Chef Hula Dahl

Crispy Crunchy Things

2010-11-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

Crispy, cheesy things to eat are a personal weakness of mine. I never, ever resist anything that's crunchy and baked with a flavorful cheese. These crispy crackers are the bomb. Bake a tray of these right before everyone arrives, your house will smell heavenly!

Crispy Cheese Crackers

Yield about 11 dozen crackers

2 ½ (12 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups puffed rice cereal

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, or grease generously with butter or cooking spray.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cheese and butter together on medium speed. Add 2 cups of the flour, the pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and mix until well combined. Add the cereal and use your hands to combine it thoroughly with the flour mixture. (The electric mixer will crush the cereal too much.)

Combine the remaining ¼ cup flour and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Use your hands to roll the dough into balls about the size of fresh cherries. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet. Dip the tines of a dinner fork into the flour mixture and press each ball down with a fork. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool. The crackers will keep in an for a week in an airtight tin.

Savory Thanksgiving Pre -Dinner Snacks

2010-11-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

Here are two great snacks to set out while everyone is cooking the Thanksgiving meal in your kitchen. Better than cheese and crackers, these recipes can be made in advance. I find most everyone tries not to eat much until turkey time. I, on the other hand want something good to munch on during a day of non-stop cooking.

I love homemade pickled vegetables especially this recipe for Pickled Pink Heart of Palm. We find fresh heart of palm easily on the Hawaiian islands. You don't have to live in Hawaii to procure them. You can order them from your local grocer or contact Melissa's Foods which is a good source for many exotic ingredients.

Pickled Pink Heart of Palm

These are my invention and I love them! They are yummy eaten straight from the jar, added to a salad and skewered with other vegetables, like a kabob. Wrap some thinly sliced ahi crudo around these guys and you’ll have a beautiful pupu to share with friends.
It’s always better to do your own preserving because you can add your signature spices and make them your own!

2 pounds fresh hearts of palm
1 small beet, raw, peeled
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, whole
1 bay leaf
1 cup water
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup seasoned rice vinegar

Place hearts of palm in a wide mouth jar. Slice beet into ¼ inch thick slices. Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, make hearts from the beet slices. Set aside.

Place garlic cloves, peppercorns and bay leaf in the jar with the hearts of palm.
Heat water and salt in a small saucepan until salt is dissolved (see Note.) Add vinegar. Pour enough of the liquid into jar to cover hearts of palm and to fill jar. If necessary, add more salted water, allowing one tablespoons salt for every 2 cups of liquid. Add beet hearts. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Taste to check if hearts of Palm are flavorful enough; and pickling will they take at least 4 days. They keep up for up to 2 weeks.

Note: For faster pickles, bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add vinegar.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, I'll post many more great recipes...in the next few weeks, promise.

A New Beginning for Everyone

2010-08-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Celebrations ~

Good Times ~Parties ~Get-together

I am thinking about our move to Kauai. How do I pack everything I think I'll need for a year on an island? And not take too much. Flip flops and shorts, One suitcase. No over the knee boots or fur vests, not this year. No animal print or a new fab bag. The pointy toe shoes and stilettos are staying in LA. Say goodbye to dinners in chef's restaurants and hello to cooking at home. Thank goodness I love to cook and party. Stock up on candles, shampoo,sunscreen and beauty products.

Next to my kids and Andy, my cookbooks are my lifeline, which ones go and which stay? A tough decision and another blog.

The only way I can handle the thought of moving out of our house of 14 years, is by cleaning a a few drawers per day. Their is fourteen years stuff collected and don't really need now. Except.. framed photo's of graduations, friends, exotic vacations, kids growing up, and every birthday. Those precious framed pictures, are packed. Drawers of random phone chargers, old camera's, dated video camera's, batteries, in the dumper. Face it, we all have the same stuff in our homes. Piles and files,stashed away projects saved for a rainy day. They say that clutter is indecision.

I am cleaning out the indecision in Beverly Hills. Loli is moving to an apartment and Alex to USC. Unlike us, they have accumulated small piles of junk and yet I am buying everything they need for their new homes. I decided to look in my own cupboards, I have too much to share. Pots, pans, blankets, pillows, sheets, frames, kitchen utensils, serving pieces, coffee machines, exotic ingredients and the latest spices. We have enough in our home to outfit both apartments. Who needs Target, Best Buy, Costco, West Elm, William Sonoma, Bloomingdale's and so forth.. Our house is filled to the hilt with stuff enough for three homes.

