49 (6pk) 

Chocolate Chip Scones - $10.00 (3pk) 

Guava Bars - $10.00 (4pk) 

Mac Nut Bars - $14.00 (4pk) 

S'mores Rice Crispy Bars - $10.00 (4pk) 

Deliciously Ugly Double Chocolate Cake - $35.00