January 21, 2011

Agnesenplätzchen

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , |
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Agnesenplätzchen

(St. Agnes Cookies)

St. Agnes Cookies

January 21: Feast Day of St. Agnes

We often contribute cookies to college students to support the ministry of Islander’s brother, Kahuna. Each week during the academic year, his community of brothers and priests hosts a prayer and dinner social at their house to encourage the students to grow spiritually as well as mentally while at school. Since the Feast Day of St. Agnes occurs around the start of the spring semester, we baked a batch of Agnesenplätzchen for the students and staff to sample. This German jam-filled sandwich cookie is a simply satisfying snack for both study breaks and prayer gatherings.

Recipe

(Adapted from Cooking with the Saints by Ernst Schuegraf)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 jar apricot jam

Directions

Cream the butter with the sugar. Gradually incorporate the flour until it becomes a smooth dough. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

St. Agnes Cookies

On a clean work surface, work in small batches and roll out the dough to ¼-inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out an even number of circles. Place on a slightly greased baking sheet. Refrigerate for half an hour. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

St. Agnes Cookies

Remove from the oven, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Spread the jam on one side of a cookie and sandwich with another. Yield: Approximately 2 ½ dozen sandwich cookies.

St. Agnes Cookies

Notes

  • The original recipe yielded a dry, crumbly dough. So we added a few tablespoons of water at a time to make it more pliable.

 

 

January 19, 2011

Hurricane Popcorn

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Hawaiian Hurricane Popcorn

Hurricane Popcorn

January 19: National Popcorn Day

How’zit?! Befo’ time, when Islandah and her bruddah, Kahuna, wen go movies togeddah in Hawaii, they sneak da mochi crunch an’ furikake insai their pockets. Den afta they ordah da popcorn wit’ da buttah on top, they go mix ‘em in da dark theater and make da kine populah snack called “hurricane popcorn.” Bumbye, da concession stands start fo’ sell ‘em cuz local peoples like ‘em—get buttah, mochi crunch, furikake and sometimes li hing mui powdah in da popcorn already. No can find hurricane popcorn on da mainland but. Now Islandah goes to one Asian food mart fo’ buy mochi crunch an’ furikake so she can make ‘em at home when she like watch movies on da TV. Fo’ National Popcorn Day, try make one ono kine local grindz like Hawaiian hurricane popcorn. It’s garanz ballbaranz diff’rent but delicious! Aloha!

Click to hear Islander speak about hurricane popcorn in Pidgin (Hawaiian Creole):

Recipe

(Inspired by Hawaii Popcorn Company)

Ingredients

  • 1 packet of microwavable popcorn, popped
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1-2 tablespoons nori komi furikake seasoning
  • ½ cup of arare mochi crunch (Japanese rice crackers)

Directions

In a large bag or container, combine the popped popcorn with melted butter. Close the bag or container tightly and shake the contents until well coated.

Hurricane Popcorn

Add the furikake seasoning and mochi crunch and shake again. Transfer to a bowl or individual serving containers.

Hurricane Popcorn

Notes

  • We used Reynolds brand oven bags in which to shake the hurricane popcorn ingredients.
  • For a sweeter hurricane popcorn, add some li hing mui powder to taste or use kettle corn flavor.
  • Before smiling, check your teeth for furikake plaque.
  • Mahalo nui loa to Islandah’s parents, Auntie Maria B. and sistah Nan N. for sending care packages from Hawaii, which include ingredients for hurricane popcorn.

 

January 12, 2011

Hawaiian Chicken Curry

Posted by HI Cookery under 01 January | Tags: , , , |
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Hawaiian Chicken Curry

Hawaiian Chicken Curry

January 12: National Curried Chicken Day

Chicken curry is a college comfort food for Islander. She and her Sri Lankan roommate, Champa S., would eat her kukul mas (see our blog recipe post) during their university days together. When Islander moved to the mainland for an advanced education, she continued to cook chicken curry using a packaged mix in the microwave at the dorm lounge when the cafeterias were closed. She shared her version of the Hawaiian-style stew with other international residents, including hungry Highlander, during study breaks and socials.

Cooking chicken curry from a mix made for an easy microwavable meal when we got married. But the seasoning packets are not always available so Islander has been preparing Hawaiian chicken curry from scratch. For National Curried Chicken Day, our blog recipe post features a local-style stew (not the touristy-type dish containing pineapples!) that is a popular menu item at Hawaii diners, drive-ins and restaurants.

Recipe

(Adapted from The Honolulu Star-Bulletin)

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-inch piece of ginger, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 5 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 can (13.5 ounces) canned coconut milk
  • 1 – 1 ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup carrots, chopped
  • 1 medium potato, cut into small cubes
  • 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, cooked
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions

Boil the chicken for 15-25 minutes. Let cool and chop into bite-sized pieces. Melt the butter with the onion, garlic and ginger in a covered microwave-safe casserole dish for about 3 minutes.

Hawaiian Chicken Curry

Stir in the curry powder, flour and salt. Mix in the coconut milk and broth. Add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and microwave for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened. Check to see if the vegetables are softened and cooked through; if not, microwave for another 5-10 minutes.

Hawaiian Chicken Curry

Add the chicken to the curry sauce. Cover the casserole dish and microwave for another 3-4 minutes. Stir to coat the chicken with the curry sauce. Serve hot with a garnish of chopped cilantro.

Hawaiian Chicken Curry

Notes

  • Serve Hawaiian chicken curry over scoops of steamed white rice with a side of macaroni salad for a perfect plate lunch—local-style!
  • Search our blog for posts on other curried chicken recipes.

 

 

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