Everyone in my family has a chance for a fresh start. Even though their homes are new, their apartments have a few gently used things of mine . I found solace in giving them kitchen equipment that we have used together over the years. My favorite tea cups, serving spoons, and serving dishes, I know will be useful. Will they think of us, when they use the big gold platter with black ruffled edges. Will the sake set remind them of the first time we had a make your own sushi party? Does my espresso machine set into motion our Sunday morning excursions to the Hollywood farmers market?

Shrimp Habachi Salad Kauai, HI

2010-07-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

~ Hibachi Shrimp Salad Recipe

Hibachi Shrimp Salad with a Barbeque Guava Glaze

This is an easy Pupu to assemble and fun to serve for a cocktail party. Everyone has a favorite barbeque sauce in their pantry, don’t hesitate to use it for this recipe.
Makes 4 Servings

1 cup barbeque Sauce, bottled
½ cup guava jam
4 tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-20 size)

5 cups mixed local greens, lolla rossa, red oak, mizuna and tai soi- washed and well dried
society garlic flowers for garnish
Macadamia Nut Vinaigrette, see recipe below

Combine the barbeque sauce, guava jam and teriyaki sauce in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Add shrimp and marinate in the barbeque, guava sauce overnight or 4 hours.

Remove shrimp from the marinade and light the grill. When hot, sear the shrimp on all sides for about 5-6 minutes total depending on the hotness of the grill. Do not over -cook or the shrimp will be rubbery.

Combine all of the salad ingredients including the society garlic flowers in a large salad bowl. Lightly toss with enough vinaigrette to coat the leaves. Divide the greens among four salad plates and top with the grilled shrimp.

Macadamia Nut Vinaigrette

¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Rice vinegar, seasoned
1 teaspoon salt
freshly black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
2 cups or less Macadamia nut oil, or any flavored oil

Whisk all the ingredients together, except for the oil. Slowly whisk in the Macadamia nut oil until well combined. Adjust the seasoning as needed.

Edible Summer Flowers

2010-07-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

~Tomato Arugula Tart Recipe

Tomato Arugula Pupu Tarts
Makes 10 tarts

2 refrigerated prepared pie crust, cut into 10-3inch discs
8 ounces Puna goat cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons basil, chopped
2 tabelspoons thyme leaves, de-stemmed and minced
3 tablespoons Macadamia nut oil
1 pint tomatoes (such as cherry, pear or heirloom) cut in half
1 cup arugula flowers or nasturtiums, cilantro flowers and kale flowers for garnish

Preheat oven to 400F.
Bring pie crusts to room temperature. Gently unroll the crusts on a lightly floured board. Cut into
10-3 inch discs with a cookie cutter and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Prick each disc
well with a fork and bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. When done, remove the pan from
oven and let cool completely on a cookie rack.
Place goat cheese, basil, thyme and oil in a small bowl and stir well with a spatula to combine the ingredients. Divide the goat cheese mixture among the baked shells, lightly spreading the mixture with a spatula, being careful not to break them. Press the halved tomatoes into the goat cheese and garnish each with the arugula flowers or any edible flowers.

The Garden of Eating

By Dahlia Haas
Photography and Food Styling by Dahlia Haas and Nurit Aeina

Around this time last year, my vegetable garden morphed into a crazy display of vegetables and herbs gone wild. Almost everything I planted in early spring and late winter burst into flower and seed. Waist high arugula, topped with bushy pale white flowers grew with abandon. Broccoli plants, hid under pillows of sweet yellow broccoli flowers. Towering tumbleweeds of flowering cilantro marked the corners my garden making a natural fence.

This year, I have a new attitude. I’m creating summery recipes with the micro flowers sprouting from the culinary herbs and vegetables. The Hibachi Shrimp Salad, redolent of guava and mild garlic is startlingly beautiful garnished with sprigs of lavender society garlic. In fact, toss colorful edible blossoms such as nasturtiums and the flowers from Mexican tarragon and cilantro along with pale blue borage flowers and sunny calendula petals into all your salads. With so many herbs woven through each recipe, the flavors will surprise you. Tomato Arugula Pupu Tarts made with thyme and basil scented Puna goat cheese, topped with local multi-colored small tomatoes and sprinkled with sweet arugula flowers, are as pretty as wedding bouquets.

Like bright pearls, the orange blossom on the citrus trees is the driving force behind Orange Blossom Doughnuts. Drizzled with warm lavender honey they are easy to make using a cream puff dough recipe. This dessert is not complete without a long, tall Caramel Kona Coffee Float. Pass these around at your next party! After all, who doesn’t love fresh homemade doughnuts and a fancy coffee!

