Nectarines & Raspberries

Summertime in California means stone fruit heaven. Peaches, apricots, nectarines, they are all gorgeous right now. If you time it right, you can buy them at a steal at the supermarket when they’ve reached the peak of ripeness.

I came home with three pounds of juicy, ripe nectarines last week. I prepped and froze some of them for smoothies, for the rest, I quickly dispatched into a beautifully hued Nectarine and Raspberry Crisp.

Makings of a fruit crisp

I adore fruit crisps for the fact that they are a no-brainer. With no dough to fuss with, crisp topping is essentially a super simple mixture of flour, rolled oats, sugar, and butter. You don’t even need to bust out the mixer for this. I’ve found that my own two hands are the best tools to use for cutting in the butter.

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Namu’s Gamja Fries

Swoon.

Every once in a while, a dish will come along and blow my mind.

Namu’s Gamja Fries are b.o.m.b.

A Korean take on chili-cheese fries (with some clever wordplay on the Korean word for potatoes and the Sanskrit word for a good time), behold, amazingly crispy hand-cut potatoes topped with tasty bits of short ribs, gobs of kimchee relish, green onions, and a secret sauce trifecta of kewpie mayo, teriyaki, and gochujang (a spicy-sweet paste of red chili peppers and fermented soy bean).

Haute Stoner Food at its finest.

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It’s the weekend. You rolled out of bed craving something good. It’s been a long week, you’ve been working hard, and you deserve some carbs that have been slathered in butter and griddled. And bacon. Definitely some bacon. The answer is, obviously, brunch.

Orson has been my go-to weekend indulgence ever since they started their brunch service months ago. This industrial-chic space is well known for its nighttime vibe, but in the light of day, the modern, artsy décor translates well. With one of the most well-composed brunch offerings I’ve seen in awhile, it won’t be a neighborhood secret for long.

True to form, executive chef Elizabeth Falkner has put together a stellar menu that features comforting classics, amped up with gourmet ingredients, nuanced flavors, and out-of-the-box combinations.

Blueberry and Thyme Monte Cristo

Cue: Blueberry and Thyme Monte Cristo with House-made Breakfast Sausage. Love at first sight. This sandwich makes all other sandwiches pale in comparison. It will make you go weak in the knees and will haunt your dreams for days months after.

» Continue Reading “Orson Brunch and a Fleeting Love Affair”…

Lavender and a Honeybee

“Can you smell that?” I asked Hua, who was thankfully navigating the winding road, going up and up, as I rolled down the window and stuck my head out like an excited pup. We were in upcountry Maui, on our way to the Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm, and I could smell it! The faintest trace of that intoxicating fragrance. There was no mistaking it, we were close.

Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm

Perched 4,000 feet on the slopes of the volcano Haleakala, Ali’i Kula Lavender is the site of over 55,000 lavender plants blooming across 13.5 acres of serenity. More than 45 varieties of the lovely plant are grown on the farm, 7 of which bloom year round.

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I’m usually a spa girl myself. A little sunbathing by the infinity pool? Some sea salt to exfoliate while steaming in the sauna? Maybe a morning yoga class overlooking the ocean, or better yet, a spa treatment in a private hale (bungalow). Oh yes, that sounds like heaven to me.

On this particular day though, I decided to take myself out of my comfort zone for a few hours and signed up for a Golf Clinic at the Kapalua Golf Academy.

Kapalua Golf Academy

After all, we were in one of the most enviably gorgeous places to golf, were we not? And it would help work up an appetite for DK’s Secrets: Sansei-Style Luncheon.

» Continue Reading “Maui Edition: Finding My Athlete, DK’s Luncheon, & the Port to My Heart”…

Chuao Chocolatier Firecracker Truffle

Sarah, Congratulations!

Chuao’s Firecracker Truffles will knock your socks off!

And thanks to everyone for sharing your childhood sweet-tooth with me Gave me a nostalgic sugar rush…

‘Til next time! Happy Monday.

Featured on Foodista’s Food Blog of the Day, July 25, 2010.

Wheat Berry Salad

Ever since the great feedback I received from my Wheat Berry Sunshine Salad, I’ve been itching to throw together another recipe featuring this healthy whole grain.

Wheat Berries

If you’re unfamiliar with wheat berries, they are simply whole kernels of wheat — the same stuff that flour is made of when ground down. They’re a great source of fiber, and have a wonderful nutty flavor and hearty chew to them.

Inspiration for this Wheat Berry Salad with Cranberries, Green Onion, Toasted Pecans, and Feta comes from the need to clean out my fridge.

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Wine Tasting at the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival 2010

Oenophiles/winos/wine freaks take note: The Kapalua Wine & Food Festival is where you wanna be.

I have never been surrounded by so many fine wines, talented winemakers, and wine experts in my life.

Festival Host, Master Sommelier Fred Dame, brought together fellow Master Sommeliers Shayn Bjornholm, Jay Fletcher, Greg Harrington, Michael Jordan, Geoff Kruth, Emily Wines, and some of the finest winemakers in the world, to showcase their very best wines at this festival.

At first I was intimidated…these pros were ridiculously knowledgeable and must have the most insane palates to be able to decipher some of those flavor notes. Black cherry, spicy currants, smoky leaves…um, really? Cause I’m getting a little shoe leather here, with a dousing of alcohol.

» Continue Reading “Maui Edition: Kapalua Wine and Food Festival — Red Red Wine (and some White)”…

Kaboom!

Happy 4th of July everyone! Hope you’re be celebrating with some good BBQ, cold bevvies, and spectacular fireworks!

In honor of this booming occasion, we’re doing a giveaway of Chuao Chocolatier’s Firecracker Truffles.

The Firecracker Truffle contains a caramel fudge center infused with chipotle chile and a touch of sea salt. It is then enrobed in dark chocolate and a layer of popping candy.

Take a bite and as the caramel and chocolate start to dissolve on your tongue, the pop-rocks start crackling away – you can actually hear them! A gentle heat from the chipotle kicks in, before long, your mouth is sparking away like your own private fireworks show.

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The Kapalua Wine & Food Festival brought together food and wine lovers from near and far to celebrate 4 days of wining and dining at the stunning 22,000-acre Kapalua Resort.

Red Red Wine

At Friday night’s Grand Tasting event, the festival’s 7 master sommeliers selected over 200 wines from around the world, while Executive Chef John Zaner and the culinary team of The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua prepared dishes highlighting the island’s freshest ingredients.

» Continue Reading “Maui Edition: Kapalua Wine and Food Festival — The Grand Tasting”…