Kauai ginger being harvested. Daniel Lane photo
I never thought a love for food would make me sick. Truthfully, it wasn’t food that made me ill, it was the lengths I went through in the name of good food. After trying several remedies, my recipe for a simple tea was most effective at providing relief. The warm water, combined with honey, ginger and lemon,
Joey Gottesman, an Oahu-based mixologist. Daniel Lane photo.
Kauai Chicken Soup with acini di pepe pasta. Marta Lane photo.
As all visitors know, Kauai has a robust feral chicken population. While some local families capture and cook them, most of us prefer to buy our chicken at the store. You can find whole, organic chicken at
Passion fruit and Meyer lemon tart is perfect for the Hawaiian holiday table. Photo by Daniel Lane.
The Hawaiian pumpkin is a mix of kobocha and European squash. Daniel Lane photo
I planted Hawaiian squash in my garden and ended up with four beautifully smooth, pale orange pumpkins. The Hawaiian pumpkin is a mix of kobocha and European squash that resists Hawaiian wasp stings. I got my seeds from the bi-annual plant and seed exchange hosted by Regenerations International Botanical Garden.
Mature breadfruit is hard and bright green. Daniel Lane photo.
(From left) Laura, Corinne, Maris, Addison, Limor, Christopher and Dan.
Childhood memories captivate my senses as I prepare a meal for my friends. While I make crust for a mango tart, I’m taken back to the holidays in my Colorado home. I see my mother’s hands rolling piecrust and hear the rustle of my father’s newspaper. I didn’t realize mom was loving us at 5:30 a.m., shrouded in quiet and getting a jump on cooking. By the time we rose from our beds, trundled upstairs and kissed her with sleepy eyes, she had made a chocolate cream pie (my brother’s favorite), cherry pie (my favorite) and rum cake (dad’s favorite). After making us a hearty breakfast, she’d spend the rest of the morning cooking, while my father sat in the living room lingering over The Denver Post.
Hibiscus sabdariffa, commonly known as Thai roselle, is what puts the zing in Celestial Seasonings’ Red Zinger Tea. ©2015 Daniel Lane
Last week, I bought roselle buds and local honey at the Kealia farmers market. Instinct and Mother Nature compelled me to combine them with a few things from my garden, which resulted in this Kauai Tropical Tea. The color is so beautiful and the flavor is so delicious, I thought I’d share. I’ve also included another tea recipe at the bottom.
Recipe for Tommy Bahama’s Fresh Ahi Tacos with Asian slaw, wasabi avocado salsa and lime vinaigrette.
Tacos and tequila are a classic culinary combination and in the hands of Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar, these favorites get a modern and slightly exotic twist. From now through June 19, Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar is featuring a “Tacos and Tequila” menu. The month of May is the perfect time to eat, drink and celebrate — with Mother’s Day and the official kick-off of summer (Memorial Day Weekend) — it’s full of good times and festivities. The feeling is just right this time of year, which is reason enough to relax, and as Tommy Bahama says, “Make Life One Long Weekend.™”
Beets take 55 to 65 days from seed to table. Daniel Lane photo
Kim and Jeff Shields moved to Kauai seven months ago. As a gift, their son bought them two tickets to our Kauai farmers market tour. The Shields were ideal guests with open minds, adventurous tastes and lots of questions. They had never had eff fruit, so they bought one to try. As I introduced them to my favorite farmers, they also bought grey oyster mushrooms, sour sop, purple cabbage, sweet potato greens, tiny orange-colored limes called calamansi and red beets with their vibrant greens still attached. They were worried that they’d forget everything they got and what they learned, so I gave them my phone number and said I’d write a blog post and include a recipe.