Sturdy and abundant the island tropical, heliconia, antherium, orchid and ginger are clearly the kings and queens of the flower kingdom. In my world of food, the tiny buds and edible flowers that show up in my summer garden will not be taken for granted anymore. However small and delicate, these gems have moved up to grace these eye catching recipes.

A coconut snack recipe

2010-07-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

On the road between the Princeville Gym and our house in Kauai is an amazing roadside fruit stand. They sell homegrown fruits and vegetables and fresh island coconuts. Everyday, I stop for an ice cold, freshly cracked coconut. Each one is full of water, rehydrating, cooling and good for your kidney. Forgot the latte, this is my Starbucks, island-style.

Last week, the owner shared a sweet new recipe. After drinking the wonderful coconut water, crack the coconut in half with a hammer. Scoop out the coconut meat place it on a sheet pan. Drizzle with maple syrup and a sprinkle of black lava salt. It takes about 30 minutes at 350F. A yummy snack.

I used to save the coconuts to throw at the screaming roosters in the bushes that wake us up at 5am. One night, a herd of mountain pigs having a party, got a load of coconuts. I was hoping to scare them off. They left...I'm sorry I wasted all those coconuts on them. I could be snacking on my new favorite thing to eat!

Salads From My Gardens: Los Angeles and Kauai

2010-05-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

The Garden Salad, Los Angeles

This picture-perfect salad looks like a miniature garden, growing on a plate. I added crunchy bits of ground toasted raisin pecan bread, "soil" to hold up the bouquets of baby lettuce, Belgium endive, slim spears of asparagus, chubby pea pods, baby beets, micro greens, society chive flowers, young herbs, tiny sweet tomatoes, and Tuscan kale.

The dressing is easy to make. Dice a small shallot, place in a bowl with a few tablespoons of rice vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Let marinate for 10 minutes and slowly whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of mustard of your choice and slowly add hazelnut oil, whisking in the oil till thick and emulsified. I use about 1/4 cup of oil or less.

Whether I am in Los Angeles or Kauai, the produce I grow in my garden and buy at the farmer's market inspire me to create new recipes. Tropical Asian flavors infused with a little Portugeuse, spicy Korean and exotic Thai ingredients work well in Kauai.

In Los Angeles, everyday cooking is a melting pot of countries.The vast selection of fresh produce and top quality multicultural products is the driving force behind my menus. I cook like crazy, professionally and for the family.
Banana Flower Salad, Secret Beach House Kauai, HI

Years ago, I tasted a banana flower salad in Thailand. It was different, memorable and worth making again. I found banana flowers in many ethnic markets as well as our local Gelsons and Whole Foods in Los Angeles. I couldn't buy them. They were shriveled and dehydrated from a long trip across the ocean. I had no interest in reproducing a banana flower salad until our last visit to our home in Kauai.

Low and behold, in our newly planted orchard, I discovered our banana trees each with branches of unripe baby bananas and fresh magenta-colored banana flowers. Finally! A chance to make this lovely and unusual salad after all these years. With the main ingredient, dangling just a foot above my head, I couldn't wait to hack the banana flowers off. I carried all five into the house like precious babies. Then rolled them in damp paper towels in the refridgerator. The search was on to find the rest of the ingredients to make the salad. Prawns, Asian pear, chicken breast, shallots, coconut milk, cilantro. lime and Nam Prik Pla Sauce. Nam Prik Pla Sauce isn't easy to find on an island. It's a bottled sauce used in Thai cuisine. It's a mixture of ground peanuts, shallots, dried shrimp and other heady ingredients. It's rich and deeply flavored and I needed it.

I knew the only place to get a bottle of that sauce was the local Thai restaurant, a 30 minute drive to the other side of island. I was ready to beg and pay almost any price for the stuff. With five fresh banana flowers at home, a girl has to do whatever it takes! Did I get the sauce? Yes. Did I have to beg and pay a hefty price. Yes! Did I care? I was on my way to creating a food memory and the nam prik Pla sauce as my hall pass.

Once home, everything came together in no time. I peeled the banana flowers down to the core just as you would a fresh globe artichoke. You see, the inner most part of the banana flower is all you use. Discard the deep purple leaves and all the baby bananas curled in between the layers of banana leaves. Slice the core of the banana flower on a mandoline or use a sharp knife. As you slice, they turn blackish, place the slices in a bowl of lemon water. slice and taste because you want to discard any parts that seem woody. Once you core a few banana flowers, you will understand how much is edible. Not much! I used two banana flowers to make salads for four.

