April 11, 2024

Our 14th Blog-o-versary

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HI Cookery is 14!

After nearly three decades of living on the mainland, we moved again. This time we relocated to Hawaii!!! We started out in Oklahoma as newlyweds and moved around for Highlander’s job to New Jersey then Illinois then Texas (two cities). We knew we would eventually settle back in Hawaii…and now, like a blink of an eye, it has happened unexpectedly. Oh where oh where did the time go?

Highlander is a few years close to retirement but was still offered a job here when he wasn’t even looking. His company is just half an hour from Islander’s elderly parents’ neighborhood. This was a Divine sign that we needed to come home to look after them in their golden years as well as prepare for our own someday. 

Although we have visited Hawaii frequently, honestly the move back was not an easy one. Aside from adjusting to “reverse culture shock”, the “price of paradise” is a shocking reality. We lived for six months in Islander’s childhood home before we found a place just 10 minutes from her parents so she could check in on them often. Our new townhome now is half the size of our previous house (well, everything is indeed bigger in Texas) and triple the cost!!! Our cozy kitchen flows into a little living room and dining room on the first floor—an open concept floor plan indeed. Granted, it is still bigger than some kitchens but smaller than what we have been used to.

Now that we live in expensive Hawaii, we are paying a lot more for groceries and our dollars do not stretch as far anymore. As for finding “exotic” ingredients beyond Asian-Pacific items, it is also quite a challenge. Sometimes online companies do not ship them to our area. Or the fees are exorbitant, and we must do without. We admit that we were very spoiled on the mainland and realize that the limitations on an island are frustrating. Thanks to our friends there who send us occasional care packages and gifts. We appreciate their generosity and thoughtfulness. 

Despite it all, we are reunited with ‘ohana (family) and old friends who have always been there for us and long awaited our return. Our house blessing last summer was a beautiful homecoming and our hearts overflowed with an abundance of aloha (love). We have hosted a few small soirees already, cooking some recipes from our blog so they all can experience and taste something other than local cuisine. 

As we get settled into our life, we are still desperately trying to downsize. We donated a lot of things to church and charities but have a lot more to unpack and organize. Life goes on wherever we are, and we will continue adding recipes to our blog when we are able. Thank you for your patience and support during these past 14 years! 

Tapadh leat! Mahalo! Thanks!

Highlander and Islander

 

March 19, 2024

St. Joseph’s Bread

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Pan di San Giuseppe

(St. Joseph’s Bread)

March  19: Feast Day of St. Joseph

St. Joseph’s Day is just two days after St. Patrick’s Day. The latter is a well-known Irish holiday, but St. Joe’s feast day is more popular to Italians, especially Sicilians. In the 1800s, the immigrants brought their traditions to New Orleans, Louisiana, and set up altars in honor of San Giuseppe. As Houston, Texas, is in close proximity, some churches around our town host Italian spaghetti fundraising dinners on the weekends closest to St. Joseph’s feast day. They also have ornate displays with fancy decorated desserts and breads on the altars.

We were inspired to bake a simpler bread at home as we learn more about Highlander’s patron saint. The crumbs and the sesame seeds represent the sawdust of St. Joseph’s carpentry trade.

This bread is a delicious way to observe St. Joseph’s feast day!

Recipe

(Adapted from Mangia Bene Pasta)

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup milk, warmed to 105-115 degrees F
  • 1 package (¼ ounce / 2 ¼ teaspoons) yeast
  • 3 cups bread flour, divided use
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted and melted
  • 3 eggs, divided use
  • 1 teaspoon anise extract (or ½ teaspoon anise seed)
  • Sesame seeds

Directions

Bloom the yeast in the warm milk for around 10 minutes. Then pour it into a mixing bowl. Add one cup of flour with the sugar, salt and melted butter. Mix well using the paddle attachment.

Add two eggs and anise plus another one cup of flour. Mix well. Stop the machine and change the paddle attachment to the dough hook. Gradually add the last cup of flour and mix until the dough comes together. 

Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour until doubled in size. Dump the dough on a clean, floured surface and punch down. Divide in two. 

Roll each piece into a long rope (20-22 inches in length). Loosely twist/braid the ropes. Tuck the ends of the dough underneath itself. Carefully pick up the dough and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover again and let it rise for another house until doubled in size.

Beat the last egg with about a tablespoon of water. Brush onto the dough. Sprinkle sesame seeds all over. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Slice and serve.

Notes

 

February 1, 2024

Char Siu Sou

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Char Siu Sou

February: Asian Lunar New Year

Kung hee fat choy! Happy Asian lunar new year! For our family celebration, we made delicious dumplings filled with char siu (red roast/BBQ pork). This dish is auspicious in that the color red is lucky and bright, and pork represents plenitude. The filling is packed in puff pastry, like a little purse full of treasures. And that is our wish for everyone in the coming year—that it is filled with the treasures of love, happiness, health and good fortune. Make char siu sou as part of a memorable lunar new year’s meal.

Recipe

(Adapted from Asian Inspirations)

Ingredients

  • ½ – ¾ cup char siu (BBQ pork)
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2 small shallots
  • 2 tablespoons char siu sauce
  • 5 (4+1) tablespoons water, divided use
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch 
  • 1 package puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Sesame seeds

Directions

Chop the char siu and shallots into small pieces. In a skillet or frying pan, heat the oil and saute the shallots. Then add the char siu. Stir in the char siu sauce with four tablespoons of water and sesame oil.

In a small cup, mix the remaining one tablespoon of water with cornstarch to make a slurry. Stir into the char siu mixture to thicken the filling slightly. Set aside and cool.

Unwrap a sheet of puff pastry dough and slice into nine squares. Keep the dough cool as much as possible to avoid it being overstretched. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the square. Moisten the edges with beaten egg. Fold the dough over to close. Use the tines of a fork to seal the edges. Place the dumplings on a tray lined with waxed or parchment paper. Brush beaten egg over them and sprinkle sesame seeds. 

Freeze until firm and transfer to a freezer bag or container. When ready to bake, line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place frozen dumplings on the tray about two inches apart to allow for the pastry to puff up. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let rest for five minutes before transferring the dumplings to a serving platter. Serve hot.

Notes

  • This is a shortcut version of traditional char siu sou using store-bought puff pastry instead of from-scratch double dough layers. We assembled and froze our char siu sou and then baked them right before our new year’s celebration for an auspicious appetizer.
  • The char siu filling is also good in a baked biscuit as a quick bao. Take canned biscuit (not the flaky layers), separate each piece, flatten the dough, fill with a tablespoon of filling, gather up the ends with a slight twist until it is a ball, place seam side down on a lightly greased baking pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes until golden. Serve immediately.
  • We bought char siu from the Asian hot food counter. Make it from scratch at home with this recipe.
  • Check out our other char siu recipes: baked bao, manapua, fried rice and somen salad (noodles).
  • Search our blog for other lunar new year recipes.

 

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