The rest is easy. In a large bowl, combine 12 grilled shrimp, cut into third, de- tailed. Add eight ounces of grilled julienned breast of chicken, one julienned asian pear, with the drained and well dried slices of banana flower. Make the dressing, in a small bowl, mash one large coconut date with one tablespoon dried shrimp add two tablespoons thickest part of the coconut milk, one tablesppon rice vinegar and one tablespoon Nam PriK sauce and two tablespoons Teriyaki sauce and zest of lime to taste. Whisk well to combine the ingredients. Add just enough dressing to moisten the salad ingredients and plate. The biggest Banana Flower off our tree

Bananas and the flower

What I Learned from Making Granola

2010-03-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

When the freezer is filled with too many nuts and the snack drawer is bulging with bags of half eaten raisins, dried cranberries and blueberries, goji berries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried figs and apricots, containers of dates, apple chips and shredded coconut, it's time to make a big batch of Little D's Granola..

Without a recipe, making granola is a mind game. The game is your mind asking all sorts of questions you must address to produce a great batch of granola. It gets tricky if you want to add-in raisins, goji berries, dried fruit, pine nuts, sugar, agave syrup. Each added ingredient requires a quick decision.

"Do I add the raisins and goji berries before or after baking?" "

"Should I wait or add the dried fruit now before baking? "

"Toast the pine nuts before I add them?"

"Will the pine nuts add an oily flavor?"

"Do I really need to add sugar? "

"Can the granola brown in the oven without sugar or butter? "

"If I use honey, should I heat it first?"

An endless stream of questions. This time a small voice inside my head was overly concerned about the add-ins. The little voice of reason was gently asking me not to throw everything in at once. Reminding me, "Remember the burnt raisins and the sugar didn't dissolve from the last batch."
This time, because I took my time and worked with my inner chef. This batch of granola was the best yet. It browned beautifully, the raisins, cranberries and blueberries were added when the granola came out of the oven. The pine nuts, wonderful and not greasy in the least. And I learned... when I cook, I am never alone..

Little D's Granola Deluxe

I like to use the empty oatmeal can as a measuring vessel for the nuts, coconut and the dried berries and fruit. Then toss everything into a big bowl, no need to use a small 1 cup measuring cup for these ingredients.Granola is a good gift to share with loved ones and friends. Wrap the granola in canning jars with a pretty ribbon. Your friends will appreciate it so much!

1 can quick cooking oats, Quaker Oaks brand
1 can mixed nuts,to include pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, almonds,
1/4 cup honey or agave heated with 3 T cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1/2 can shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
2T coarse salt

3/4 can filled with mixed dried fruit to include raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, diced apricots, minced dates,

Combine all the the ingredients together, in a large bowl except the dried fruits and dried berries, bake the granola mixture on sheet pans lined with parchment paper till golden brown about 30 -40minutes on 325F. When done remove granola from the oven.

Add 3/4 can of mixed dried fruit to include raisins, cranberries, blueberries, apricots. Mix well with a large spoon.

Granola keeps well in the refrigerator.

I like to fill canning jars with my granola to give away as party favors or for a take home gift after a Sunday brunch party.

The Full Remodel, Secret Beach House Kauai Feb 22, 2010

2010-03-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

I'm back in LA.. Just spent 10 days in Kauai with hubby, Andy working on plans to remodel our beach house. Oh my..it's daunting and a lot to think about. We own a nine bedroom house on Secret Beach on the north shore of Kauai, we call the Dali Hale."
Before we bought the house, this home was a bed and breakfast and spiritual retreat center for many, many years. We have owned it for seven summers, now it's time for us to make it our own. Hence, "The Full Remodel" is my story. A tale of my experience. It's starts with this magical house, "The Dali Hale" and how we'll navigate our life and our twenty-five year marriage.
We have shared this amazing home with other families and friends over the years. Families travel from near and far to celebrate weddings, birthdays and wedding anniversaries. The beach below the Dali Hale is gorgeous. The house is a Hawaiian plantation home with a wrap-around lanai. Hammocks hang from every corner
The first piece of art I bought for the Dali Hale was a giant golden Buddha that hangs in the great room. This golden Buddha, with his peaceful smile and big sleepy eyes says it all. "Come in, let go, rest, rejuvenate, relax."
I am a cooking teacher, a chef and and food photographer. I write a quarterly food column for an award winning magazine, Edible Hawaiian Islands. Cooking is my true passion. Being in the kitchen, grounds me. Having a party makes me happy. I love to cook, even on vacation. Cooking in Kauai, is where I gain the most inspiration.
When we bring our friends to Kauai, everyone brings favorite recipes. We cook like crazy. Mostly, we get a little carried away with the cooking and we exhaust ourselves. No one wants to do the dishes after dinner. That's the worst part. The best part is shopping at the farmers markets and creating island- style meals.
First thing I did this trip was a make a big batch of extra strong iced green tea. The coco man showed up with 4 gallons of fresh coconut water fresh from our coco palms. Because I could, I spiked the tea with a bottle of peach schnapps, coconut syrup, and added some of the fresh coconut water, and a little Malibu rum too. Well, well, it was refreshing and certainly lightened up our day! I wanted to rim the glasses with a mix of sugar and Hawaiian salt. Didn't...We were in meetings all day with architects and contractors. Everyone was smiling, it was a nice way to get the project underway.

Fig Jam, Sushi and One Kobe Steak

2009-09-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

My kitchen can be very busy at times.The other day, I decided that I had to make fig jam and fig confit because we had 20 pints of fresh figs coming off two fig trees. It was the moment, now or never. The figs were ripe and their was no going back. Meanwhile, I'm packing for a trip to Kauai. To add more stress, I decided to make fresh granola with all kinds of nuts because I'm nutty for thinking I pull this off and pack too. Now, I'm up to my ear lobes, cooking figs and roasting 10 pounds of homemade granola.
Just as I'm pouring my first cup of tea, Alex Haas arrives at 8am with two friends, Demitri and Nic and a boatload of fresh fish. Seems they went to International Marine, a wholesale fish market downtown at 5:30 am. Only the best for these young chefs, live spot prawns, Santa Barbara uni about 30 pieces, a huge side of yellow tail and the yellow tail collar, a small slab of Toro belly, two dozen oysters and a Kobe steak.
I'm thinking about the jam and the mixing the ingredients for granola. The young chefs are attacking each other with the live prawns. Spewing salt water all over the counters and floor. Flicking each other with the prawns water. Is this how sushi chefs act?
Needless to say, we talked about dinner. Alex and his friends planned to make 8 different recipes as a farewell dinner, or should I say " A happy to see mom and dad leave meal." Fresh Oysters with a Maui Onion Salsa Toro Belly Sashimi, Grilled Yellow Tail Collar, Uni Pasta, Live Spot Prawns Sushi and Steamed Prawns with a Sake infused Ponzu, Yellow tail Seared with Mushrooms Marmalade and a Kobe Steak cooked Sous Vide and quickly seared . They knew what to do, the execution was flawless.They pulled it off. It was cool to watch the three of them, slice, dice and make all kinds of dipping sauces. The food was beautiful and creatively displayed. These guys know how to cook.
This was a great farewell dinner. Everyone took home a goody bag of warm granola. It was the least I could do for a great evening with three up and coming chefs.

Garlic and Butter

2009-09-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

Just a thought...I started prepping my ingredients at around 5 pm. Cooking the fresh garlic in butter and stir-frying sliced onions. Later at dinner, we talked about how cooking the garlic gets the senses ready. It's the same with certain other items we adore, champagne = celebration, candles create mood. Garlic and butter together sends a powerful food message.

Hot Buns In The Summertime

2009-08-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

Hot Buns In The Summertime
By Dahlia Haas
Food Styling and Photography by Dahlia Haas and Nurit Aeina

Summer entertaining begins with graduation parties and ends with a glorious Labor Day weekend barbeque. There is much to celebrate in the coming months: romantic weddings, friends and families planning reunions, and tropical stay-cations. If you are vacationing at home this year, set up a grill between the palm trees and sunset. Its paradise and the perfect opportunity to dine alfresco… the setting doesn’t get any better!

For our summer parties, I am making all kinds of island-style sliders: small four-inch Sirloin, Red Veal and Ahi Poke burgers on Miniature Portuguese sweet bread rolls. Tasty and fun to eat, a slider is a 3 bite wonder. The idea to make sliders began to percolate after my neighbor dropped off a few loaves of the soft, homemade, Portuguese Sweet Rolls she was selling. The fragrant, golden buns are the perfect size for a mini slider.

Making small nicely shaped patties to fit the buns can be challenging. Here’s a good technique to make the patties uniform. Find a lid that is slightly bigger than the Portuguese sweet rolls. Line the lid with plastic wrap and lightly pack the meat into it --try not to stuff the lid too tightly. After shaping the burgers, make a small indention in the center of the burger so any toppings, such as grated cheese, won’t slide off.

Burgers are making a comeback. In fact, famous chefs all over America are opening casual dining restaurants featuring their own signature burgers. Truthfully, it is far easier to grill a pile of sliders than standing over a flaming hot barbeque, ‘huli huli’ turning slabs of ribs, steak, and chicken.

Then came the fun part! I created various flavored ketchups and sauces with the condiments I had in the pantry and the refrigerator. Without blinking, I made seven: Pineapple Ketchup, Sesame Miso Sauce, Red Curry Coconut Ketchup, Wasabi Sauce with Black Sesame Seeds, Spicy Mango Chutney Ketchup, Pink Ginger Avocado Sauce and Sweet Chilli Ketchup.

On the buffet table or next to the grill set up multi-colored bowls filled with these new homemade condiments. Build your own sliders, and use your imagination. You can also take heaping spoonfuls of each, dip, dunk, eat and drink! Don’t forget the purists, they want yellow mustard, ketchup, lettuce, pickles, sliced Maui onions, ripe tomatoes and cheese for melting.

There’s a well known saying in Hawaii: “A meal without rice is just a snack”. Try this recipe for Tropical Brown Rice Salad, which is filled with crunchy vegetables and topped with an Asian Pineapple dressing. In the summer, fresh island white corn on the cob is irresistible. Rather than grilled or boiled, try my new favorite method. Oven –roast a dozen cobs in the oven in a large brown paper bag. Before baking, lightly spray the exterior of the bag with cooking oil, so the bag doesn’t burn. Fill it with the shucked corn, brush with melted butter and roast the bagged corn in the oven for about 20 minutes.

To celebrate the second anniversary of Edible Hawaiian magazine, I created a new dessert, a Grilled Pineapple and Coconut Macaroon Ice Cream Sundae Tart. A few days before you plan on making the tart, buy fresh pineapples, twist off the crown and set them root side up on the counter to further ripen. The fruit will be unbelievably sweet, like sugar. Afterwards, keep the crown and plant it in your garden. In two years, you’ll get your own pineapples! Soon your garden will be full of pineapples, the international symbol of hospitality…and just one more reason to celebrate!

The Magic of Tea

2009-08-04T17:00:00.001-07:00

The Magic of Tea
By Dahlia Haas
Food Styling and Photography by Dahlia Haas

Listen up. Tea has moved from its home in a four o’clock teapot and emerged as a cutting edge ingredient in both sweet and savory recipes. Bringing tea into the kitchen and out of its familiar role is exciting. Cooking with tea is the hottest new trend to hit the food scene.

These spring time recipes are exotic, spicy and for tea connoisseurs that enjoy cooking, a revelation. Consider Tea-Smoked Chicken with a Sesame Soy Glaze, heart -warming Chocolate Chai Pudding, buttery Earl Grey cookies and a refreshing Green Tea Martini.
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Classic tea-smoked chicken is a century’s old tradition in Chinese cuisine. By using a wok lined in foil as a smoker, you can easily do this on your stove. If you are a first -time Chinese smoker be sure to wait until you see thick plumes of smoke in the wok before adding the chicken breasts. This may take 10-12 minutes. Once cooked, the mahogany glazed poultry will be slightly smoked, infused with black tea, brown sugar, black peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, whole orange peel and uncooked rice. The smell from the smoking chicken brings family members to the kitchen wondering...What’s burning?” and asking “Amazing …how did you learn that!”

Once the smoke clears, make both desserts! I promise the Mocha Chai Pudding and the Earl Grey cookies will be new favorites. Both of these tea -based desserts are easy to make and an unusual sweet ending to a meal. The rich warm blend of spices steeped into the Mocha Chai Crème Brulee will fill the kitchen with a luxurious fragrance of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. The Earl Grey cookies baked with a little Hawaiian salt are incredible eaten plain, dipped in chocolate or made into ice cream sandwiches. I can’t imagine having a cup of tea without them. Not too sweet or rich, “kind of”a grownup version of Girl Scout Cookies.

If a cup of tea is the ultimate comfort drink, then a Green Tea Martini is the perfect cocktail to end the day. Personally, I like my tea shaken, with friends watching the sunset.